Research

My primary research interests are in the field of Cenozoic paleoceanography; specifically related to the role that paleoceanographic change played in the demise of the early Cenozoic greenhouse climate. I have expertise with the use of Nd isotopes in marine sediments as a paleocirculation tracer.

High resolution Nd isotope records
With the use of fossil fish teeth found in pelagic sediments as an archive of past seawater Nd, the temporal resolution of Nd isotope records has increased dramatically. In some sediment cores teeth yields have been sufficient for ~10 kyr resolution over long time intervals. These studies will provide very useful information about the way ocean circulation has been involved with other components of the climate system throughout the Cenozoic. Understanding the role of ocean circulation in Cenozoic climate change is a fundamental question in paleoceanography

Southern Ocean paleoceanography
The Southern Ocean modulates mixing and export of surface, intermediate, and deep water masses and is a critical component of the modern thermohaline circulation. During the Cenozoic the opening of tectonic gateways around Antarctica and the glaciation of Antarctica greatly influenced patterns of ocean circulation. Using Nd isotopes and other geochemical tracers the timing of circulation changes related to these events in the Southern Ocean can be constrained.