My research uses stalagmites from Indonesian caves to understand how the climate changed as the earth underwent dramatic transitions - from ice ages, when sea level was at least 120 meters lower than it is today, to warm periods, when ice sheets rapidly melted and global temperatures increased with rising CO2. In addition to deciphering clues of past climate, I use stalagmite geochemistry to piece together evidence of land use and natural disasters in this critical region of early human history.
My research uses stalagmites from Indonesian caves to understand how the climate changed as the earth underwent dramatic transitions - from ice ages, when sea level was at least 120 meters lower than it is today, to warm periods, when ice sheets rapidly melted and global temperatures increased with rising CO2. In addition to deciphering clues of past climate, I use stalagmite geochemistry to piece together evidence of land use and natural disasters in this critical region of early human history.