Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences

The story of changing oceans is usually told through temperature shifts and melting ice, but a new study published in "Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems" points to tectonic movement along the ocean floor. Professor Colleen Dalton and her team built on an earlier 2022 study that established a clear pattern of slowing global plate growth starting around 15 million years ago, which continued until about 6 million years ago. This resulted in deeper seas, and Dalton's team found that the basin deepening alone dropped sea level by 26 to 32 meters (roughly 85 to 105 feet).

Conversations about sea-level rise often spotlight warming temperatures. But Earth’s geological engine quietly plays its own role. Professor Colleen Dalton, together with colleagues, connects the dramatic change in sea levels to a slowdown in seafloor spreading that reshaped the depth of the ocean basins.

A new study by DEEPS Professors Colleen Dalton, Chris Huber, Tim Herbert, and Senior Research Associate Weimin Si explores how variations in global mean sea level over millions of years originate from changes in both the climate and solid Earth systems.

Professor Colleen Dalton talks with NBC 10 about the April 5th earthquake that struck New Jersey and why it was unusual.

The “Solid Earth Geophysics” class joined the North Burial Ground for a groundbreaking project this Halloween season, using ground penetrating radar (GPR) to help investigate the mysteries buried within the historic cemetery.

A recent Eos Editors Highlight, titled "Can Anelastic Attenuation of Oceanic Mantle be Reliably Measured?" features research by Postdoc Joshua Russell and Associate Professor Colleen Dalton.