Upon joining the Johnson Lab (see “Links”) when I started my PhD efforts, I was lucky to become involved in ongoing research involving caves in Northern Laos. Dr. Kathleen Johnson has been working in Laos for years, and the primary goal of the project is paleomonsoon reconstruction over multiple timescales using speleothem (stalagmite) samples.

My projects so far involve modern samples and an ancient stalagmite from Tham Doun Mai, a cave in the Luang Prabang Province of Laos. The sample has been dated to ~38,000 yrs BP (before present), and it is the subject of multiproxy analyses involving several lab members and collaborators. In addition to reconstructing the history of the Southeast Asian Monsoon on the Indochina Peninsula, I use time series data, monitoring information, and modern sampling to investigate the potential interpretations of several geochemical proxies often used in paleoclimate studies. I currently focus on:

1. Trace elements in speleothems as hydrologic indicators
2. Radiocarbon (14C) as a paleoclimate proxy

Work on both projects is in progress, and this page will be updated with new information and/or publications.