The Cold dirt lab @ Colgate University
Polar, Alpine, ANd Planetary Science
How and why are polar and alpine landscapes changing?
How is climate change affecting polar ecosystems and human populations?
Why do the poles matter for people who live in the temperate zone?
Was Mars ever “warm and wet” or has it always been a glacial/permafrost world?
My research and teaching aim to answer these kinds of questions by focusing on understanding the structure, origins, and future responses of polar and alpine landscapes to changing climate conditions using satellite observations, embedded sensor networks, and laboratory analyses of sediments, water, and ice. This wide range of technical approaches is synthesized into a probe of surface composition, climate history, and future response using remote sensing and GIS analyses. By combining geological, ecological, remote-sensing, and climatological tools, my research program also works to advance the fundamental geoscience that underlies geomorphology, paleoclimatology, and planetary exploration.
My group is always looking for enthusiastic students who are keen on exploring Earth's polar regions and Mars. Feel free to contact me with questions.
Background and Education
I am a geomorphologist and field geologist by training, but have additional training in biogeochemical cycling, climate, ecological processes, and planetary science. At Colgate, my teaching specializes in surface processes and sedimentary geology.
Ph.D. - Brown University - Dept. of Geological Sciences - 2009
Sc.M. - Brown University - Dept. of Geological Sciences - 2006
B.S. - Univ. of Chicago - Dept. of Geophysical Sciences - 2004
I tweet about field research, planetary science, and science policy at @colddirt.
Contact Details
Dr. Joseph Levy
Department of Earth & Environmental Geosciences (EEGS)
Colgate University
13 Oak Drive
Hamilton, NY 13346
@colddirt