Tyler Jones

Tyler Jones is an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) and a co-lead of the renowned Stable Isotope Lab (SIL). He investigates abrupt climate change through the lens of stable-isotope geochemistry, focusing on Alaska, Greenland, and Antarctica, while actively engaging in science communication and climate policy.

Education

• PhD (Biogeochemistry), University of Colorado, 2015
• MS (Environmental Studies), University of Colorado, 2010
• BS (Civil Engineering – Hydrology), University of Colorado, 2006

Research Interests

Jones employs cutting-edge drone and ice-core technologies to reconstruct past climates and quantify modern greenhouse-gas emissions. His work integrates stable-isotope biogeochemistry, polar meteorology, and Indigenous knowledge systems to understand how rapid warming alters Arctic and Antarctic environments. In Alaska, he maps methane hotspots released by thawing permafrost alongside Yukon River communities; in Greenland and Antarctica, he drills ultra-high-resolution ice cores that reveal 120,000 years of climate history. His broader mission couples rigorous science with storytelling, film, and policy engagement to foster societal resilience.

Publication Trends

From 2021–2025 Jones has published extensively on Greenland and Antarctic climate variability, water-isotope diffusion processes, and unmanned aerial sampling systems. His recent articles emphasize abrupt warming events (Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles), high-frequency climate oscillations, and the utility of drones for atmospheric profiling, collectively advancing our understanding of polar climate sensitivity.

Scientific Awards & Honors

While specific named awards are not listed, Jones’s research has been highlighted on the cover of Nature and featured in leading journals such as Science, Nature Geoscience, and PNAS, attesting to significant peer recognition.

Advising & Grants

Jones currently mentors Brooke Chase (PhD, co-advised with Cassandra Brooks) and Kevin Rozmiarek (PhD, co-advised with Irina Overeem). He welcomes additional graduate students who arrive with independent funding and values interdisciplinary collaboration. Active funding streams include the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, and Sandia National Laboratories, supporting projects such as “Navigating the New Arctic.”

Laboratory & Field Teams

Jones is one of five co-leads of the Stable Isotope Lab (SIL) at INSTAAR, a facility celebrated for decades of carbon-cycle and hydrologic-cycle research. Field campaigns deploy drones, ice-core drilling systems, and mobile isotope analyzers across remote Arctic and Antarctic camps, often in partnership with international consortia and Indigenous communities.