Christine Bassett
University of Alabama, Department of Geosciences
- Title University of Alabama, Department of Geosciences
Areas of Interest
Abrupt climate change; Biogeochemistry; Holocene; Isotope geochemistry; Paleoclimatology; Sclerochronology; Coastal Alaska
Research Interests & Fieldwork
My current research is focused on developing a proxy for seawater temperature in coastal Alaska to construct a more nuanced understanding of past climate in the region. The goal is to test the validity of shell growth analysis of Saxidomus gigantea – the butter clam – as a proxy for sea surface temperature in in coastal Alaska during the Late Holocene. This method can be applied to the archaeological record to allow archaeologists to understand how human behavior, particularly the exploitation of floral and faunal resources, has changed in tandem with environmental changes.