AOSC Seminar by Dr. Hali Kilbourne, 11/20/2025
AOSC Seminar
Hali Kilbourne
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Title
Tropical climate variability from coral paleoclimate archives: lessons from Anegada, British Virgin Islands.
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is changing the mean conditions on Earth’ surface, and we can predict the mean temperature change fairly accurately. However, the climate system is complex, with feedbacks and variability about the mean that are not always as well understood. Climate models are one way to investigate these types of questions. Another method is to investigate how the Earth system has responded to past changes in climate. Paleoceanographers and Paleoclimatologists focus on the latter. Coral skeletons are a natural archive of the ocean conditions during their life, which can span centuries. Corals grow relatively rapidly and can often provide information about tropical ocean temperature and salinity at monthly resolution with good fidelity. This talk focuses on coral records of climate from the northern Caribbean. Comparisons between 20th century and 14th century corals provide information about shifts in mean state and seasonal cycles of temperature and salinity in the region. These analyses provide the basis to discuss the scientific challenges and opportunities in reconstructing climate from corals in this region.
Bio
Dr. K. Halimeda Kilbourne is an Associate Research Professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. She is a paleoclimatologist and paleoceanographer who has an interest in patterns of extreme events and Atlantic climate variability, especially the connections between large-scale ocean circulation and climate on interannual to centennial timescales. Her research portfolio includes reconstructions of past tropical climate histories, and studying the seawater chemistry forming the basis for those reconstructions. Dr. Kilbourne facilitated research on Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) as the co-lead of the national Paleo-AMOC working group, part of the US CLIVAR AMOC Science Team. She is the recipient of the 2023-2024 Elkins Professorship for Academic Transformation through the University System of Maryland. Dr. Kilbourne earned her B.A. in geology from Smith College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Science at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science.
Contact
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AOSC Seminar
Pre-seminar refreshment: N/A
Seminar: 3:30-4:30pm, Room: ATL 2400(only when in-person)
Meet-the-Speaker: 4:30-5:00pm, Room: ATL 3400(only when in-person) [For AOSC Students only]
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