معرفی
Joerg M. Schaefer serves as Lamont Research Professor at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, where he also directs undergraduate studies. His primary research investigates Earth's paleoclimate systems through geochemical analysis of ice sheet dynamics and glacial histories across polar and high-mountain regions.
His academic foundation includes a Physics B.S. and M.S. from Heidelberg University (1995) followed by an Earth Sciences Ph.D. from ETH Zürich (2000), with postdoctoral Geochemistry training at LDEO. This interdisciplinary background bridges physics and earth sciences to develop innovative dating methodologies.
Dr. Schaefer's research spans critical domains including Isotope Geochemistry, Glaciology, and Paleoclimatology, with specialized focus on Arctic and Antarctic systems. His work employs cosmogenic nuclide dating to reconstruct ice sheet behavior during the Pleistocene and Holocene, addressing fundamental questions about climate-ice interactions through field studies in Greenland, Antarctica, the Himalayas, and Tibetan Plateau.
Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent methodological innovation using beryllium-10 cosmogenic dating to establish precise chronologies of glacial advances and retreats. His research demonstrates how ice sheets respond to climate forcing across multiple timescales, with particular emphasis on abrupt ice loss events during the Holocene and Pleistocene that inform modern sea-level rise projections.
As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Schaefer has supervised numerous postdoctoral researchers including Vincent Rinterknecht, Meredith Kelly, and Mike Kaplan, along with PhD candidates Brent Goehring, Meg Reitz, and Aaron Putnam. His laboratory leadership extends to directing the cosmogenic dating facility at LDEO and securing collaborative funding for international projects.
He established and leads LDEO's cosmogenic dating laboratory as a premier geochronology facility, while directing field operations for the 'Bhutan initiative' and co-organizing the CRONUS-Earth project that standardized cosmogenic dating globally. His ongoing Tibetan Plateau research involves sustained scientific exchange between Chinese, Swiss, and American teams through organized expeditions and data-sharing frameworks.
