Natasha Sekhon

Natasha Sekhon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology at Occidental College. With a B.S. from the University of California, Irvine, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas, Austin, her expertise lies in low-temperature geochemistry and paleoclimatology. Her research combines speleothem (stalagmite) analysis with modern cave monitoring to reconstruct hydroclimate dynamics across timescales, focusing on tropical regions like the Philippines and the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool.

Education:

• B.S., University of California, Irvine
• M.S., University of Texas, Austin
• Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin

Research Interests: Dr. Sekhon investigates mechanisms driving climate change in terrestrial environments, particularly hydroclimate extremes (floods/droughts) and monsoon systems. She employs stable isotopes (¹⁸O, ²H) and trace elements in speleothems as proxies for past rainfall, temperature, and atmospheric circulation patterns. Her fieldwork includes cave monitoring in the Philippines and New Mexico to bridge modern hydrological processes with paleoclimatic interpretations.

Recent Article Trends: Her work emphasizes Southeast Asian monsoon dynamics, the development of global speleothem databases (e.g., SISALv3), and the impact of ENSO events on tropical hydroclimate. She integrates lab-based geochemical analyses with long-term cave monitoring to improve the accuracy of climate reconstructions.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with institutions globally on speleothem-based climate research, including projects in karst systems of the Mojave Desert and the Philippine archipelago. Engages in interdisciplinary efforts to advance climate modeling through paleoclimate data integration.