Dr. Dorothy M. Peteet is a Senior Research Scientist at NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Adjunct Professor, Columbia University. She directs the Paleoecology Division of the New Core Lab at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia and in collaboration with GISS climate modelers and LDEO geochemists is studying the Late Pleistocene and Holocene archives of lakes and wetlands (peatlands, salt marshes, tidal freshwater marshes, bogs, fens). Documenting past vegetational change using pollen and spores, plant and animal macrofossils, loss-on-ignition, carbon, and charcoal in conjunction with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating, her research provides local and regional records of vegetational and climate history and carbon sequestration. Peteet has performed GCM experiments to test hypotheses concerning LGM and abrupt climate change. She is interested in climate sensitivity from past climate changes and ecological shifts with future climate change. Droughts are of recent interest.
Dorothy M Peteet
((AST, EARTH BIOSPHERE STUDIES))
Org Code: 611
NASA/GISSMail Code: 611
New York, NY 10025
Employer: NASA
Brief Bio
Research Interests
Paleoclimate
Earth Science: ClimateUnderstanding of past shifts in climate, including abrupt events. Research in eastern N. America,
Siberia, Arctic and subarctic regions of Alaska, Easter Island, etc...and timing is from present back to last interglacial. Droughts are of particular interest in the northeastern US.
Paleoecology
Earth Science: Carbon CycleUnderstanding past vegetational change throughout areas of research and the response of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change. Pollen and plant macrofossil studies. Ecosystem functions.
Carbon sequestration
Earth Science: Carbon CycleRelationship of past vegetational change to past carbon storage in wetlands.
Human impact
Earth Science: Land DisturbanceHuman impact and its effect on ecosystems...record in sediment cores reveals invasive species, erosion of watersheds, pollution, etc.
Current Projects
Alaskan paleoclimate and paleovegation records and their relationship to carbon storage
Carbon Cycle
Transect of peatland sites both N-S and E-W in Alaska documents the relationship of past climate and vegetational change to carbon sequestered in the peatlands.
Timing of Deglaciation in Northeastern US
Glaciers
Understanding timing of deglaciation in northeastern US and its relationship to Greenland ice cores, sea level rise, and ocean temperature shifts.
Climate Sensitivity
Climate
Differences in climate sensitivity of planet earth during different time intervals since last ice age.
Feedbacks such as vegetational change very important.
Abrupt climate shifts
Ecosystem function
Understanding relationship of terrestrial abrupt climate shifts of the past and their effects on forest and wetland vegeational change in various regions of the globe. Younger Dryas cooling and Medieval Warming are examples.
Drought
Hydrology / Water Cycle
Past droughts in the northeastern US are visible through forest shifts in species composition and increases in fire frequency. We document past drought frequency and intensity and the importance of future droughts for urban areas of the northeast.
Positions/Employment
Senior Research Scientist
NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies - New York, NY
1999 - Present
Adjunct Professor
Columbia University - New York, NY
1999 - Present
Teach undergraduate and graduate students, "Wetlands and Climate Change" class at Columbia, and direct Paleoecology Laboratory at LDEO
Research Scientist
NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies - New York, NY
1985 - 1999
Adjunct Associate Research Scientist
Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory - Palisades, NY
1985 - 1999
National Research Council Resident Research Associate
National Research Council - NASA/GISS
1983 - 1985
2-yr postdoctorate
Teaching Experience
1999-present Teaching 4000 level course "Wetlands and Climate Change" at Columbia University
1997- present Developed and taught "Wetlands and Climate Change" at Columbia University in Dept. of Earth and Environmental Science
Taught Paleoclimate undergraduate class at Columbia University
Mentoring Ph.D, MS., undergraduate, and high school students
1997- present Developed and taught "Wetlands and Climate Change" at Columbia University in Dept. of Earth and Environmental Science
Taught Paleoclimate undergraduate class at Columbia University
Mentoring Ph.D, MS., undergraduate, and high school students
Education
- Ph.D., New York University, l983
- MS., New York University, l979
- BA, Botany, Duke University, l974
Professional Societies
Board of Directors, NYC Audubon Society
2009 - 2014
North American Pollen Database
Panel Member
2009 - Present
Hudson River Environmental Society
Board of Directors
2004 - 2007
NY Institute for Climate and Planets Summer Program
Mentor for high school and college students
1995 - Present
National Academy Sciences Abrupt Climate Change: Science and Policy
Panel Member
2000 - 2001
NSF/OPP Antarctic Glaciology
Panel Member
1995 - Present
Board of Earth Science Division of UNESCO Intl. Global Climate Program Project entitled Global Younger Dryas?
Coordinator
1990 - 1994
AMQUA Paleoclimatology
Councilor
1990 - 1994
AGU Oceanography Committee
Panel Member
1994 - 1998
NSF Ice Core Working Group
Panel Member
1990 - 1992
US National Committee for International Union of Quaternary Research
Panel Member
1992 - 1994
Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory Climate Center Committee
Panel Member
1996 - 2010
AGU
Member
1990 - Present
AMQUA
Member
1985 - Present
Ecological Society of America
Member
2008 - Present
American Assn. of Stratigraphic Palynologists
member
1985 - Present
Torrey Botanical Club
member
1985 - Present
Botanical Society of America
2000 - Present
Professional Service
NYC Audubon Society, Hudson River Environmental Society, NSF Panelist, Journal Reviews, etc.
Awards
2022 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Award
2022 July NASA Performance Award
2006 New York City Research Initiative Achievement Award
2004 NASA/GISS Special Act Award
2003 NASA/GISS Special Act Award
1999 NASA/GSFC Performance Award
1992 NASA/GISS Peer Review Award
l983-1985 National Research Council Award
l982 Gladys Mateyco Biology Award for Excellence in Biology
1980 Torrey Botanical Club Annette Hervey Award, Best Student Paper
Selected Publications
Refereed
Copple, S. P., D. M. Peteet, D. Balk, et al. C. Chang, B. Jones, and M. Tzortziou. 2023. Marsh archive reveals human population history and future implications for estuarine health in Long Island Sound Science of The Total Environment 895 164885 [10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164885]
Christ, A. J., T. M. Rittenour, P. R. Bierman, et al. B. A. Keisling, P. C. Knutz, T. B. Thomsen, N. Keulen, J. C. Fosdick, S. R. Hemming, J.-L. Tison, P.-H. Blard, J. P. Steffensen, M. W. Caffee, L. B. Corbett, D. Dahl-Jensen, D. P. Dethier, A. J. Hidy, N. Perdrial, D. M. Peteet, E. J. Steig, and E. K. Thomas. 2023. Deglaciation of northwestern Greenland during Marine Isotope Stage 11 Science 381 (6655): 330-335 [10.1126/science.ade4248]
Da Silva, K. A., R. A. Snyder, M. S. Packalen, et al. J. W. McLaughlin, D. M. Peteet, and S. A. Finkelstein. 2022. Mineral inputs, paleoecological change, and Holocene carbon accumulation at a boreal peatland in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Canada Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 596 110996 [10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110996]
Kern, O. A., A. Koutsodendris, F. J. Allstädt, et al. B. Mächtle, D. M. Peteet, S. Kalaitzidis, K. Christanis, and J. Pross. 2022. A near-continuous record of climate and ecosystem variability in Central Europe during the past 130 kyrs (Marine Isotope Stages 5–1) from Füramoos, southern Germany Quaternary Science Reviews 284 107505 [10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107505]
Peteet, D. 2021. WALLY BROECKER—USING RADIOCARBON FOR PUZZLES OF THE GLACIAL AND DEGLACIAL ENVIRONMENT Radiocarbon 1-6 [10.1017/rdc.2021.87]
Pace, G., D. Peteet, M. Dunton, et al. C. Wang-Mondaca, S. Ismail, J. Supino, and J. Nichols. 2021. Importance of quantifying the full-depth carbon reservoir of Jamaica Bay salt Marshes, New York City and Environment Interactions 12 100073 [10.1016/j.cacint.2021.100073]
Bishop, D. A., A. P. Williams, R. Seager, et al. E. R. Cook, D. M. Peteet, B. I. Cook, M. P. Rao, and D. W. Stahle. 2021. Placing the east-west North American aridity gradient in a multi-century context Environmental Research Letters 16 (11): 114043 [10.1088/1748-9326/ac2f63]
Gasperini, L., D. Peteet, E. Bonatti, et al. E. Gambini, A. Polonia, J. Nichols, and L. Heusser. 2021. Late Glacial and Holocene environmental variability, Lago Trasimeno, Italy Quaternary International [10.1016/j.quaint.2021.10.011]
Bolland, A., O. A. Kern, F. J. Allstädt, et al. D. Peteet, A. Koutsodendris, J. Pross, and O. Heiri. 2021. Summer temperatures during the last glaciation (MIS 5c to MIS 3) inferred from a 50,000-year chironomid record from Füramoos, southern Germany Quaternary Science Reviews 264 107008 [10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107008]
Nichols, J. E., and D. M. Peteet. 2021. J. E. Nichols and D. M. Peteet reply Nature Geoscience 14 (7): 470-472 [10.1038/s41561-021-00771-8]
Christ, A. J., P. R. Bierman, J. M. Schaefer, et al. D. Dahl-Jensen, J. P. Steffensen, L. B. Corbett, D. M. Peteet, E. K. Thomas, E. J. Steig, T. M. Rittenour, J.-L. Tison, P.-H. Blard, N. Perdrial, D. P. Dethier, A. Lini, A. J. Hidy, M. W. Caffee, and J. Southon. 2021. A multimillion-year-old record of Greenland vegetation and glacial history preserved in sediment beneath 1.4 km of ice at Camp Century Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118 (13): e2021442118 [10.1073/pnas.2021442118]
Breckenridge, A., T. Lowell, D. Peteet, et al. N. Wattrus, M. Moretto, N. Norris, and A. Dennison. 2020. A new glacial varve chronology along the southern Laurentide Ice Sheet that spans the Younger Dryas–Holocene boundary Geology 49 (3): 283-288 [10.1130/g47995.1]
Peteet, D., J. Nichols, D. Pederson, et al. T. Kenna, C. Chang, B. Newton, and S. Vincent. 2020. Climate and anthropogenic controls on blue carbon sequestration in Hudson River tidal marsh, Piermont, New York Environmental Research Letters 15 (6): 065001 [10.1088/1748-9326/ab7a56]
Kulkarni, C., D. Peteet, R. Boger, and L. Heusser. 2016. Exploring the role of humans and climate over the Balkan landscape: 500 years of vegetational history of Serbia Quaternary Science Reviews 144 83-94 [10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.05.021]
Han, Y., D. Peteet, R. Arimoto, et al. J. Cao, Z. An, S. Sritrairat, and B. Yan. 2016. Climate and Fuel Controls on North American Paleofires: Smoldering to Flaming in the Late-glacial-Holocene Transition Scientific Reports 6 20719 [10.1038/srep20719]
Peteet, D. M., J. Nichols, C. Moy, A. McGeachy, and M. Perez. 2016. Recent and Holocene climate change controls on vegetation and carbon accumulation in Alaskan coastal muskegs Quat. Sci. Rev. 131A 168-178 [10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.10.032]
Stokes, C. R., L. Tarasov, R. Blomdin, et al. T. M. Cronin, T. G. Fisher, R. Gyllencreutz, C. Hattestrand, J. Heyman, R. C. Hindmarsh, A. L. Hughes, M. Jakobsson, N. Kirchner, S. J. Livingstone, M. Margold, J. B. Murton, N. Riko, W. R. Peltier, D. M. Peteet, D. J. Piper, F. Preusser, H. Renssen, D. H. Roberts, D. M. Roche, F. Saint-Ange, A. P. Stroeven, and J. T. Teller. 2015. On the reconstruction of palaeo-ice sheets: Recent advances and future challenges Quat. Sci. Rev. 125 15-49 [doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.07.016]
Naughton, F., L. Keigwin, D. Peteet, et al. S. Costas, S. Desprat, D. Oliveira, A. de Vernal, A. Voelker, and F. Abrantes. 2015. A 12,000-yr pollen record off Cape Hatteras -- Pollen sources and mechanisms of pollen dispersion Mar. Geol. 367 118-129 [doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2015.06.003]
Nichols, J. E., D. M. Peteet, C. M. Moy, et al. I. S. Castaneda, A. McGeachy, and M. Perez. 2014. Impacts of climate and vegetation change on carbon accumulation in a south-central Alaskan peatland assessed with novel organic geochemical techniques Holocene 24 (9): 1146-1155 [doi:10.1177/0959683614540729]
Nichols, J. E., P. D. Isles, and D. M. Peteet. 2014. A novel framework for quantifying past methane recycling by <i>Sphagnum</i>-methanotroph symbiosis using carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of leaf wax biomarkers Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 15 (5): 1827-1836 [10.1002/2014GC005242]
Jones, M. C., M. Wooller, and D. M. Peteet. 2014. A deglacial and Holocene record of climate variability in south-central Alaska from stable oxygen isotopes and plant macrofossils in peat Quaternary Science Reviews 87 1-11 [10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.12.025]
Previdi, M., B. G. Liepert, D. Peteet, et al. J. Hansen, D. J. Beerling, A. J. Broccoli, S. Frolking, J. N. Galloway, M. Heimann, C. Le Quere, S. Levitus, and V. Ramaswamy. 2013. Climate sensitivity in the Anthropocene Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc. 139 (674): 1121-1131 [10.1002/qj.2165]
Sritrairat, S., D. M. Peteet, T. C. Kenna, et al. R. Sambrotto, D. Kurdyla, and T. Guilderson. 2012. A history of vegetation, sediment and nutrient dynamics at Tivoli North Bay, Hudson Estuary, New York Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 102-103 24-35 [10.1016/j.ecss.2012.03.003]
Peteet, D. M., M. Beh, C. Orr, et al. D. Kurdyla, J. E. Nichols, and T. P. Guilderson. 2012. Delayed deglaciation or extreme Arctic conditions 21-16 cal. kyr at southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet margin? Geophysical Research Letters 39 (11): L11706 [10.1029/2012GL051884]
Menking, K. M., D. M. Peteet, and R. Y. Anderson. 2012. Late-glacial and Holocene vegetation and climate variability, including major droughts, in the Sky Lakes region of southeastern New York State Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 353-355 45-59 [10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.06.033]
Kenna, T. C., F. O. Nitsche, M. M. Herron, et al. B. J. Mailloux, D. M. Peteet, S. Sritrairat, E. Sands, and J. Baumgarten. 2011. Evaluation and calibration of a Field Portable X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer for quantitative analysis of siliciclastic soils and sediments J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 26 (2): 395-405 [10.1039/c0ja00133c]
Jones, M. C., D. M. Peteet, and R. Sambrotto. 2010. Late-glacial and Holocene δ<sup>15</sup>N and δ<sup>13</sup>C variation from a Kenai Peninsula, Alaska peatland Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 293 (1-2): 132-143 [10.1016/j.palaeo.2010.05.007]
Jones, M. C., D. M. Peteet, D. Kurdyla, and T. Guilderson. 2009. Climate and vegetation history from a 14,000-year peatland record, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska Quaternary Research 72 (2): 207-217 [10.1016/j.yqres.2009.04.002]
Peteet, D. M., J. Schaefer, and M. Stute. 2006. Enigmatic eastern Laurentide ice sheet deglaciation Eos Trans Amer Geophys Union 87 (15): 151 [10.1029/2006EO150007]
Pederson, D. C., D. M. Peteet, D. Kurdyla, and T. Guilderson. 2005. Medieval Warming, Little Ice Age, and European impact on the environment during the last millennium in the lower Hudson Valley, New York, USA Quaternary Research 63 (3): 238-249 [10.1016/j.yqres.2005.01.001]
Pederson, N., E. R. Cook, G. C. Jacoby, D. M. Peteet, and K. L. Griffin. 2004. The influence of winter temperatures on the annual radial growth of six northern range margin tree species Dendrochronologia 22 (1): 7-29 [10.1016/j.dendro.2004.09.005]
Alley, R. B., J. Marotzke, W. D. Nordhaus, et al. J. T. Overpeck, D. M. Peteet, R. Pielke, R. Pielke, R. T. Pierrehumbert, P. B. Rhines, T. F. Stocker, L. D. Talley, and J. M. Wallace. 2003. Abrupt Climate Change Science 299 (5615): 2005-2010 [10.1126/science.1081056]
Mann, D. H., D. M. Peteet, R. E. Reanier, and M. L. Kunz. 2002. Responses of an arctic landscape to Lateglacial and early Holocene climatic changes: the importance of moisture Quaternary Sci Rev 21 (8-9): 997-1021 [10.1016/S0277-3791(01)00116-0]
Pfaff, A., and D. M. Peteet. 2001. Generating probabilities in support of societal decision-making Eos Trans. Amer. Geophys. U. 82 (20): 222
Andreev, A. A., D. M. Peteet, P. E. Tarasov, et al. F. A. Romanenko, L. V. Filimonova, and L. D. Sulerzhitsky. 2001. Late pleistocene interstadial environment on Faddeyevskiy Island, East-Siberian Sea, Russia Arct Antarct Alp Res 33 28-35.
Peteet, D. 2000. Sensitivity and rapidity of vegetational response to abrupt climate change Proc Natl Acad Sci 97 1359-1361.
Kneller, M., and D. M. Peteet. 1999. Late-Glacial to Early Holocene Climate Changes from a Central Appalachian Pollen and Macrofossil Record Quaternary Research 51 (2): 133-147 [10.1006/qres.1998.2026]
Heusser, C. J., L. E. Heusser, and D. M. Peteet. 1999. Humptulips revisited: a revised interpretation of Quaternary vegetation and climate of western Washington, USA Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 150 (3-4): 191-221 [10.1016/S0031-0182(98)00225-9]
Hajdas, I., G. Bonani, P. Bodén, D. M. Peteet, and D. H. Mann. 1998. Cold reversal on Kodiak Island, Alaska, correlated with the European younger Dryas by using variations of atmospheric 14C content Geology 26 (11): 1047-1050 [10.1130/0091-7613(1998)?026<1047:CROKIA>?2.3.CO;2]
Shemesh, A., and D. Peteet. 1998. Oxygen isotopes in fresh water biogenic opal - Northeastern US Alleröd-Younger Dryas temperature shift Geophysical Research Letters 25 (11): 1935-1938 [10.1029/98GL01443]
Peteet, D., A. Andreev, W. Bardeen, and F. Mistretta. 1998. Long-term Arctic peatland dynamics, vegetation and climate history of the Pur-Taz region, Western Siberia Boreas 27 115-126
Daniels, R. A., and D. Peteet. 1998. Fish scale evidence for rapid post-glacial colonization of an Atlantic coastal pond Global Ecol Biogeogr 7 467-476
Broecker, W. S., D. Peteet, I. Hajdas, J. Lin, and E. Clark. 1998. Antiphasing between Rainfall in Africa's Rift Valley and North America's Great Basin Quaternary Research 50 (1): 12-20 [10.1006/qres.1998.1973]
Peteet, D., A. Del Genio, and K. K. Lo. 1997. Sensitivity of northern hemisphere air temperatures and snow expansion to North Pacific sea surface temperatures in the Goddard Institute for Space Studies general circulation model J. Geophys. Res. 102 (D20): 23781-23791 [10.1029/97JD01573]
Peteet, D. M. 1995. Global Younger Dryas? Quaternary International 28 93-104 [10.1016/1040-6182(95)00049-O]
Peteet, D. M., and D. H. Mann. 1994. Late-glacial vegetational, tephra, and climatic history of southwestern Kodiak Island, Alaska Ecoscience 1 255-267
Peteet, D. M., R. Daniels, L. E. Heusser, et al. J. S. Vogel, J. R. Southon, and D. E. Nelson. 1994. Wisconsinan late-glacial environmental change in southern New England: A regional synthesis J Quaternary Sci 9 151-154
Mann, D. H., and D. M. Peteet. 1994. Extent and Timing of the Last Glacial Maximum in Southwestern Alaska Quaternary Research 42 (2): 136-148 [10.1006/qres.1994.1063]
Peteet, D. M., R. A. Daniels, L. E. Heusser, et al. J. S. Vogel, J. R. Southon, and D. E. Nelson. 1993. Late-glacial pollen, macrofossils and fish remains in northeastern U.S.A. — The Younger Dryas oscillation Quaternary Sci Rev 12 (8): 597-612 [10.1016/0277-3791(93)90002-4]
Kneller, M., and D. Peteet. 1993. Late-Quaternary climate in the Ridge and Valley of Virginia, U.S.A.: Changes in vegetation and depositional environment Quat Sci Rev 12 (8): 613-628 [10.1016/0277-3791(93)90003-5]
Riehle, J. R., D. H. Mann, D. M. Peteet, et al. D. R. Engstrom, D. A. Brew, and C. E. Meyer. 1992. The Mount Edgecumbe tephra deposits, a marker horizon in southeastern Alaska near the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary Quaternary Research 37 (2): 183-202 [10.1016/0033-5894(92)90081-S]
Peteet, D. M. 1991. Postglacial migration history of lodgepole pine near Yakutat, Alaska Can J Botany 69 786-796
Peteet, D. M., J. S. Vogel, D. E. Nelson, et al. J. R. Southon, R. J. Nickmann, and L. E. Heusser. 1990. Younger Dryas climatic reversal in northeastern USA? AMS ages for an old problem Quat. Res. 33 219-230 [doi:10.1016/0033-5894(90)90020-L]
Rind, D., D. Peteet, and G. Kukla. 1989. Can Milankovitch orbital variations initiate the growth of ice sheets in a general circulation model? J. Geophys. Res. 94 12851-12871 [doi:10.1029/JD094iD10p12851]
Heusser, C. J., and D. M. Peteet. 1988. Spores of Lycopodium and Selaginella of North Pacific America Can. J. Botany 66 508-525 [doi:10.1139/b88-074]
Broecker, W. S., M. Andree, W. Wolfli, et al. H. Oeschger, G. Bonani, J. Kennett, and D. Peteet. 1988. The chronology of the last deglaciation: Implications to the cause of the Younger Dryas event Paleoceanography 3 1-19
Peteet, D. M. 1987. Paleoenvironmental shift in maritime Canada parallels Europe Trends Ecol. Evol. 2 86-87 [doi:10.1016/0169-5347(87)90162-5]
Rind, D., D. Peteet, W. Broecker, A. McIntyre, and W. Ruddiman. 1986. The impact of cold North Atlantic sea surface temperatures on climate: Implications for the Younger Dryas cooling (11-10 k) Clim. Dyn. 1 3-33 [doi:10.1007/BF01277044]
Peteet, D. 1986. Modern pollen rain and vegetational history of the Malaspina Glacier district, Alaska Quat. Res. 25 1001-120 [doi:10.1016/0033-5894(86)90047-5]
Rind, D., and D. Peteet. 1985. Terrestrial conditions at the last glacial maximum and CLIMAP sea-surface temperature estimates: Are they consistent? Quat. Res. 24 1-22 [doi:10.1016/0033-5894(85)90080-8]
Heusser, C. J., L. E. Heusser, and D. M. Peteet. 1985. Late-Quaternary climatic change on the American North Pacific Coast Nature 315 485-487 [doi:10.1038/315485a0]
Broecker, W. S., D. M. Peteet, and D. Rind. 1985. Does the ocean-atmosphere system have more than one stable mode of operation? Nature 315 21-26 [doi:10.1038/315021a0]
Non-Refereed
Moss, M. L., D. M. Peteet, and C. Whitlock. 2007. Mid-Holocene culture and climate on the Northwest coast of North America Climate Change and Cultural Dynamics: A Global Perspective on Mid-Holocene Transitions 491-530