Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Faculty of Science

For Current Students

Current Research Strengths

In 2018 the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences amalgamated research strengths from faculty in Dalhousie’s Environmental Program with research strengths of faculty in the Department of Earth Sciences, which also included environmental sciences. We’re excited to announce that there are four new positions being advertised this academic year, and all have links to environmental and climate science, to help us build an Atlantic Canada Environmental Sciences research strength. You will see the environmental and climate change theme in much of our research.

Here are our 2024-2025 Research Strengths:

Geochemistry and Petrology

Faculty Member/Research Facility	Research
James Brenan Dalhousie Laboratory for Experimental High Pressure Geological Research	Experimental Geochemistry
Richard Cox	Minerology, Geochemistry
Yana Fedortchouk Dalhousie Laboratory for Experimental High Pressure Geological Research	Petrology, Diamonds

Geophysics

Faculty Member/Research Facility	Research
Mladen Nedimović National Facility for Seismic Imagery	Seismic imaging, Near surface and deep Earth geophysics, OBS
Miao Zhang National Facility for Seismic Imagery	Seismicity, seismic detection methods, Ocean bottom seismometers, Eastern Canada seismology

Carbon cycling

Faculty Member/Rsearch Facility	Research
Sian Kou-Giesbrecht Terrestrial ecosystems & Biogeochemistry La b	Impacts of global change on terrestrial ecosystems, nutrient cycling, terrestrial C sink
Shannon Sterling Sterling Hydrology & Climate Change Research Lab	Carbon sequestration
Grant Wach Basin and Reservoir Lab	Energy@Dal, Carbon sequestration, energy alternatives

Faculty Member/Rsearch Facility

Research

Sian Kou-Giesbrecht
Terrestrial ecosystems & Biogeochemistry La b

Impacts of global change on terrestrial ecosystems, nutrient cycling, terrestrial C sink

Shannon Sterling
Sterling Hydrology & Climate Change Research Lab

Carbon sequestration

Grant Wach
Basin and Reservoir Lab

Energy@Dal, Carbon sequestration, energy alternatives

Hazardous Conditions

Faculty Member/Research Facility	Research
Sian Kou-Giesbrecht Terrestrial ecosystems & Biogeochemistry Lab	Climate change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems
John Gosse Cosmic ray isotopes sciences at Dalhousie (CRISDal) Laboratory	Pliocene and Quaternary paleoclimatology,Radon, Sea-level change, Deglaciation, permafrost thaw, ice quakes, Arctic sea-ice thaw, surface processes in cold regions
Amy Mui	Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems and sustainability
Mladen Nedimović National Facility for Seismic Imagery	Sea level change, paleo-sea level, Brining of fresh water aquifers, Coastal erosion
Owen Sherwood GC-IRMS stable isotope lab	Climate change & paleoclimatology, Arctic sea ice change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems and sustainability
Shannon Sterling Sterling Hydrology & Climate Change Research Lab	Climate change, global hydrology, Climate change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems
Tarah Wright Education for Sustainability Research Group (ESRG)	Climate change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems, Communication of natural and anthropogenic hazardous conditions, and GIS applications to disturbed landscapes
Miao Zhang National Facility for Seismic Imagery	Sea level change, paleo-sea level, Brining of fresh water aquifers, Coastal erosion

Geochronology Thermochronology

Faculty Member/Research Facility	Research
Isabelle Coutand Dalhousie low-temperature thermochronology labs are Fission Track and (U+Th)/He	Low temperature thermochronology
John Gosse Cosmic ray isotopes sciences at Dalhousie (CRISDal) Laboratory	Meteoric and Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclides exposure and burial dating, paleotopometry, erosion rates
Djordje Grujic Dalhousie low-temperature thermochronology labs are Fission Track and (U+Th)/He	Low temperature thermochronology
Owen Sherwood Newly funded facility under construction!	²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs dating of marine and terrestrial sediment

Geochemistry, Biogeochemistry

Faculty Member/Research Facility	Research
Sian Kou-Giesbrecht Terrestrial ecosystems & Biogeo chemistry Lab	Impacts of global change on terrestrial ecosystems, nutrient cycling, terrestrial C sink
Owen Sherwood GC-IRMS stable isotope lab	Carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition in amino acids,
Shannon Sterling Sterling Hydrology & Climate Change Research Lab	Biochemistry of Earth systems

Natural Hazards

Faculty Member/Research Facility	Research
Isabelle Coutand Dalhousie low-temperature thermochronology labs are Fission Track and (U+Th)/He	Paleoseismology
Caroline Franklin	Wildfires, forest and urban tree ecosystems
Sue Gass	Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems
John Gosse Cosmic ray isotopes sciences at Dalhousie (CRISDal) Laboratory	Landslide and tsunami hazards, paleoseismology and active tectonics, flooding, effects of wildfires
Christopher Greene	Wildfires, forest and urban tree ecosystems, Communication of natural and anthropogenic hazardous conditions, and GIS applications to disturbed landscapes
Djordje Grujic Dalhousie low-temperature thermochronology labs are Fission Track and (U+Th)/He	Paleoseismology and active tectonics
Mladen Nedimović National Facility for Seismic Imagery	Seismicity, Sea level change, paleo-sea level, Brining of fresh water aquifers, Coastal erosion; Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems
Miao Zhang National Facility for Seismic Imagery	Seismicity, Sea level change, paleo-sea level, Brining of fresh water aquifers, Coastal erosion; Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems

Climate Change

Faculty Member/Research Facility	Research
Sian Kou-Giesbrecht Terrestrial ecosystems & Biogeochemistry Lab	Climate change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems
John Gosse Cosmic ray isotopes sciences at Dalhousie (CRISDal) Laboratory	Pliocene and Quaternary paleoclimatology, Radon, Sea-level change, Deglaciation, permafrost thaw, ice quakes, Arctic sea-ice thaw, surface processes in cold regions
Lawrence Plug (Retiring in 2025)	Surface processes in cold regions, automata and numerical modeling, pattern formation and fracture networks, non-linear analysis of time-series
Owen Sherwood GC-IRMS stable isotope lab	Climate change & paleoclimatology, Arctic sea ice change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems and sustainability
Shannon Sterling Sterling Hydrology & Climate Change Research Lab	Climate change, global hydrology, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems
Tarah Wright Education for Sustainability Research Group (ESRG)	Climate change, Anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems, Communication of natural and anthropogenic hazardous conditions, and GIS applications to disturbed landscapes

Dalhousie University