Professor Eelco J. Rohling
Areas of expertise
- Geology 0403
- Oceanography 0405
- Marine Geoscience 040305
Research interests
- High-resolution study of ocean/climate changes during the Neogene – in particular the last 1 Million years – to determine the nature, timing, magnitude, and rates of natural climate variability
- Theoretical and applied (integrated with proxy records) modelling of present-day and past states of circulation and property distribution
- Theoretical and practical/analytical research on the use of conservative properties and d18O to trace deep-water formation, advection and mixing processes in the modern ocean.
- Assessment of changes in deep-sea ventilation states and nutrient distribution mechanisms, the interactions with the organic and inorganic carbon cycle, and the impact of ecological responses on proxy records.
- Integration of palaeoclimate research with archaeological records.
Biography
EELCO J. ROHLING
is Professor of Ocean and Climate Change at the Australian National University. He is secondarily affiliated with the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. His research focuses on ocean and climate change, in particular sea level, climate sensitivity, and past episodes of enhanced carbon burial in ocean sediments. Rohling earned his PhD from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands in 1991, and his post-doctoral research was split between Utrecht and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the United States. He is former joint chief editor of Paleoceanography, current editor of Reviews of Geophysics, and founding chief editor of Oxford Open Climate Change. He is a Fellow of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science and of the American Geophysical Union. A Web of Science 2019 “Highly Cited Researcher,” Rohling is also a former recipient of a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award and an Australian Laureate Fellowship.
Publications
- Yu, J, Menviel, L, Jin, Z et al. 2020, 'Last glacial atmospheric CO2 decline due to widespread Pacific deep-water expansion', Nature Geoscience, vol. 13, no. 9, pp. 628-633.
- Ao, H, Dupont-Nivet, G, Rohling, EJ, Zhang, P, Ladant, JB, Roberts, AP, Licht, A, Liu, QS, Liu, ZH, Dekkers, MJ, Coxall, HK, Jin, ZD, Huang, CJ, Xiao, GQ, Poulsen, CJ, Barbolini, N, Meijer, N, Sun, Q, Qiang, XK & An, ZS 2020, 'Orbital climate variability on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau across the Eocene-Oligocene transition', Nature Communications, vol. 11, 5249, doi:10.1038/s41467-020-18824-8.
- Ao, H, Rohling, EJ, Stringer, C, Roberts, AP, Dekkers, MJ, Dupont-Nivet, G, Yu, J, Liu, QS, Zhang, P, Liu, ZH, Ma, XL, Zhou, WJ, Jin, ZD, Xiao, GQ, Wang, H, Sun, Q, Yang, PG, Peng, XZ, Shi, ZG, Qiang, XK & An, ZS 2020, 'Two-stage mid-Brunhes climate transition and mid-Pleistocene human diversification', Earth-Science Reviews, vol. 210, 103354.
- Rohling, EJ, Hibbert, FD, Grant, KM, Galaasen, EV, Irvali, N, Kleiven, HF, Marino, G, Ninneman, U, Roberts, AP, Rosenthal, Y, Schultz, H, Williams, FH & Yu, J 2019, 'Asynchronous Antarctic and Greenland ice-volume contributions to the last interglacial sea-level highstand', Nature Communications, vol. 10, 5040.
- Yu, J, Menviel, L, Jin, ZD, Thornalley, DJR, Foster, GL, Rohling, EJ, McCave, IN, McManus, JF, Dai, Y, Ren, H, He, F, Zhang, F, Chen, PJ & Roberts, AP 2019, 'More efficient North Atlantic carbon pump during the Last Glacial Maximum', Nature Communications, vol. 10, 2170.
- Hibbert, F, Williams, F, Fallon, S et al 2018, 'A database of biological and geomorphological sea-level markers from the Last Glacial Maximum to present', Scientific Data, vol. 5, no. 180088, pp. 1-25pp.
- Brent, K, McGee, J, McDonald, J et al 2018, 'International law poses problems for negative emissions research', Nature Climate Change, vol. 8, no. 6, pp. 451-453.
- Goodwin, P, Katavouta, A, Roussenov, V et al 2018, 'Pathways to 1.5 °C and 2 °C warming based on observational and geological constraints', Nature Geoscience, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 102-107.
- Grant, K, Rohling, E, Westerhold, T et al 2017, 'A 3 million year index for North African humidity/aridity and the implication of potential pan-African Humid periods', Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 171, no. Sep/17, pp. 100-118pp.
- Hansen, J, Sato, M, Kharecha, P et al 2017, 'Young people's burden: Requirement of negative CO2 emissions', Earth System Dynamics, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 577-616.
- Chalk, T, Hain, M, Foster, G et al 2017, 'Causes of ice age intensification across the Mid-Pleistocene Transition', PNAS - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 114, no. 50, pp. 13114-13119.
- Rodriguez Sanz, L, Bernasconi, S, Marino, G et al 2017, 'Penultimate deglacial warming across the Mediterranean Sea revealed by clumped isotopes in foraminifera', Scientific Reports, vol. 7, pp. 1-11pp.
- Goodwin, P, Haigh, I, Rohling, E et al 2017, 'A new approach to projecting 21st century sea-level changes and extremes', Earth's Future, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 240-253pp.
- Rohling, EJ, Hibbert, FD, Williams, FH, Grant, KM, Marino, G, Foster, GL, Hennekam, R, de Lange, GJ, Roberts, AP, Yu, J, Webster JM & Yokoyama Y 2017, 'Differences between the last two glacial maxima and implications for ice-sheet, d18O, and sea-level reconstructions', Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 176, pp. 1-28.
- Yu, J, Menviel, L, Jin, Z et al 2016, 'Sequestration of carbon in the deep Atlantic during the last glaciation', Nature Geoscience, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 319-324.
- Grant, K, Grimm, R, mikolajewicz, U et al 2016, 'The timing of Mediterranean sapropel deposition relative to insolation, sea-level and African monsoon changes', Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 140, pp. 125-141.
- Gernon, T, Hincks, T, Tyrrell, T et al 2016, 'Snowball Earth ocean chemistry driven by extensive ridge volcanism during Rodinia breakup', Nature Geoscience, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 242-U83.
- Hibbert, F, Rohling, E, Dutton, A et al 2016, 'Coral indicators of past sea-level change: A global repository of U-series dated benchmarks', Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 145, pp. 1-56.
- Rohling, E, Marino, G & Grant, K 2015, 'Mediterranean climate and oceanography, and the periodic development of anoxic events (sapropels)', Earth-Science Reviews, vol. 143, pp. 62-97.
- Martinez-Boti, M, Foster, G, Chalk, T et al. 2015, 'Plio-Pleistocene climate sensitivity evaluated using high-resolution CO2 records', Nature, vol. 518, no. 7537, pp. 49-54.
- Bosmans, J, Drijfhout, S, Tuenter, E et al 2015, 'Precession and obliquity forcing of the freshwater budget over the Mediterranean', Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 123, pp. 16-30.
- Marino, G, Rohling, EJ, Grant, KM, Heslop, D, Roberts AP, Stanford, JD & Yu, J 2015, 'Bipolar seesaw control on last interglacial sea level', Nature, vol. 522, no. 7555, pp. 197-201.
- Haigh, I, Wahl, T, Rohling, E et al. 2014, 'Timescales for detecting a significant acceleration in sea level rise', Nature Communications, vol. 5, pp. 3635-3635.
- Grant, KM, Rohling, EJ, Bronk Ramsey, C, Cheng, H, Edwards, RL, Florindo, F, Heslop, D, Marra, F, Roberts, AP, Tamisiea, ME & Williams, F 2014, 'Sea-level variability over five glacial cycles', Nature Communications, vol. 5, 5076, doi:10.1038/ncomms6076.
- Rohling, EJ, Foster, GL, Grant, KM, Marino, G, Roberts AP, Tamisiea, M & Williams, F 2014, 'Sea-level and deep-sea-temperature variability over the past 5.3 million years', Nature, vol. 508, no. 7497, pp. 477-482.
- Foster, G & Rohling, E 2013, 'Relationship between sea level and climate forcing by CO2 on geological timescales', PNAS - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 110, no. 4, pp. 1209-1214.
- Hansen, J, Kharecha, P, Sato, M et al 2013, 'Assessing "dangerous climate change": Required reduction of carbon emissions to protect young people, future generations and nature', PLOS ONE (Public Library of Science), vol. 8, no. 12, pp. e81648-e81648.
- Larrasoaña, JC, Roberts, AP & Rohling, EJ 2013, 'Dynamics of Green Sahara periods and their role in hominin evolution', PLoS One, vol. 8, no. 10, e76514, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0076514.
- Rohling, EJ, Haigh, ID, Foster, GL, Roberts AP & Grant, KM 2013, 'A geological perspective on potential future sea-level rise', Scientific Reports, vol. 3, 3461, doi:10.1038/srep03461.
- Rohling, E, Slujis, A, Dijkstra, H et al. 2012, 'Making sense of palaeoclimate sensitivity', Nature, vol. 491, no. 7426, pp. 683-691.
- Palike, H, Lyle, M, Nishi, H et al. 2012, 'A Cenozoic record of the equatorial Pacific carbonate compensation depth', Nature, vol. 488, no. 7413, pp. 609-614.
- Medina-Elizalde, M & Rohling, E 2012, 'Collapse of classic maya civilization related to modest reduction in precipitation', Science, vol. 335, no. 6071, pp. 956-959.
- Rohling, E, Medina-Elizalde, M, Shepherd, J et al 2012, 'Sea surface and high-latitude temperature sensitivity to radiative forcing of climate over several glacial cycles', Journal of Climate, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 1635-1656.
- Rogerson, M, Rohling, E, Bigg, G et al 2012, 'Paleoceanography of the Atlantic-Mediterranean exchange: Overview and first quantitative assessment of climatic forcing', Reviews of Geophysics, vol. 50, no. 2.
- Grant, K, Rohling, E, Bar-Matthews, M et al. 2012, 'Rapid coupling between ice volume and polar temperature over the past 150,000 years', Nature, vol. 491, no. 7426, pp. 744-747.
- Grant, KM, Rohling, EJ, Bar-Matthews, M, Ayalon, A, Medina-Elizalde, M, Bronk Ramsay, C, Satow, C & Roberts AP 2012, 'Rapid coupling between ice volume and polar temperature over the past 150,000 years', Nature, vol. 491, pp. 744-747.
- Lowe, J, Barton, N, Blockley, S et al. 2012, 'Volcanic ash layers illuminate the resilience of Neanderthals and early modern humans to natural hazards', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 109, 13532-13537.
- Stanford, J, Hemingway, R, Rohling, E et al 2011, 'Sea-level probability for the last deglaciation: A statistical analysis of far-field records', Global and Planetary Change, vol. 79, no. 3-4, pp. 193-203.
- Westbrook, G, Thatcher, K, Rohling, E et al 2009, 'Escape of methane gas from the seabed along the West Spitsbergen continental margin', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 36, no. 15, pp. 1-5.
- Waelbroeck, C, Paul, A, Kucera, M et al 2009, 'Constraints on the magnitude and patterns of ocean cooling at the Last Glacial Maximum', Nature Geoscience, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 127-132.
- Weninger, B, Clare, L, Rohling, E et al 2009, 'The Impact of Rapid Climate Change on prehistoric societies during the Holocene in the Eastern Mediterranean', Documenta Praehistorica, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 7-59.
- Rohling, EJ, Grant, K, Bolshaw, M, Roberts, AP et al. 2009, 'Antarctic temperature and global sea level closely coupled over the past five glacial cycles', Nature Geoscience, vol. 2, pp. 500-504.
- Rohling, E, Grant, K, Hemleben, C et al 2008, 'High rates of sea-level rise during the last interglacial period', Nature Geoscience, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 38-42.
- Siddall, M, Rohling, E, Thompson, W et al 2008, 'Marine isotope stage 3 sea level fluctuations: Data synthesis and new outlook', Reviews of Geophysics, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. RG4003.
- Kuhlemann, J, Rohling, E, Krumrei, I et al 2008, Regional synthesis of Mediterranean atmospheric circulation during the Last Glacial Maximum.
- Osborne, A, Vance, D, Rohling, E et al 2008, 'A humid corridor across the Sahara for the migration of early modern humans out of Africa 120,000 years ago', PNAS - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 105, no. 43, pp. 16444-16447.
- Larrasoana, JC, Roberts, AP, Rohling, EJ et al. 2003, 'Three million years of monsoon variability over the northern Sahara', Climate Dynamics, vol. 21, 689-698.
Projects and Grants
Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.
- Understanding total long-term sea-level consequences (Primary Investigator)
- Australian Mountain Environmental Research Infrastructure Facility (Secondary Investigator)
- Survey of NETs and their relevance to climate change mitigation policies in Australia (Primary Investigator)
- African Humid Periods through the Pliocene (Secondary Investigator)
- Paleo-temperature reconstructions in the Mediterranean Sea across TII using planktic foraminifera (Secondary Investigator)
- Carbonate chemistry and temperature variability in the deep Indian Ocean (Secondary Investigator)
- Australian Membership of the International Ocean Discovery Program (Secondary Investigator)
- Sea Level Change and Climate Sensitivity (Primary Investigator)
