Research
Trained as a physicist, my research focusses on the working of the Earth System. This includes the climate, along with many of the geological, glaciological and biological processes that impact on climate. My tools of choice are primarily the UK Met Office climate model (Hadley Centre GCM), as well as many other computer models of Earth system processes. The following pages are the overarching research themes that I am actively pursuing.
Response of ancient civilizations to climate change
Climate has changed throughout human history and some past civilizations were particularly susceptible to climate change. However, the changes experienced and the societal responses to the climate are only now being quantified.
Understanding the climate of the mid-Pliocene warm period
The mid-Pliocene warm period (mPWP) occurred roughly 3 million years ago and represents the last time in Earth history that the climate was globally warmer-than-today, with comparable greenhouse gas values.
Long term future climate change
The climate will continue to change for many decades and even centuries beyond the point at which we bring greenhouse gases under control. How will this affect the Earth system and the human systems of the future?
Palaeoclimate controls on biodiversity and ecosystem structure
Climate plays an important control on biodiversity and ecosystem structure. Past changes in climate have been shown to drive not only modern biodiversity patterns, but also major restructuring of global ecosystems.
Drivers of Cenozoic climate change
The climate has cooled and changed dramatically over the last 50 million years, from a hot, ice free world to the glacial-interglacial cycles of the last 2.5 million years. There are many changes in the Earth system that have driven this deterioration in climate, but many have not been fully quantified.
Climanosco: climate science for everyone
Working towards free access to high quality, accessible climate science and enabling citizens, artists and scientists to work together in developing and communicating climate research.