Tom Marchitto

Tom Marchitto is a Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, serving as Associate Director of Laboratories at INSTAAR and Director of the ICP-MS Trace Metal Laboratory. His research focuses on paleoceanography and paleoclimatology, utilizing chemical proxies in marine sediments to reconstruct past ocean circulation, biogeochemical changes, and climate dynamics across timescales from years to millions of years.

His educational background includes a BS in Geology and Geophysics from Yale University (1994) and a PhD in Marine Geology and Geophysics from the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program (1999). Postdoctoral training was completed at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory under Jean Lynch-Stieglitz.

Marchitto's research centers on past abrupt climate change, ocean circulation patterns, marine carbon cycling, and trace element incorporation in biogenic carbonates. He employs foraminiferal chemistry to reconstruct temperature, salinity, carbonate chemistry, and nutrient dynamics, with particular expertise in Arctic-North Atlantic interactions, tropical Pacific variability (including ENSO), and deglacial climate transitions. His work integrates field-based sediment core analysis with advanced geochemical techniques and numerical modeling.

Recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on Holocene Arctic dynamics (including polynya systems and ice stream retreat), North Atlantic circulation changes during glacial periods, tropical Pacific climate reconstruction, and technological innovations in micropaleontology. These studies frequently employ multi-proxy approaches and novel statistical methods to address fundamental questions about ocean-climate linkages and carbon cycle feedbacks.

His scientific awards include:

• College Scholar Award, University of Colorado Boulder (2017)
• Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow, National Academy of Sciences (2013)
• Provost's Faculty Achievement Award, University of Colorado Boulder (2008)

Marchitto actively mentors students across all levels, currently advising PhD candidates Laurel Bayless and Skye Fernandez, and MS student Trisia Tellez. His former students include Brigitta Rongstad (PhD, CIRES), Colin Lindsay (PhD, Woods Hole), and several researchers now in academia and government positions. His research is supported by multiple NSF grants, including projects on Arctic-Baffin Bay throughflow (OPP Arctic Natural Sciences), Greenland iceberg sediment flux (CU Research & Innovation Seed Grant), and FORABOT development (OCE Ocean Technology).

He directs the ICP-MS Trace Metals Laboratory and leads the FORABOT project for automated foraminifera sorting, collaborating with the Center for the Geochemical Analysis of the Global Environment (GAGE) and the Paleoceanography/Paleoclimatology community through editorial roles in major journals including Nature, Science, and Paleoceanography.