Bess Koffman

Bess Koffman is an Associate Professor of Geology at Colby College, where she teaches courses like Earth Systems Chemistry and Paleoceanography. Her research focuses on reconstructing Earth's climate history through ice cores and dust analysis.

• B.A. in Geology from Carleton College
• Ph.D. in Earth and Climate Sciences from University of Maine
• NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
• Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Fellow at Dartmouth College

Her work uses radiogenic isotopes and sediment geochemistry to study:

• Atmospheric dust as a tracer for wind patterns
• Ice cores for paleoclimate records
• Climate change mechanisms over millennia

Key scientific contributions include:

• Mapping dust origins in the South Atlantic Ocean via Sr-Nd isotopes
• Analyzing industrial-era impacts on ice chemistry
• Quantifying iron fertilization potential of glacial dust

Notable awards:

• NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Fellowship