Joseph Licciardi
Department Chair and Professor, Earth Sciences
My primary fields of study include glacial geology and geomorphology, paleoclimatology, and volcanology. Most of my work places a strong emphasis on geochronology and/or understanding mechanisms of climate change. Past and present research projects generally address problems by integrating field work, laboratory methods, and modeling exercises. The application of cosmogenic isotope surface exposure dating methods figures prominently in many of these projects. My main study sites are located in the western United States (particularly the greater Yellowstone and Grand Teton regions), Iceland, and the Peruvian Andes, but I have also worked on projects in Alaska, Hawaii, and the Galápagos Islands. Timescales of interest generally fall within the Quaternary Period; I am especially interested in glacier fluctuations, climate variability, and volcanic activity during the late Pleistocene and Holocene.
Courses Taught
- ESCI 561: Landscape Evolution
- ESCI 762/862: Glacial Geology
- ESCI 765/865: Paleoclimatology
- ESCI 766/866: Volcanology
- ESCI 796/896: Topics/Iceland Field Trip
- ESCI 997: Seminar in Earth Sciences
- INCO 590: Rsrch Exp/Earth Sciences
- INCO 790: Adv Rsrch Exp/Earth Sciences
- TECH 411: Innovation Scholars I
Selected Publications
Churchill, D. M., Manga, M., Hurwitz, S., Peek, S., Licciardi, J. M., & Paces, J. B. (2020). Dating silica sinter (geyserite): A cautionary tale. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 402, 106991. doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2020.106991
Schweinsberg, A. D., Briner, J. P., Licciardi, J. M., Shroba, R. R., & Leonard, E. M. (2020). Cosmogenic 10Be exposure dating of Bull Lake and Pinedale moraine sequences in the upper Arkansas River valley, Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA. Quaternary Research, 97, 125-139. doi:10.1017/qua.2020.21
Laabs, B. J. C., Licciardi, J. M., Leonard, E. M., Munroe, J. S., & Marchetti, D. W. (2020). Updated cosmogenic chronologies of Pleistocene mountain glaciation in the western United States and associated paleoclimate inferences. Quaternary Science Reviews, 242, 106427. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106427
Churchill, D. M., Peek, S. E., Hurwitz, S., Manga, M., Damby, D. E., Conrey, R., . . . Licciardi, J. M. (2020). Mineralogy, chemistry and isotope composition of silica sinter deposits from the Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park. U.S. Geological Survey data release. doi:10.5066/P90SU3TV
Möller, P., Benediktsson, Í. Ö., Anjar, J., Bennike, O., Bernhardson, M., Funder, S., . . . Seidenkrantz, M. -S. (2019). Glacial history and palaeo-environmental change of southern Taimyr Peninsula, Arctic Russia, during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Earth-Science Reviews, 196, 102832. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2019.04.004
Carlson, A. E., Legrande, A. N., Oppo, D. W., Came, R. E., Schmidt, G. A., Anslow, F. S., . . . Obbink, E. A. (2008). Rapid early Holocene deglaciation of the Laurentide ice sheet. NATURE GEOSCIENCE, 1(9), 620-624. doi:10.1038/ngeo285
Licciardi, J. M., Clark, P. U., Brook, E. J., Elmore, D., & Sharma, P. (2004). Variable responses of western U.S. glaciers during the last deglaciation. Geology, 32(1), 81. doi:10.1130/g19868.1
Clark, P. U. (2001). Freshwater Forcing of Abrupt Climate Change During the Last Glaciation. Science, 293(5528), 283-287. doi:10.1126/science.1062517
Licciardi, J. M., Clark, P. U., Jenson, J. W., & Macayeal, D. R. (1998). Deglaciation of a soft-bedded Laurentide Ice Sheet. QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS, 17(4-5), 427-448. doi:10.1016/S0277-3791(97)00044-9
Clark, P. U., Alley, R. B., Keigwin, L. D., Licciardi, J. M., Johnsen, S. J., & Wang, H. (1996). Origin of the first global meltwater pulse following the Last Glacial Maximum. Paleoceanography, 11(5), 563-577. doi:10.1029/96pa01419
Most Cited Publications