Dr. Bess Koffman

Dr. Bess Koffman

Geochemist and paleoclimate scientist

Biography

Dr. Bess Koffman is a geochemist and paleoclimate scientist whose research is focused on understanding past climate variability. In particular, she uses ice core records of atmospheric dust to learn how and why Earth’s atmospheric circulation has changed through time. She is also interested in the biogeochemical impacts of atmospheric deposition (e.g. mineral dust, volcanic ash, pollutants) on terrestrial and marine environments. Her work on ice and sediments has taken her to New Zealand, Antarctica, and Alaska. Dr. Koffman completed her B.A. in Geology at Carleton College and her Ph.D. in Earth and Climate Science at the University of Maine. Prior to coming to Dartmouth, she held a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship at Columbia University. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Society of Fellows and Department of Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College. She begins a position as an Assistant Professor of Geology at Colby College this fall.