Tim K. Lowenstein
Distinguished Professor
Department of Earth Sciences
Background
Tim Lowenstein studies chemically deposited sediments to understand Earth鈥檚 ancient hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere and is widely regarded as one of the world鈥檚 authorities on salt deposits. Lowenstein and his students and collaborators have documented changes in the chemistry of the ancient oceans, documented ancient climates and global atmospheric changes from ancient lake deposits, and confirmed the long-term survival of microorganisms and DNA in salt deposits. Current research is focused on obtaining deep-time temperature records from fluid inclusions.
Lowenstein is the author of more than 140 peer-reviewed papers, has given more than 200 conference presentations, and has served as an associate editor for the journals Geology, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, and Journal of Sedimentary Research. He became a Distinguished Professor in 2016.
Lowenstein was awarded the Israel C. Russell Award in Limnogeology from the Geological Society of America in 2012, the Lawrence L. Sloss Award in Sedimentary Geology from the Geological Society of America in 2016, and is a Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America, Society of Economic Geologists, and the Geological Society of America. He has received more than $4.2 million in external grant funding.
Publications
- LOWENSTEIN, T. K., OLSON, K. J., STEWART, B. W., McGEE D., STROUP. J. S., HUDSON, A. M., WENDT, K. A., PEAPLE, M. D., FEAKINS, S. J., BHATTACHARYA, T. and LUND, S. (2024) Unified 200 kyr paleohydrologic history of the southern Great Basin: Death Valley, Searles Lake, Owens Lake and the Devils Hole cave. , v. 336
- WELDEGHEBRIEL. M.F. and LOWENSTEIN, T.K. (2023) Seafloor hydrothermal systems control long-term changes in seawater [Li+]: evidence from fluid inclusions. 9 (30)
- LOWENSTEIN, T.K., JAGNIECKI, E. A., CARROLL, A. R., SMITH, M. E, RENAUT, R.W., and OWEN, R. B., (2017), The Green River salt mystery: What was the source of the hyperalkaline lake waters? Earth-Science Reviews, v. 173, p. 295-306.
- LOWENSTEIN, T.K., and DEMICCO, R.V. (2006) Elevated Eocene atmospheric CO2 and its subsequent decline. Science, v. 313, p. 1928.
- LOWENSTEIN, T.K., TIMOFEEFF, M.N., BRENNAN, S.T., HARDIE, L.A., and DEMICCO, R.V. (2001) Oscillations in Phanerozoic Seawater Chemistry: Evidence from Fluid Inclusions. Science, v. 294, p. 1086-1088.
Education
- PhD, Johns Hopkins University
- BA, Colgate University
Research Interests
- Chemical composition of ancient seawater
- Ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide
- Deep-time Earth surface temperatures
- Ancient climate on Earth from the study of lake deposits
Teaching Interests
- GEOL 470/570: Geochemistry
- GEOL 436/536: Sedimentary Environments and Facies
- GEOL 142: Water
Awards
- Geological Society of America: Lawrence L. Sloss Award
- Distinguished Professor, 91社区
- 91社区, Harpur College Dean鈥檚 Distinguished Lecture
- Fellow, Geological Society of America
- Fellow, Mineralogical Society of America
- Fellow, Society of Economic Geologists
- Geological Society of America: Israel C. Russell Award
- Mineralogical Society of America Distinguished Lecturer
- 91社区 Award for Excellence in Research
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