Brenda L. Hall
Assistant Professor
PhD, Maine, Glacial geology, Climate change and quaternary geochronology
Address:
5790 Bryand Global Sciences Center
Room: 311
Tel: (207) 581 2191
Fax: (207) 581 2202
E-Mail: brendah@maine.edu
Research Interests:
My primary research interests are in understanding the causes of ice ages and of rapid, millennial-scale climate changes. I also work on the stability of ice sheets. My areas of expertise include glacial geology, geomorphology, geochronology (in particular, radiocarbon and uranium-thorium dating), and paleo-lake reconstruction/geochemistry. At present, I have research projects in the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic. One project involves reconstructing retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet from its last glacial maximum position using relative sea-level curves and moraines. It is thought that an understanding of the retreat history of the ice sheet will yield clues into its future behavior. I also am working on the origin and rapid fluctuations of high-level lakes in the Dry Valleys (Antarctica). These fluctuations tell us much about the environmental and hydrologic systems in the Dry Valleys, in addition to being key pieces of evidence in the search for the origins of rapid climate change. Current work in the Sub-Antarctic is concentrating on developing a chronology for glacier fluctuations and ice-rafting changes in the South Shetland Islands. This project is aimed toward addressing the question of the interhemispheric (a)synchrony of climate change and ultimately the cause of ice ages.
Publications:
Hall, B.L., Baroni, C., and Denton, G.H., 2003. Holocene relative sea-level history of the southern Victoria Land coast, Antarctica: Global and Planetary Change, in press.
Staubwasser, M., Henderson, G.M., Berkman, P.A., and Hall, B.L., 2003. Ba, Ra, Th, and U in marine mollusc shells and the potential of 226R/Ba dating of Holocene marine carbonate shells: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, in press.
Hall, B.L., and Denton, G.H., 2002. Holocene history of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier along the southern Scott Coast, Antarctica: The Holocene, v. 12, p. 619-627.
Hall, B.L., Denton, G.H., Overturf, B., and Hendy, C.H., 2002. Glacial Lake Victoria, a high-level Antarctic lake inferred from lacustrine deposits in Victoria Valley: Journal of Quaternary Science, v. 17, p. 697-706.
Hall, B.L., Denton, G.H., and Overturf, B., 2001. Glacial Lake Wright, a high-level Antarctic lake during the LGM and early Holocene: Antarctic Science, v.13, p. 53-60.
Hall, B.L., and Henderson, G.M., 2001. Use of TIMS uranium-thorium dating to determine past reservoir effects in lakes: Examples from Antarctica: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 193, p. 565-577.
Denton, G.H., and Hall, B.L., editors, 2000. Glacial and Paleoclimatic History of the Ross Ice Drainage System of Antarctica: Geografiska Annaler, v. 82A, p. 139- 432.
Hall, B.L., 2000. Extensive lakes in the Dry Valleys (Antarctica) at the last glacial maximum: Implications for past lakes on Mars: Second International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Hall, B.L., and Denton, G.H., 2000. Radiocarbon chronology of Ross Sea drift, eastern Taylor Valley, Antarctica: Evidence for a grounded ice sheet in the Ross Sea at the last glacial maximum: Geografiska Annaler, v. 82A, p. 305-336.
Hall, B.L., Denton, G.H., and Hendy, C.H., 2000. Evidence from Taylor Valley for a grounded ice sheet in the Ross Sea, Antarctica: Geografiska Annaler, v. 82A, 275-303.
Conway, H., Hall, B.L., Denton, G.H., Gades, A.M., and Waddington, E.D., 1999. Past and future grounding-line retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet: Science, v. 286, p. 280-283.
