I am interested in understanding long-term controls on the Earth’s climate and hydrological cycle, particularly over the Cenozoic. During this interval, the Earth underwent a fundamental shift in its climate, transitioning from the hot, high-CO2 climate that characterized the Cretaceous and Eocene to the relatively cool, low-CO2 climate of today. Understanding this transition can elucidate first-order controls on Earth’s climate as well as improve understanding of what our future climate may resemble given current projections of CO2 emissions.
My current projects include: 1) Reconstructing Central Asian climate and tectonics over the past 80 million years using stable isotopes from paleosols in northern China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan; 2) Understanding the role of silicate weathering in modulating high CO2 and low CO2 climates; 3) Tracking changes in primary productivity in North America and Central Asia over the Cenozoic using a compilation of paleosol carbonate stable isotopes; and 4) Understanding the effect of high-latitude climate change on past estimates of sea level.
Cenozoic carbon cycle imbalances and a variable silicate weathering feedbackEARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERSCaves, J. K., Jost, A. B., Lau, K. V., Maher, K.2016; 450: 152-163
The Neogene de-greening of Central AsiaGEOLOGYCaves, J. K., Moragne, D. Y., Ibarra, D. E., Bayshashov, B. U., Gao, Y., Jones, M. M., Zhamangara, A., Arzhannikova, A. V., Arzhannikov, S. G., Chamberlain, C. P.2016; 44 (11): 887-890
Differential weathering of basaltic and granitic catchments from concentration–discharge relationshipsGEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTAIbarra, D. E., Caves, J. K., Moon, S., Thomas, D. L., Hartmann, J., Chamberlain, C. P., Maher, K.2016; 190: 265-293
A mechanistic analysis of early Eocene latitudinal gradients of isotopes in precipitationGEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERSWinnick, M. J., Caves, J. K., Chamberlain, C. P.2015; 42 (19): 8216-8224
Role of the westerlies in Central Asia climate over the CenozoicEARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERSCaves, J. K., Winnick, M. J., Graham, S. A., Sjostrom, D. J., Mulch, A., Chamberlain, C. P.2015; 428: 33-43
Oxygen isotope mass-balance constraints on Pliocene sea level and East Antarctic Ice Sheet stabilityGEOLOGYWinnick, M. J., Caves, J. K.2015; 43 (10): 879-882
Mid-latitude terrestrial climate of East Asia linked to global climate in the Late CretaceousGEOLOGYGao, Y., Ibarra, D. E., Wang, C., Caves, J. K., Chamberlain, C. P., Graham, S. A., Wu, H.2015; 43 (4): 287-290
Quantifying the isotopic 'continental effect'EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERSWinnick, M. J., Chamberlain, C. P., Caves, J. K., Welker, J. M.2014; 406: 123-133
Aridification of Central Asia and Uplift of the Altai and Hangay Mountains, Mongolia: Stable Isotope EvidenceAMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCECaves, J. K., Sjostrom, D. J., Mix, H. T., Winnick, M. J., Chamberlain, C. P.2014; 314 (8): 1171-1201
Integrating Collaboration, Adaptive Management, and Scenario-Planning: Experiences at Las Cienegas National Conservation AreaECOLOGY AND SOCIETYCaves, J. K., Bodner, G. S., Simms, K., Fisher, L. A., Robertson, T.2013; 18 (3)
Mid-latitude terrestrial climate of East Asia linked to global climate in the Late Cretaceous: REPLYGEOLOGYGao, Y., Ibarra, D. E., Caves, J. K., Wang, C., Chamberlain, C. P., Graham, S. A., Wu, H.2016; 44 (2): e379
Constraining basin thermal history and petroleum generation using paleoclimate data in the Piceance Basin, ColoradoBASIN RESEARCHTong, Y., Ibarra, D. E., Caves, J. K., Mukerji, T., Graham, S. A.2016
A short-term in situ CO2 enrichment experiment on Heron Island (GBR)SCIENTIFIC REPORTSKline, D. I., Teneva, L., Schneider, K., Miard, T., Chai, A., Marker, M., Headley, K., Opdyke, B., Nash, M., Valetich, M., Caves, J. K., Russell, B. D., Connell, S. D., Kirkwood, B. J., Brewer, P., Peltzer, E., Silverman, J., Caldeira, K., Dunbar, R. B., Koseff, J. R., Monismith, S. G., Mitchell, B. G., Dove, S., Hoegh-Guldberg, O.2012; 2
Successional changes in soil and hyporheic nitrogen fertility on an alluvial flood plain: implications for riparian vegetationAQUATIC SCIENCESMorris, M. R., Brouwer, B. O., Caves, J. K., Harner, M. J., Stanford, J. A.2010; 72 (4): 519-532
The role of the mid-latitude westerlies in the evolution of Central Asia climate over the Cenozoic: Tracking moisture from Tibet and Mongolia upwind and west into Kazakhstan Matthew Winnick, Bolat Bayshashov, Aizhan Zhamangara, Derek Sjostrom, Daniel Ibarra, Andrea Ritch, Stephan Graham, Hari Mix, Andreas Mulch, Page Chamberlain
Cenozoic Carbon Cycle Imbalances and a Variable Silicate Weathering Feedback Adam Jost, Kimberly Lau, Katherine Maher
Combining back-trajectory modeling and measurements of water isotopes to understand the paleoclimatic record in Central Asia: The impact of seasonality and topography
Role of the mid-latitude westerlies in driving the climatic evolution of Cenozoic Central Asia
Monsoonal circulation and Central Asian aridity set by a high Eocene Himalaya and the mid-latitude westerlies: Stable isotopic evidence
Westerlies-driven evolution of Cenozoic Central Asia
Uplift History of the Altai and Hangay in Mongolia and Impact on Central Asian Aridification: Evidence from Paleosol Stable Isotopes