We're a multidisciplinary research group that investigates past, present and future climate and environmental change. We mainly cover the Quaternary time period, which spans from around 2.6 million years ago to present day, and we also consider the future impacts of climate change in the 21st Century. Our research includes work in contrasting environments ranging from mountains, glaciers, rivers, lakes, coasts to deep-sea ocean and covers understanding and reconstructing variations in temperature, precipitation, vegetation, wildfires, and sea level.
We apply common Quaternary dating methods (e.g. tephrochronology, radiocarbon dating, cosmogenic nuclide dating, biostratigraphy, oxygen isotope stratigraphy) alongside analysis of more recent primary and secondary climate datasets. We use both proxy and in-situ data, and work across a range of spatial scales, from the microscopic to field and Earth observation, as well as over a range of temporal scales, from diurnal to millennial. Specific methods that we use include sedimentological and (micro)fossil analysis (e.g. pollen, diatoms, coccolithophores, charcoal, shells), geomorphological mapping, remote sensing and GIS, near infra-red spectroscopy, in-situ weather stations, river monitoring and modelling.
We work and collaborate across the globe, from pole to pole and from mountains to oceans, and with a range of communities impacted by climate and environmental change.
Key areas of research:
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Glaciology and the Cryosphere
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River processes and management
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Mountain climate change and impacts
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Abrupt climate and environmental change
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Palaeoceanography
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Palaeoecology
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Wildfires
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Tephrochronology
Publication highlights
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Elevation-dependent climate change in mountain environments
Pepin, N., Apple, M., Knowles, J., Terzago, S., Arnone, E., Hänchen, L., Napoli, A., Potter, E., Steiner, J., Williamson, S. N., Ahrens, B., Dhar, T., Dimri, A. P., Palazzi, E., Rameshan, A., Salzmann, N., Shahgedanova, M., Vidal Jr, J. D. D. & Zardi, D., 25 Nov 2025, (Early online) In: Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.
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Southern Ocean evidence for recurring West Antarctic Ice Sheet destabilization during Marine Isotope Stage 11
Jebasinski, L., Frick, D. A., Kapuge, A. K. I. U., Basak, C., Saavedra-Pellitero, M., Winckler, G., Lamy, F. & Gottschalk, J., 15 Oct 2025, In: Nature Communications. 16, 1, 13 p., 9138.
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Evaluating the influence of climate and topography on Mount Kilimanjaro vegetation: a comparative analysis using ODIS NDVI and weather station data (2000–2022)
Khalefa, E., Pepin, N. & Teeuw, R., 6 Apr 2025, (Early online) In: International Journal of Climatology. 19 p.
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Visioning channel evolution for river management: toward a functional decision support framework
Downs, P. W., Soar, P. J., Cox, A. L., Biedenharn, D. S., Dahl, T. A., Haring, C. P. & Thorne, C. R., 3 Apr 2024, In: JAWRA: Journal of the American Water Resources Association. 60, 2, p. 442-460 19 p.
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Vegetation and fire history of Bwabwata National Park, Namibia
Julier, A. C. M., Humphrey, G. J., Dixon, C. & Gillson, L., 1 Jan 2024, In: Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 320, 11 p., 105002.
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The role of topography in landform development at an active temperate glacier in Arctic Norway
Boston, C., Chandler, B. M. P., Lovell, H., Weber, P. & Davies, B., 12 Jul 2023, In: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. 48, 9, p. 1783-1803.
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Unmasking the effects of aerosols on greenhouse warming over Europe
Glantz, P., Fawole, O., Strom, J., Wild, M. & Noone, K., 27 Nov 2022, In: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 127, 22, 27 p., e2021JD035889.
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Wildfire incidence in western Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) from 1995 to 2020
Gosden, B., Lovell, H. & Hardiman, M., 1 Nov 2022, In: International Journal of Wildland Fire. 31, 11, p. 1033-1042.
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Eruptive activity of the Santorini Volcano controlled by sea level rise and fall
Satow, C., Gudmundsson, A., Gertisser, R., Bronk Ramsey, C., Bazargan, M., Pyle, D., Wulf, S., Miles, A. & Hardiman, M., 31 Aug 2021, In: Nature Geoscience. 14, p. 586-592 9 p.
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Sclerochronology in the Southern Ocean
Roman Gonzalez, A., 1 Aug 2021, In: Polar Biology. 44, 8, p. 1485-1515 31 p.
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Blue carbon gains from glacial retreat along Antarctic fjords: what should we expect?
Barnes, D. K. A., Sands, C. J., Cook, A., Howard, F., Roman Gonzalez, A., Muñoz-Ramirez, C., Retallick, K., Scourse, J., Van Landeghem, K. & Zwerschke, N., 1 May 2020, In: Global Change Biology. 26, 5, p. 2750-2755 6 p.
Our related areas of research
Institute of the Earth and Environment
The Institute of the Earth and Environment brings together leading expertise, spanning the six interconnected spheres of the Earth system: geosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and the anthroposphere.
Academic staff
Dr Clare Mary Boston
Dr Olusegun Fawole
Mrs Rosamund Gray
Dr Mark Hardiman
Dr Adele Julier
Dr Ehsan Khalefa
Dr Harold Lovell
Dr Nick Pepin
Dr Alejandro Roman Gonzalez
Dr Mariem Saavedra Pellitero
Dr Philip Soar
Dr Sabine Wulf
Postgraduate students (PhD)
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Meriam Chouar: Studying past Southern Ocean coccolithophores during warm intervals for future climate change solutions (SO-WARM)
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Joseph Shakespeare: The Palaeoecology at Fishbourne Roman Palace
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Evelyn Horsfall: Investigating climatic and environmental changes in southern England from the Late glacial into the Holocene, with a focus on fire regime
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Yaping Mo: The use of satellite data to examine regional and global patterns of temperature change (elevation-dependent warming) in mountainous regions
Discover more about our climate change research
Learn about the ways in which we're taking a step closer to becoming climate positive in the next 10 years; from earth and environmental science impact to our sustainability commitment.
Earth and Environmental Sciences
We're researching our planet and the evolution of life, from the very beginning to the present day, to better understand the future. Explore our earth & environmental sciences research.
Sustainability at Portsmouth
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How will climate change affect the microplastics in our environment?
Understanding why climate change might contribute to increasing plastic pollution is the focus of a new research project starting this month at the University of Portsmouth.
