Professor Carrie Lear

Biography

• Director of Research, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (2022-)
• Head of Centre for Resilience and Environmental Change (2015-2021)
• Member of REF2021 Sub-panel 7
• Founder and Co-Chair of UK Paleoclimate Society (2017-)

• Professor of Earth Sciences, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University (2016-Present)
• Reader in Earth Sciences, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University (2013 – 2016)
• Senior Lecturer in Earth Sciences, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University (2009-2013)
• Lecturer in Earth Sciences, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University (2004-2009)
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, NJ, USA (2001-2004)
• PhD – Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, UK (2000)
• BA (first class hons) Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, UK (1997)

Honours and awards

Bigsby Medal, Geological Society of London (2017)

Philip Leverhulme Prize (2005)

Bateman Scholarship (Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge)

Geology Prize and Scholarship (University of Oxford) (1994-1997)

Professional memberships

President of the UK Paleoclimate Society

Publications

We are currently unable to retrieve the list of publications. Visit our institutional repository.

Teaching

Year 1:

I contribute to the World of Dynamic Environments module, which uses case studies to investigate Earth Surface Processes

I contribute to the Earth Materials module, teaching students how to describe and identify sedimentary rocks in hand specimen and thin section, and understand their process of formation.

I lead the Pembrokeshire residential field course, teaching students a range of geological field skills.

I contribute to several day field courses (e.g., Glamorgan Heritage Coast, Barry Isalnd, Rudry Common)

Year 3:

I lead the research-led module Past Climates: Science into Society

I supervise Geology Dissertations.

Year 4:

I supervise MSci Research Dissertation Projects.

I use the geochemistry of carbonate fossils as a window to past climatic change. For example, I use the Mg/Ca ratio of microscopic oceanic fossils called foraminifera to reconstruct past ocean temperatures, and their boron isotope ratios to reconstruct past changes in the carbon cycle and pCO₂. Most of these fossil samples have been drilled from deep-sea sediments by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, and I have participated in several ocean coring expeditions. The overarching aim of my research is to understand feedbacks in the climate system and to constrain the long-term sensitivity of continental ice sheets to changing environmental conditions, including CO₂.

Supervision

Paleoclimate and Paleoceanography

Geochemical Proxies

Current supervision

Past projects

I have enjoyed working with some wonderful students, who have completed successful PhDs:

Emanuela Piga (Co-supervisor)

Michael Nairn (Primary supervisor)

Amy Sparkes (Primary supervisor)

Natalia Barrientos (Co-supervisor)

Stephanie Bates (Co-supervisor)

Sam Bradley (Primary supervisor)

Scott Butler (Primary supervisor)

Peter Bloxsom  (Primary supervisor)

Elaine Mawbey  (Primary supervisor)

Heather Birch (Co-supervisor)

Marcus Badger (Primary supervisor)

Catherine Burgess (Co-supervisor)

Impact

I am committed to supporting EDI in academia, and as a part of this, am also actively engaged in outreach and engagement activities. Some examples in these areas are:

• Member of School’s Athena Swan Panel, producing successful application for Bronze award (2016)

• Member of School EDI Committee

• Lead of School URGE Pod (Unlearning Racism in Geoscience) (2021):

  https://urgeoscience.org/pods/cardiff-earth-and-environmental-sciences/

• 2021 onwards: New collaboration with the Grangetown Community Gateway project. Specific events include a stall at the Grangetown market, about the history of Grangetown and Geology, and activities with the Grangetown Youth Forum.

2021: Keynote speaker at BGS BUFI Science Festival, with a focus on EDI in Geosciences

2020: Daniell Lecture, Kings College London https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/daniell-lecture-goes-online-for-2020

2020 Featured in AL LARGO by Anna Marziano, this film won the special jury award in the documentary section of the Torino Film Festival