Andrea Burke

Andrea Burke is a Professor at the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on understanding natural climate and carbon cycle changes through geochemical records of past climatic events, using ice cores, corals, and marine sediment cores. She leads the St Andrews Isotope Geochemistry (STAiG) Laboratory and has expertise in volcanic climate forcing, Southern Ocean dynamics, and glacial-interglacial transitions.

• Affiliations: University of St Andrews, St Andrews Isotope Geochemistry Lab
• Education: B.A. in Geology & Mathematics from Williams College (2006), PhD in Oceanography from MIT/WHOI (2012), Postdoctoral Fellowship at Caltech (2012–2014).

Research Interests: Climate change mechanisms, volcanic forcing via sulfur isotopes in ice cores, Southern Ocean biogeochemistry, and ocean circulation during the last deglaciation. Her work integrates geochemical data with climate models to explore feedback mechanisms.

Publications: Recent work highlights include identifying volcanic eruptions (e.g., Los Chocoyos supereruption), Southern Ocean productivity studies, and refining ice core chronologies. Key findings challenge assumptions about historical volcanic impacts and glacial cycles.

• Awards: Philip Leverhulme Prize (2021), Best Student Paper (2010).
• Grants: Leverhulme Trust, NERC-funded projects (e.g., LA:TRACE facility, volcanic climate forcing studies).

Labs/Teams: Leads the STAiG Lab and collaborates globally on projects like the PMIP4 climate modeling initiative.