Pete Puleo

Fifth National Climate Assessment The Fifth National Climate Assessment is the US Government’s preeminent report on climate change impacts, risks, and responses. It is a congressionally mandated interagency effort that provides the sc...

Here is the web archive version of NCA5: web.archive.org/web/20250626...

Just finished the last lecture of my first year at UW-W! Feeling excited for a short break before digging into some research over the summer.

2/2 Even though the grant has been cancelled, our efforts will remain. We know that making the geosciences more accessible to students is vital for recruiting and preparing an outstanding workforce.

1/2 I'm sad to say that I have joined the ranks of many US scientists who have been impacted by NSF grants being rescinded. A few faculty at UWW were a part of the C-Change cohort, which aimed to build collaborations across universities to improve student experiences in the geosciences.

Safeguarding Sound Science | National Center for Science Education Safeguarding Sound Science, Climate Change EditionSafeguarding Sound Science combats misinformation, disinformation, and misconceptions about climate change with actual science.

The @ncse.bsky.social has a new climate podcast, Safeguarding Sound Science! The first two episodes are interviews with @michaelemann.bsky.social and @naomioreskes.bsky.social on climate denial. Check it out -- NCSE is also a fantastic organization. Their mission is more important than ever.

Hundreds of weather forecasters fired in latest wave of DOGE cuts Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the U.S.

I’m thinking we should spread this news about the firings at NOAA as far and wide as possible. Like cancer research, weather forecasting seems likely to be broadly popular across the political spectrum. apnews.com/article/nati...

Research cuts in Wisconsin hurt economy, environment, farmers | Pete Puleo Federal funding for science must continue

I wrote an Op-Ed that was published online Monday and in print Wednesday on the importance of scientific funding for Wisconsinites. Was inspired by @sciencehomecoming.bsky.social Check out the initiative (sciencehomecoming.com) and my article! madison.com/opinion/colu...

I also like describing the proxy materials with a time capsule analogy. They take a snapshot of water chemistry then are stored in sediments until we "open" them to learn about the past.

I teach a physical geography course to many non-majors and like talking about the marine oxygen isotope records with a figure like this one. I find it helps students understand the directionality and how the proxy links to climate very directly. uwyodioramas.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...

This is so spot on. As a climate scientist and public intellectual, I see or experience these often

Please reach out if you are interested in using this proxy to reconstruct seasonal hydroclimate in one of your sediment archives!
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Last, we compare the δ18O values of consecutive aquatic moss segments that grew in spring vs. summer and summer vs. fall. We observe higher δ18O values during the fall compared to summer, likely due to evaporation and the 18O enriched precipitation in the late summer/fall.
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We infer weekly to monthly changes in lake water δ18O values from subsampled aquatic moss δ18O values through the summer and compare them with direct summer lake water δ18O measurements at 8 sites. We find similar increasing trends in both, showing the strength of the proxy.
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Given our interests in reconstructing precipitation δ18O values at a seasonal scale back in time, we set out to explore the potential of aquatic moss growth segments in northwest Greenland for reconstructing seasonal hydroclimate.
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Past researchers have described how some aquatic moss species in the Arctic have distinct seasonal growth patterns based on temperature. Generally speaking, summer aquatic moss stems were more dense with leaves and branches than cool season stems.
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Aquatic moss δ18O as a proxy for seasonally resolved lake water δ18O, northwest Greenland Reconstructing past climate seasonality is fundamental to understanding the nature of past climate changes. This is especially true in the Arctic, whe…

Sad to be missing out on AGU this year! To try and feel connected, I'm sharing the manuscript associated with my talk last year that was published recently. Aquatic moss δ18O as a proxy for seasonally resolved lake water δ18O, northwest Greenland (www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...). /1

Our group has lots on tap for #AGU24! Past big shifts in temperature, lake level, anoxia. Close looks at several water isotope methods. News from Greenland, New England, & the Midwest. A rundown:

As the end of my first semester teaching wraps up, I'm wondering if anyone on here has advice for increasing course evaluation response rate? I'm at around a 50% response rate across my three courses after giving some time in class to complete them. #edusky #teachlearnsky

Just gave the last lecture of my first semester! Woohoo!!! Now just a few exams, presentations, and papers to grade...

Could I be added? I reconstruct climate and environmental change over the past ~15,000 years using lake sediment geochemistry.

In terms of future research, I am working on generating oxygen isotope based records of Holocene and Younger Dryas climate change in the Midwest using lake sediments. Additionally, I am hoping to analyze modern oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in precipitation and surface waters. /4

My past research involved investigating Holocene/Younger Dryas climate using oxygen isotope measurements on materials in lake sediments, testing novel oxygen isotope proxies with potential seasonally specific applications, and using lake sediment geochemistry to reconstruct glacier movement. /3

I'm currently teaching classes on Physical Geography, Environmental Geology, and Environmental Science. I'm planning to develop courses on the Great Lakes and Midwest Climate Change. /2

Hi all! I'm a new Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater in the department of Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science. I recently earned my PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Northwestern University. /1