William Rush

William Rush is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Studies and Sciences Department at Santa Clara University, where he conducts research in paleoclimatology and climate modeling. His work focuses on understanding past climate dynamics through Earth system simulations and geological data analysis, with particular emphasis on extreme climate events and their hydrological implications.

Dr. Rush's primary research interests include paleoclimate modeling of atmospheric rivers, hydrologic cycle responses during hyperthermal events like the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), and regional climate change impacts. He integrates high-resolution climate model outputs with sedimentological and geochemical records to reconstruct past climate states, examining mechanisms of extreme precipitation, coastal hydroclimate shifts, and long-term climate transitions across geological boundaries.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals consistent focus on PETM and Last Glacial Maximum simulations using models like CESM2. Key trends include atmospheric river behavior under altered climate states, model-data comparisons for paleoclimate validation, and applications of paleoclimate insights to contemporary flood risk assessment. His work demonstrates strong integration of cyclostratigraphy, astrochronology, and regional hydrologic modeling to address fundamental questions about climate sensitivity during past warming events.