Meet Our Postdoctoral Scientists
Research: I am interested in Arctic sea ice communities and alterations to those communities in response to changing abiotic conditions. My research focuses on determining the range of settling velocities organics exhibit upon export from sea ice and the effect these settling velocities can have on potential nutritional sources to underlying pelagic and benthic populations.
Email: caumack@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Biology & Paleo Environment
David Chapman
Research: My background is in computer science and my research interests
have evolved from video game graphics to weather satellite image processing
and eventually instrument climate records. I am studying autoregressive El
Nino forecasting as part of the MURI collaboration between LDEO and UCLA
for Low Dimensional Extended Range prediction.
Email: chapman@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Ocean & Climate Physics
Research: I use tree-rings to reconstruct climate. For the past several years I have focused on reconstruct drought/streamflow in Mongolia. I am also interested in science education and have been teaching teachers about climate change at The American Museum of Natural History.
Email: ndavi@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Biology & Paleo Environment
Research: I am interested in understanding and reconstructing the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) movements since the mid-1800s. I am using a network of coral records (mainly oxygen isotope data) from Fiji and Tonga areas to track the interannual to long-term displacements of the salinity front, located at the southeastern edge of the SPCZ.
Email: edassie@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Biology & Paleo Environment
Research: I use geodetic measurements to study glacier dynamics, regional sea level, and crustal deformation. I utilize different scientific data sets and models for this research, including Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements, tide-gauge records, and ocean tides and ocean circulation models. I have recently begun working on a project aimed at understanding the response of sea level to the gravitational and mass-loading changes in the Bay of Bengal.
Email: dejuan@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Seismology Geology & Tectonophysics
Research: My research focuses on studying impacts of oil and natural gas inputs on the microbial and planktonic community in the Gulf of Mexico, focusing on changes in community composition, activity, and fate of the organisms. In addition to lab based microcosm manipulations, I will also use data from water-column profiling and satellite remote sensing, to map the impacts of oil inputs on the microbial and planktonic communities.
Email: ndsouza@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Biology & Paleo Environment
Research: My research is in the areas of volcanology and igneous petrology. I am interested in the processes associated with the generation and eruption of magma, particularly the links between volcanism, tectonics and climate. Current projects include volcanism during late-stage continental break-up in Afar, Ethiopia, post-glacial volcanism in southern Chile and the dynamics of explosive eruptions at Kilauea.
Email: davef@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Geochemistry
Research: I am a mineralogist interested primarily in the incorporation and behavior of impurities and trace elements. My current project is to determine how water diffuses through clinopyroxene and apply that information to understanding magma ascent rates and mantle composition. In the past, I have worked on projects related to nuclear waste management and Ti incorporation in zircon.
Email: ferriss@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Geochemistry
Allison Franzese
Research: My research interests involve the application of isotope geochemistry to Paleoceanography. I am particularly interested in variations of the surface return flow of the global thermohaline circulation (THC) during the late Pleistocene glacial cycles. I am currently working on the relationship between the latitude of the subtropical front and the Agulhas Leakage over the last glacial termination.
Email: franzese@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Geochemistry
Kevin Grise
Research: My research focuses on atmospheric dynamics and their role in
variability and long-term change in the climate system. I explore key ques-
tions about the dynamics of the climate system through statistical analyses
of intra-seasonal, inter-annual, and decadal variability in observational data
sets. My current research focuses on interactions between the troposphere
and stratosphere, both in the tropics and the extratropics.
Email: kgrise@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Ocean & Climate Physics
Sharon Hoffmann
Research: I study changes in Arctic ocean circulation and chemistry over the last 35,000 years, through the change from glacial to interglacial conditions, using the uranium-series radionuclides 231Pa and 230Th in seafloor sediments. I am also working to reconstruct variability in El Nino and the Southern Oscillation during the Holocene period.
Email: sharonh@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Geochemistry
Leslie Hsu
Research: At Lamont as part of the Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA) group, I am working on geoinformatics projects which preserve, search, and manage geochemical and earth surface data. My background is in experimental geomorphology and active tectonics.
Email: lhsu@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Marine Geology & Geophysics
Victoria Lee
Research: I am working on the application and development of a geochemical method for determining sediment ages and transport times (the “uranium-series comminution age method”, applicable to Quaternary fine-grained detrital material). I am currently investigating how marine paleoclimate proxy records may be affected by deep-sea sediment transport. My other work includes fluvial and glacial sediments, and chemical weathering.
Email: vlee@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Geochemistry
Einat Lev
Research: I am a geodynamicist and a physical volcanologist. I use numerical models, laboratory experiments, video analysis and field data to study the dynamics of lava flows. Additionally, I work on mantle dynamics, subduction zones in particular. Themes I focus on are rheology, viscous flow, fabric and anisotropy. I am also interested in ice and glaciology.
Email: einatlev@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Seismology Geology & Tectonophysics
Peiying (Patty) Lin
Research: I am primarily interested in using seismic waves to study planetary interiors, like heterogeneities and seismic discontinuities, which hold important clues on a planet’s compositional, thermal, and dynamical state, as well as its evolution. My research especially centers on using array approach to push the resolution to shorter scales.
Email: pattylin@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Seismology Geology & Tectonophysics
Dario Martin Benito
Research: My research interests focus on the effect of climate and other environmental factors on trees and forest ecosystems by using dendrochronology and tree growth modelling. Currently I am working on past environmental and ecological changes in tropical Asian, Mediterranean, and Eastern North American forests.
Email: dmbenito@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Biology & Paleo Environment
Research: My research explores the mechanical properties of ice and rock at various length and timescales. Here at Lamont I will be conducting dynamic ice friction experiments to examine the influence of tides on the flow speeds of tidewater glaciers. I will also look at how various industrial contaminant affect the viscosity of polycrystalline ice.
Email: mccarthy@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Seismology Geology & Tectonophysics
David Porter
Research: I am interested in the interactions between different components of the climate system, focusing on the interplay between the atmosphere, ocean, and ice near polar ice shelves and tidewater glaciers. Currently, I am investigating the role of the ocean in the observed changes of many of Greenland and West Antarctica's outlet glaciers.
Email: dporter@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Marine Geology & Geophysics
Kandaga Pujiana
Research: My main research interests are directed toward understanding the dynamics of atmospheric and oceanic variability at intraseasonal timescales across the Indonesian maritime continent. I am currently examining the intraseasonal oceanic process feedbacks on the Madden-Julian Oscillation evolution over the maritime continent.
Email: kandaga@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Ocean & Climate Physics
Aaron Putnam
Research: I am interested in deciphering the causes of ice ages and abrupt climate change from the ‘ground up’ by utilizing the terrestrial record of Earth’s mountain glaciers, ice sheets, and pluvial lakes. I hope to gain new insights into the fundamental operation of Earth’s cryosphere and climate, and to place industrial age climate change into an empirical palaeoclimatic context
Email: aputnam@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Geochemistry
Cristina Recasens
Research: No info provided
Email: recasens@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Geochemistry
Research: In my research, I study various patterns in geomorphology that arise from sediment transport acting in different settings, using analytical, modeling, and experimental approaches. My current work focuses on the channel dynamics and effect of changing boundary conditions on the Ganges-Brahmaputra river delta, and also on the granular flows of landslides.
Email: mreitz@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Marine Geology & Geophysics
Harald Rieder
Research: My research is focusing on the analysis of rare events in a past, present and future climate and the (un)certainty in future projections of extreme events. I am using a variety of quantitative tools, and develop a special focus on applications of extreme value theory. Currently I am focusing on changes in extreme air pollution events in the US.
Email: hr2302@columbia.edu
Division: Ocean & Climate Physics
Alessio Rovere
Research: My research has focused on different issues related to earth and environmental sciences, with particular emphasis on physical geography of coastal environments. Being a scientific scuba diver, some of my works are on underwater coastal geomorphology. In particular I study Pleistocene and Holocene sea level changes by means of geomorphological, sedimentological and archaeological markers
Email: rovere@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Biology & Paleo Environment
Isla Simpson
Research: My research interests focus on the dynamics of variability and change in the mid-latitude jet streams and the coupling between the stratosphere and troposphere. Currently I am working on understanding climate model biases in Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude variability and understanding the influence of future stratospheric circulation changes on predicted Northern Hemisphere tropospheric climate change
Email: isla@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Ocean & Climate Physics
Karen Smith
Research: I am an atmospheric scientist interested in better understanding climate variability on seasonal to decadal time scales. I observational data analysis and simple and complex computer models to study the variability of the large-scale circulation of the mid- and high latitudes. I am currently studying the influence of stratospheric ozone depletion and recovery on the coupled variability of the Antarctic atmosphere-cryosphere system.
Email: ksmith@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Ocean & Climate Physics
Beth Stauffer
Research: My research is in Marine environmental biology. I examine the roles of physical, behavioral, and physiological processes in the initiation and maintenance of algal blooms in marine and aquatic environments as well as the use of networked and autonomous sensing to investigate freshwater and marine phytoplankton community dynamics
Email: stauffer@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Biology & Paleo Environment
Kristoffer Szilas
Research: No info provided
Email: kszilas@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Geochemistry
Research: My research focuses on studying the temperature and circulation of the ocean during past climate change events. In the past I have done this by measuring stable and radiogenic isotopes in deep-sea corals. Here I am currently measuring Pa, Th and U in marine sediments from the last glacial cycle.
Email: nivedita@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Biology & Paleo Environment
Mieke Thierens
Research: My research focuses on the mechanisms driving and pacing Northern Hemisphere glaciations throughout the Pleistocene and, in particular, on the role of the (N American) Laurentide ice sheet (LIS). I am using a range of sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical techniques on N Atlantic sediments to test hypotheses on long-term LIS behaviour and extent.
Email: thierens@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Biology & Paleo Environment
Kirsty Tinto
Research: I am working on aerogravity and magnetic data from Antarctica and Greenland collected with Operation IceBridge. I invert the potential field data for bathymetry and geology and investigate how these influence glacier flow.
Email: tinto@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Marine Geology & Geophysics
Nicholas van der Elst
Research: I am an earthquake physicist specializing in statistical seismology and experimental granular mechanics. My research at Lamont focuses on how a fault becomes primed for failure during the interseismic cycle, and whether the triggering of small earthquakes can be used to infer the state of stress on a fault.
Email: nicholas@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Seismology Geology & Tectonophysics
Research: My primary research interest is in reconstructing ancient terrestrial ecosystems using light stable isotopes (H, C, N, & O) and other geochemical tools. At Lamont, I am analyzing isotopes from leaf waxes extracted from Plio-Pleistocene paleosols from East Africa to evaluate vegetation and hydroclimate over the past ~4 million years. I also study modern and fossil teeth and tusks of East African mammals using histological and stable isotope methods.
Email: kevinuno@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Biology and Paleo Environment
Lukas Valin
Research: I investigate patterns of atmospheric oxidation, the process by
which pollutants are formed and removed from the atmosphere. Formalde-
hyde, a trace gas, is formed primarily by the oxidation of methane but also
the oxidation of less abundant organic compounds. Spatially-detailed meas-
urement of formaldehyde is possible from satellite-based UV/Visible spectro-
meters. I am using these measurements and atmospheric models to study
the processes controlling atmospheric oxidation.
Email: lcvalin@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Ocean & Climate Physics
Lei Wang
Research: I work on spaceborne gravimetry using contemporary orbiting satellites, such as Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE). I also work on interpretations of gravity changes associated with mass redistribution phenomena in the earth system, particularly the coseismic and postseismic gravity changes due to great subduction earthquakes.
Email: leiwang@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Seismology Geology & Tectonophysics
Yakov Weiss
Research: My research focuses on understanding the systematics of He isotopic compositions in mantle-derived melts. Combined with major and trace elements and other isotopic compositions on MORB and OIB samples, as well as pristine micrometer-scale melt-inclusions trapped within diamonds the heterogeneity of the Earth's mantle and geodynamics processes can be better restricted.
Email: yweiss@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Geochemistry
Cian Wilson
Research: I develop (and use) numerical models for fluid- and geo- dynamics. My current project is focused on modeling fluid migration in subduction zones but I'm also involved in work with landslide-generated tsunami, high Rayleigh number flows, plume ascent rates in non-linear rheologies and numerical algorithms for free surfaces.
Email: cwilson@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Seismology Geology & Tectonophysics
Nicolas Young
Research: My primary research interest lies in reconstructing the paleo-dimensions of Arctic ice masses through the Holocene to better understand patterns of Holocene climate change in the Arctic. To do this, my research utilizes cosmogenic surface-expousure dating to pinpoint moments in time when glaciers were in expanded or retracted states. I am also interested in the interplay between climatic and dynamic processes in dictating ice-sheet behavior.
Email: nicolasy@ldeo.columbia.edu
Division: Geochemistry
