David A. Hodell
Encyclopedia
David A. Hodell is a geologist
and paleoclimatologist. He currently holds the position of Woodwardian Professor of Geology
in the Department of Earth Sciences
at the University of Cambridge
, where he is also a fellow of Clare College. Previously, he taught at the University of Florida
from 1986–2008, earning the rank of full professor in geological sciences. Hodell was also the director of the Stable Isotope Laboratory from 1996–2008. Hodell earned his Ph.D. in 1986 in oceanography
from the University of Rhode Island
after earning his bachelor of arts in 1980 in geology
from the University of Vermont
.
Research by Hodell, Brenner, Curtis and Guilderson was instrumental in rethinking the Maya Collapse. Climate data derived from core samples retrieved from closed lake systems in the Mexico's Yucátan and Guatemala showed a period of extensive drought. In 1995, Hodell, Curtis and Brenner published a paleoclimate record from Lake Chichancanab on the Yucatán Peninsula
that showed an intense, protracted drought occurred in the 9th century AD and coincided with the Classic Maya collapse. Hodell, Curtis and Brenner returned to Lake Chichancanab in May 2000 and collected new cores while being filmed for a BBC
production on drought and Maya prehistory, as part of the BBC
series "Ancient Apocalypse". These new cores showed that the devastating drought
of the ninth century AD was only one in a series of drought episodes on the Yucatán Peninsula during the last 2,600 years. This research team points out that these dry events occur about every 208 years and coincide with episodes of greater solar output that have been shown previously to have a periodicity of 206 years. This suggests that the roughly bicentennial droughts that occur in the Maya lowlands are controlled partly by changes in solar intensity.
In 2007, Hodell was elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union
. Hodell's research areas include: lake sediment cores; speleothems; marine sediment cores; and geoarchaeology
.
In October 2008, Hodell was approinted to the position of Woodwardian Professor of Geology
at the University of Cambridge
in the United Kingdom.
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
and paleoclimatologist. He currently holds the position of Woodwardian Professor of Geology
Woodwardian Professor of Geology
The Woodwardian Professor of Geology is a professorship held in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge. It was founded by John Woodward in 1728...
in the Department of Earth Sciences
University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences
The Department of Earth Sciences at Cambridge is the University of Cambridge's Earth Sciences department. The main location of the department is at the Downing Site, Downing St. The Bullard Laboratories, located in West Cambridge on Madingley Rd, and the Godwin Laboratory, in the New Museums Site...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where he is also a fellow of Clare College. Previously, he taught at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
from 1986–2008, earning the rank of full professor in geological sciences. Hodell was also the director of the Stable Isotope Laboratory from 1996–2008. Hodell earned his Ph.D. in 1986 in oceanography
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
from the University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
after earning his bachelor of arts in 1980 in geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
from the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
.
Research by Hodell, Brenner, Curtis and Guilderson was instrumental in rethinking the Maya Collapse. Climate data derived from core samples retrieved from closed lake systems in the Mexico's Yucátan and Guatemala showed a period of extensive drought. In 1995, Hodell, Curtis and Brenner published a paleoclimate record from Lake Chichancanab on the Yucatán Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
that showed an intense, protracted drought occurred in the 9th century AD and coincided with the Classic Maya collapse. Hodell, Curtis and Brenner returned to Lake Chichancanab in May 2000 and collected new cores while being filmed for a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
production on drought and Maya prehistory, as part of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series "Ancient Apocalypse". These new cores showed that the devastating drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
of the ninth century AD was only one in a series of drought episodes on the Yucatán Peninsula during the last 2,600 years. This research team points out that these dry events occur about every 208 years and coincide with episodes of greater solar output that have been shown previously to have a periodicity of 206 years. This suggests that the roughly bicentennial droughts that occur in the Maya lowlands are controlled partly by changes in solar intensity.
In 2007, Hodell was elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...
. Hodell's research areas include: lake sediment cores; speleothems; marine sediment cores; and geoarchaeology
Geoarchaeology
Geoarchaeology is a multi-disciplinary approach which uses the techniques and subject matter of geography, geology and other Earth sciences to examine topics which inform archaeological knowledge and thought...
.
In October 2008, Hodell was approinted to the position of Woodwardian Professor of Geology
Woodwardian Professor of Geology
The Woodwardian Professor of Geology is a professorship held in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge. It was founded by John Woodward in 1728...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in the United Kingdom.
Selected works
External links
- University of Florida's Land Use and Environmental Change Institute (LUECI)
- University of Florida Department of Geological Sciences
- David A. Hodell CV on Hodell's website
- News article on Hodell's geological core research
- "Getting to the Core of Climate Change"
- "Millennial-Scale Instability of the Antarctic Ice Sheet During the Last Glacialization" article by Hodell in ScienceScience (journal)Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....