معرفی
Ellen Thomas is a renowned geologist and paleoclimatologist affiliated with Yale University's Department of Geology & Geophysics. Her work focuses on understanding environmental and climatic impacts on benthic foraminifera, particularly in deep-sea ecosystems. She retired from teaching in July 2021 but continues active research and curation of the Wesleyan Natural History collections.
Her research integrates micropaleontology with geochemical and oceanographic methods to study long-term climate changes, such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and the establishment of the Antarctic ice sheet. Collaborations include projects on Long Island Sound eutrophication with Prof. Joop Varekamp and digitization of foraminifera collections with institutions like the American Museum of Natural History.
Key research themes include:
- Deep-sea biodiversity and faunal turnover during mass extinctions
- Proxy development for ocean deoxygenation and acidification
- Anthropogenic impacts on coastal ecosystems
- Open-access digital archives for microfossil taxonomy
Her extensive awards include the 2023 BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Climate Change (shared with J. Zachos) and the 2012 Maurice Ewing Medal. She served as Editor-in-Chief of Paleoceanography (2015–2019) and contributed to major journals like Geology and Marine Micropaleontology.
Her work on the Shelf Life series highlights public engagement through scientific storytelling about microfossil-based climate insights. Current efforts prioritize making foraminifera data accessible via online platforms and 3D visualization technologies.
