Principal Investigator
Dr. Simon Engelhart obtained his undergraduate and masters degrees in Geography from Durham University, UK. He moved to the US to complete a PhD in Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He started as an Assistant Professor at the University of Rhode Island in 2013 and has been an Associate Professor since July 1st 2017. He was appointed as Rhode Island State Geologist and Head of the Rhode Island Geological Survey in 2018. He moved to Durham University as an Assistant Professor in Geography in September 2019.
His research interests revolve around sea-level changes over varying timescales from minutes to millennia, with a focus on coastal inundation from tsunami and storms, land-level changes due to megathrust earthquakes, climate-driven sea-level changes during the Common Era, and the mechanisms of long-term sea-level changes, including glacial isostatic adjustment. Within these areas, he has taken a strong interest in the comparison of geological data with predictions from models and from recent direct observations of land-level change and sea-level rise (e.g., GPS, tide gauges).
Google Scholar Profile
Postdoctoral Researchers
J. Scott Padgett (PhD) obtained a B.S. in Oceanography with a Geology minor in 2010 and a M.S. in Geology in 2013, both from Humboldt State University. He completed his PhD at the University of Rhode Island in 2019. His PhD focused on reconstructing land-level changes during past megathrust earthquakes in Humboldt Bay and Washington State, USA. His postdoctoral work focuses on refining the timings of earthquakes at the Cascadia subduction zone, funded by the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program - External Research.
Surfing is a major theme of his existence. He also enjoys climbing rocks and yoga.He likes to play a good amount of fetch with his dog and enjoys wandering around beaches, mountains and forests.
Padgett, J.S., Kelsey, H.M., and Lamphear, D., 2019. Upper-plate deformation of Late Pleistocene marine terraces in the Trinidad, California, coastal area, southern Cascadia subduction zone. Geosphere 15(4), 1323-1341.
Padgett, J.S., Engelhart, S.E., Hoffmann, G., Rosentau, A., and Yu, F., 2018. Sea-level change from minutes to millennia: first meeting of IGCP Project 639 in Oman. EPISODES 41, 115-118.
Graduate Students
Byron Halavik (PhD) graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a BS in Geology and Geological Oceanography. His current research is focused on quantifying late Holocene relative sea-level changes along the coast of Rhode Island, USA. He employs cores of salt marsh sediments and the fossil tests of foraminifera and plant macrofossils contained within them, to reconstruct past sea-level changes. The aim of this work is to better understand the behavior of local, regional, and global sea-level changes in the context of ongoing anthropogenic climate change, with a particular focus on the variability of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) across the region. This work is important for improving our ability to model and predict future sea-level changes and for informing public policy as rising seas have, and will continue, to wreak havoc on coastal communities and infrastructure.
Undergraduate Students
Caroline Amelse (BS Geology and Geological Oceanography) studies the effects of seasonality on salt-marsh foraminifera in the Narrow River, Rhode Island. Her undergraduate work on this topic was funded by the Coastal Fellows Program at University of Rhode Island and she was awarded the David E. Lumley Young Scientist Scholarship by the American Geophysical Union for her research. Caroline also contributed to the 2016 summer field season in collaboration with EarthWatch. She has been accepted into various geological engineering PhD programs for Fall 2017 and plans to study geohazards, namely landslides and debris flows.
Nicole Brennan (BS Geology and Geological Oceanography) will finish her undergraduate degree this spring. She has spent the last two years working in the Sea Level Research lab assisting graduate students with various projects on relative sea-level and land-level changes in Rhode Island, California, Washington, and Alaska. Next year, she plans on pursuing a Masters in Oceanography degree at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography.
Zane Grissett (BS Geology and Geological Oceanography) is a sophomore undergraduate student at the University of Rhode Island. He was awarded the GeoPaths internship to work in the Sea Level Research lab, assisting graduate students with their work on sedimentary signatures of storms in Rhode Island. He is producing a scientific poster on this work to be presented in the American Geophysical Union virtual poster showcase this fall.
Outside of academia, he enjoys hiking, sailing, swimming and spending time outside.
Outside of academia, he enjoys hiking, sailing, swimming and spending time outside.
Former Graduate Students
Greta Janigian (MS, 2018) graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in Geosciences and Environmental Studies. For her M.S. thesis she is investigated land-level changes and tsunami deposits associated with megathrust earthquakes in the region of the 1964 Alaska earthquake. Her methods involved the investigation of the lithology and diatom content of sediment core samples. She is currently participating in a volunteer program with Birthright Armenia.
Monecke, K., McCarthy, F.G., Hubeny, J.B., Ebel, J.E., Brabander, D.J., Kielb, S., Howey, E., Janigian, G., and Pentesco, J., 2018. The 1755 Cape Ann earthquake recorded in lake sediments of eastern New England: An interdisciplinary paleoseismic approach. Seismological Research Letters, doi:10.1785/0220170220
Rachel Stearns (MS, 2017) focused on reconstructing a record of high-resolution relative sea-level changes in Rhode Island, USA using foraminifera, salt-marsh vegetation, and bulk sediment d13C values to estimate paleomarsh elevation. She is now working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells, Maine. Prior to her time at the University of Rhode Island, Rachel completed her undergraduate studies in Oceanography and Environmental Science at the University of North Carolina - Wilmington. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities such as kayaking, visiting the beach, and volleyball.
Matt Gerlach (MS, 2016) worked on developing a new relative sea-level reconstruction from the Gulf Coast of Florida. He is now a NOAA Coastal Management Fellow stationed with the Washington Department of Ecology. Matt is working to develop geologic-based guidance for the implementation of armoring regulations on Puget Sound’s shorelines. Before moving to the University of Rhode Island, Matt completed undergraduate studies in geology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. In his free time, Matt can be found exploring powder stashes on his snowboard or wandering the trails of the Pacific Northwest.
Gerlach, M.J., Engelhart, S.E., Kemp, A.C., Moyer, R.P., Smoak, J., Bernhardt, C.E., and Cahill, N., 2017. Reconstructing Common Era relative sea-level change on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Marine Geology 390, 254-269.