Thomas Gill

Thomas E. Gill is a Professor of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, specializing in aeolian processes, dust storm dynamics, and atmospheric aerosols of geological origin. His interdisciplinary research bridges geomorphology, sedimentology, and biogeochemistry to study dust generation, transport, and health impacts, with notable work on the $154 billion annual damage estimate from dust storms and NSF-funded drylands surface studies.

• Ph.D., University of California, Davis
• ORCID: 0000-0001-9011-4105

Research focuses include:

• Geochemical cycling in arid ecosystems
• Salt lake mineralogy and playa dynamics
• Meteorological drivers of air pollution
• Climate-landform-ecosystem interactions
• Historical and modern dust bowl analogs

His TOM GILL PREDICTS blog (est. 1978) combines humor with scientific commentary, covering topics from art-science intersections to folk song parodies. Recent collaborations include UGA on bounce house risks and UNT on cross-state dust composition analysis.

Key institutional affiliations:

• Principal investigator for NSF's $5M drylands surface study
• NOAA-funded mentor for earth science leadership programs