Julie Brigham-Grette has been chosen to serve as the next U.S. co-lead of the Climate Expert Group for the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP), directed by the Arctic Council. The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum that promotes cooperation and interaction among Arctic states, Indigenous Peoples, and other Arctic inhabitants. Read more in the UMass College of Natural Sciences announcement.
UMass team publishes study of water cycle in dry Andes region
Brendan Moran, David Boutt, and colleagues recently published a study that leveraged a hydrological isotope tracer analysis to investigate connections between water movement, its age, and deposits of lithium in an extremely dry region in South America. They concluded that it is important to protect the various water conduits—streams, rivers, seeps in order to manage systems in the region and other similar environments around the world. See more in the PLOS Water paper and UMass news release.
52nd Annual International Arctic Workshop at UMass-Amherst
The 52nd Arctic Workshop will be held on the UMass-Amherst campus Wednesday through Saturday March 13-16, 2024. The schedule:
Wednesday March 13 – evening Ice Breaker and Welcome
Thursday and Friday March 14-15 – talks and poster sessions
Friday Night – March 15 – Workshop Dinner and Keynote Speaker
Saturday March 16th – Morning talks ending at noon.
Saturday March 16th —Optional afternoon local Quaternary field trip and boxed lunch.
Click here for registration information.
Climate and Cryosphere International Office established at UMass Amherst
The international office of the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) project, a core initiative of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) was recently established at UMass. CliC will facilitate new and emerging science initiatives, coordinate outreach to the international climate-science community and engage the general public in understanding the implications of ongoing changes in climate and the cryosphere. Read about the project in the UMass Amherst news release.
Rob DeConto honored as UMass Provost Professor
Rob DeConto has been selected to receive the lifetime honorific of Provost Professor. The 2023 Provost Professors were selected from a competitive group of nominations by the Provost Professor Selection Committee. The title will be conferred at the Faculty Awards Dinner on Monday, May 8. Read more about newest and previous Provost Professors.
Rob DeConto has been elected as a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), among the most prestigious distinctions in the earth, climate and space sciences. He joins just 54 other individuals in the 2022 Class of Fellows. See more details of the award in the UMass news release.
Julie Brigham-Grette receives Distinguished Career Award from the American Quaternary Association
Julie Brigham-Grette was recently honored with the Distinguished Career Award from the American Quaternary Association. This award recognizes her decades-long commitment to and positive impact within Quaternary science community. Read more in the UMass news release.
New research project on Arctic climate change impacting indigenous communities in Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
A new research project led by Julie Brigham-Grette will seek to connect a changing Arctic climate with problems related to water and sanitation affecting indigenous Yupik and Cup’ik communities in Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta. The project is supported by a new $2.98M National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. Read more in the UMass news release.
Research study the first to comprehensively account for the hydrological impact of lithium mining
In a new study published in the journal Earth’s Future, David Boutt, postdoctoral associate Brendan Moran and colleagues at the University of Alaska-Anchorage investigated two of the most important factors in determining whether lithium is obtained responsibly: the age and source of the water the lithium is found in. Additional detail of the study is detailed in the UMass news release and journal article.
New Study Links Sixth-century Droughts to the Rise of Islam
Ray Bradley and Stephen Burns are coauthors on a new paper published in the journal Science that links sixth century droughts in the ancient South Arabian kingdom of Himya with the rise of Islam. The research suggests, not surprisingly, that climate history is an important factor in the history of human civilization. Read more in the UMass news release and the journal article.