JEFFREY SEVERINGHAUS

Jeffrey Severinghaus is a Professor in the Geosciences Research Division, specializing in marine chemistry, geochemistry, and climate sciences. His research focuses on reconstructing past climate changes using ice core analyses, with particular emphasis on isotopic measurements (nitrogen, argon, oxygen) and noble gas proxies to study temperature fluctuations, atmospheric composition, and carbon cycle dynamics. Key areas include abrupt climate shifts, millennial-scale oscillations, and Pleistocene CO2 variations. He has contributed to projects like the Center for Oldest Ice Exploration (COLDEX) and the Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID), advancing drilling and dating techniques for ancient ice cores.

Education:

• B.A., Oberlin College, Ohio
• M.A., University of California, Santa Barbara
• PhD, Columbia University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Research Interests:

• Quantifying abrupt temperature changes via ice core isotopes
• Mechanisms of millennial climate variability
• Reconstructing atmospheric noble gas composition over millennia
• Testing methane clathrate degassing hypotheses
• Ice core chronology using argon and krypton dating

Collaborations: Active in international ice core initiatives, including COLDEX for oldest ice exploration and RAID for deep drilling. His work integrates geophysics, geochemistry, and climate modeling.

Labs/Teams: Lead researcher in COLDEX, advancing Antarctic ice core site selection and drilling technologies. Collaborates with institutions like Oregon State University on methodological advancements.