News Release

Prominent pameoclimatologist to receive prestigious Cody Award from Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Grant and Award Announcement

University of California - San Diego

Maureen Raymo of Boston University to give public lecture Jan. 25

A scientist internationally recognized for her studies of climate change in Earth’s history has been selected to receive the 2002 Robert L. and Bettie P. Cody Award in Ocean Sciences from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.

Maureen Raymo, a research associate professor at Boston University, will be awarded the prestigious prize on Jan. 26. On Friday, Jan. 25, Raymo will present a public lecture at 3 p.m. in Sumner Auditorium on the campus of Scripps Institution, 8602 La Jolla Shores Drive in La Jolla (Sumner Auditorium is one-half block north of El Paseo Grande). This lecture, "The Causes of Ice Ages in Earth’s History," is free and open to the public.

Raymo has sought to explain the causes of recent ice ages by studying changes in ocean circulation and global ice volume and linking these records to changes in Earth’s orbit. Although still early in her career, Raymo has already made an impressive impact on the field of Earth science.

The Cody Award, which consists of a gold medal and a $10,000 prize, recognizes outstanding scientific achievement in oceanography, marine biology, and Earth science. It was established by an endowment from the late Robert Cody and his wife Bettie, and a substantial contribution from Capital Research & Management Company, in recognition of Mr. Cody’s service to the Los Angeles-based firm.

Raymo’s research has addressed the question of why Earth has experienced so many ice ages in recent geologic history, a problem that has perplexed geologists for years.

In what is now referred to as the "Raymo-Chamberlin Hypothesis," she proposed the idea that Earth’s cooling climate over the last 40 million years was caused by a reduction in atmospheric carbon dioxide due to enhanced chemical weathering in the mountainous regions of the world, particularly the Himalayas, and further that the growth of the Himalayas may have triggered the start of the ice ages.

In her research, Raymo examines biogeochemical processes with regard to climate cycles. She is especially interested in Earth’s carbon cycle, which she studies using carbon isotopes, and she has made important contributions to the understanding of deep ocean circulation. She has spent months working in the field and at sea. Much of her work involves studying changes in deep-sea cores for geochemical and sedimentological signals and their linkages to ocean-water chemistry.

Her theories also have interested public audiences. Raymo’s research has been the focus of four major television documentaries broadcast worldwide.

With her father, Chet Raymo, she co-authored the popular book "Written In Stone: A Geological History of the Northeastern United States," now used for coursework by a number of colleges in the northeast United States.

Raymo has received a number of scientific honors for her work, including the National Young Investigator Award and a Special Creativity Award from the National Science Foundation. She has edited two scientific volumes and published some 47 articles in professional journals and collected volumes. Several of her research papers have appeared in the highly prestigious journals Science, Nature, and Geology.

A native of Los Angeles, Raymo attended Brown University and graduated in 1982 with a bachelor of science degree in geology. She attended graduate school at Columbia University where she earned a master of arts degree in geology in 1985, a master of philosophy degree in 1988, and a doctorate in 1989.

She accepted simultaneous positions at the University of Melbourne in Australia as visiting research fellow in the Meteorology Department and associate scientist in the Geology Department in 1989-90. In 1991, she was assistant professor at the University of California at Berkeley and in 1992 accepted a position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She remained there until 2000 when she accepted a position at Boston University as a research associate professor.

###

Scripps Institution of Oceanography on the World Wide Web: http://scripps.ucsd.edu
Scripps News on the World Wide Web: http://scrippsnews.ucsd.edu

Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, is one of the oldest, largest, and most important centers for global science research and graduate training in the world. The scientific scope of the institution has grown since its founding in 1903. A century of Scripps science has had an invaluable impact on oceanography, on understanding of the earth, and on society. More than 300 research programs are under way today in a wide range of scientific areas. Scripps operates one of the largest U.S. academic fleets with four oceanographic research ships and one research platform for worldwide exploration. Now plunging boldly into the 21st century, Scripps will celebrate its centennial in 2003.


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.