Research interests

I use geochronology and thermochronometry to understand how continents deform and how surface topography develops over different spatial and temporal scales. Much of this research is directed at the India-Asia collision zone.

I am also interested in using erosion records to investigate changes to the weatherability of the continental crust and associated feedbacks on climate that operate at million year timescales.

Why is this research important?

Changes to the Earth’s surface reflect interplay between tectonics and climate. Understanding how they are connected is critical to explaining climate and ecological change past, present and future.

Tectonics produces topography that through orographic forcing can produce high rates of erosion that in turn influence the rate and spatial distribution of tectonic motions through changes to the state of stress at the Earth’s surface and within its interior.

Topography can affect atmospheric circulation, and when coupled with high rates of physical and chemical weathering and erosion, may directly influence biogeochemical cycles and global climate by burial related carbon sequestration or by consumption of atmospheric CO2 through enhanced rock weathering reactions.