Yarrow Axford

Yarrow Axford is a William Deering Professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, an M.S. from Utah State University, and an A.B. from Mount Holyoke College.

Her research focuses on climate and environmental change through paleolimnological analysis of lake sediments, particularly in Arctic regions and the U.S. Midwest. Key areas include Holocene climate dynamics, glacier fluctuations, and methane cycling. She teaches courses such as Arctic Environments and Paleoclimate Perspectives on Future Climate Change.

Her lab, the Quaternary Sediment Lab, employs advanced equipment like scanning XRF core loggers and particle size analyzers. Current projects explore Greenland glacier retreat and Holocene climate reconstruction.

Recent publications highlight Arctic glacier changes, Holocene thermal maxima, and methane dynamics in Arctic lakes. She collaborates internationally on lake-based reconstructions and methodological advancements in paleoclimatology.