HÂþ»­

 
 

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Faculty of Science

Current Research Strengths

In 2018 the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences amalgamated research strengths from faculty in HÂþ»­â€™s Environmental Program with research strengths of faculty in the Department of Earth Sciences, which also included environmental sciences.  We’re excited to announce that there are four new positions being advertised this academic year, and all have links to environmental and climate science, to help us build an Atlantic Canada Environmental Sciences research strength.  You will see the environmental and climate change theme in much of our research.

Here are our 2024-2025 Research Strengths:

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Geochemistry and Petrology

Faculty Member/Research Facility Research
James Brenan

Experimental Geochemistry

Richard Cox

Minerology, Geochemistry
Yana Fedortchouk

 

Petrology, Diamonds
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Geophysics

Faculty Member/Research Facility Research

Mladen Nedimović 

 Seismic imaging, Near surface and deep Earth geophysics, OBS 

Miao Zhang 

Seismicity, seismic detection methods, Ocean bottom seismometers, Eastern Canada seismology
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Carbon cycling

Faculty Member/Rsearch Facility Research

Sian Kou-Giesbrecht

Impacts of global change on terrestrial ecosystems, nutrient cycling, terrestrial C sink

Shannon Sterling

Carbon sequestration

Grant Wach
Basin and Reservoir Lab

Energy@Dal, Carbon sequestration, energy alternatives

 
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Hazardous Conditions

Faculty Member/Research Facility Research

Sian Kou-Giesbrecht

Climate change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems

John Gosse
Cosmic ray isotopes sciences at HÂþ»­ (CRISDal) Laboratory

 Pliocene and Quaternary paleoclimatology,Radon, Sea-level change, Deglaciation, permafrost thaw, ice quakes, Arctic sea-ice thaw, surface processes in cold regions 

Amy Mui

Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems and sustainability

Mladen Nedimović 

Sea level change, paleo-sea level, Brining of fresh water aquifers, Coastal erosion

Owen Sherwood 
GC-IRMS stable isotope lab

Climate change & paleoclimatology, Arctic sea ice change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems and sustainability

Shannon Sterling

Climate change, global hydrology, Climate change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems

Tarah Wright
Education for Sustainability Research Group (ESRG)

Climate change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems, Communication of natural and anthropogenic hazardous conditions, and GIS applications to disturbed landscapes

Miao Zhang

Sea level change, paleo-sea level, Brining of fresh water aquifers, Coastal erosion
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Geochronology Thermochronology

Faculty Member/Research Facility Research

Isabelle Coutand
HÂþ»­ low-temperature thermochronology labs are Fission Track and (U+Th)/He

Low temperature thermochronology

John Gosse
Cosmic ray isotopes sciences at HÂþ»­ (CRISDal) Laboratory

Meteoric and Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclides exposure and burial dating, paleotopometry, erosion rates

Djordje Grujic 
HÂþ»­ low-temperature thermochronology labs are Fission Track and (U+Th)/He

Low temperature thermochronology

Owen Sherwood 
Newly funded facility under construction!

210Pb and 137Cs dating of marine and terrestrial sediment
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Geochemistry, Biogeochemistry

Faculty Member/Research Facility Research

Sian Kou-Giesbrecht

Impacts of global change on terrestrial ecosystems, nutrient cycling, terrestrial C sink

Owen Sherwood
GC-IRMS stable isotope lab

Carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition in amino acids,
Shannon Sterling

Biochemistry of Earth systems
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Natural Hazards

Faculty Member/Research Facility Research

Isabelle Coutand
HÂþ»­ low-temperature thermochronology labs are Fission Track and (U+Th)/He

Paleoseismology

Caroline Franklin

Wildfires, forest and urban tree ecosystems

Sue Gass

Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems

John Gosse
Cosmic ray isotopes sciences at HÂþ»­ (CRISDal) Laboratory 

Landslide and tsunami hazards, paleoseismology and active tectonics, flooding, effects of wildfires

Christopher Greene

Wildfires, forest and urban tree ecosystems, Communication of natural and anthropogenic hazardous conditions, and GIS applications to disturbed landscapes

Djordje Grujic
HÂþ»­ low-temperature thermochronology labs are Fission Track and (U+Th)/He

Paleoseismology and active tectonics

Mladen Nedimović 

Seismicity, Sea level change, paleo-sea level, Brining of fresh water aquifers, Coastal erosion; Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems

Miao Zhang 

Seismicity, Sea level change, paleo-sea level, Brining of fresh water aquifers, Coastal erosion; Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems
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Climate Change

Faculty Member/Research Facility Research

Sian Kou-Giesbrecht

Climate change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems

John Gosse
Cosmic ray isotopes sciences at HÂþ»­ (CRISDal) Laboratory

 Pliocene and Quaternary paleoclimatology, Radon, Sea-level change, Deglaciation, permafrost thaw, ice quakes, Arctic sea-ice thaw, surface processes in cold regions
Lawrence Plug 
(Retiring in 2025)		 Surface processes in cold regions, automata and numerical modeling, pattern formation and fracture networks, non-linear analysis of time-series
Owen Sherwood
GC-IRMS stable isotope lab

Climate change & paleoclimatology, Arctic sea ice change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems and sustainability
Shannon Sterling
 Climate change, global hydrology, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems
Tarah Wright
Education for Sustainability Research Group (ESRG)		 Climate change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems, Communication of natural and anthropogenic hazardous conditions, and GIS applications to disturbed landscapes