About the QRC
Johnson Hall houses the Quaternary
Research Center and the Department of Earth and
Space Sciences. Built in 1930, it is named for Orson B.
Johnson who joined the faculty in 1882 as a professor
of physiology, botany, zoology, biology, mineralogy,
geology, chemistry, and natural philosophy.
The “Quaternary”
refers to the
last 2½ million years of Earth
history, corresponding
to
the great ice ages
and intervening interglacial periods.
Knowledge of Quaternary environmental changes
facilitates an understanding of earth history in relation to the modern
environment and future change. This linking of the past, present, and
future is
fundamental to the interdisciplinary mission of the Quaternary Research
Center.
The
Quaternary Research Center is the original interdisciplinary center at
the
University of Washington. It has
remained vibrant by evolving over the last 30 years from a
department-like
structure to an entrepreneurial organization that makes strategic
investments to foster and promote interdisciplinary research within and
across core
departments.
The
QRC has an active group of adjunct faculty from the departments of
Anthropology,
Atmospheric Sciences, Biology, Forest Resources, Earth & Space
Sciences,
Oceanography, and Civil and Environmental Engineering.
As a result, there is a broad spectrum of
interdisciplinary, mutually supportive opportunities for learning and
research.
Areas
of excellence in the QRC include process geomorphology, glaciology,
paleoceanography, neotectonics, human dimensions of climate and
environmental
change, climate dynamics, cosmogenic isotope and stable isotope
geochemistry,
and permafrost. We do not limit
ourselves to the Quaternary sensu strictu
and our work also includes the study the Martian surface,
pre-Quaternary
climate changes such as the Eocene.
QRC
research is both basic and applied. We
provide a scientific perspective on the magnitude of human-induced
environmental change, including climatic change, in the context of
recent earth
history. We also apply those results to
modern environmental problems and natural hazards, helping to guide and
understand the consequences of policy decisions.
Geographical Setting
Located
in the Pacific Northwest, the University of Washington is in a
strategic
position to participate in both terrestrial and marine aspects of
Quaternary
research. Our proximity to ocean, lakes, rivers, mountains, lowlands,
rain
forests, alpine tundra, and the arid Columbia Plateau attracts faculty
and
students with research interests spanning a wide range of subjects and
environments. Our diverse topography and climates provide an ideal
research
setting, with glaciers, volcanoes, Quaternary sediments and landforms,
and
biogenic deposits all within driving distance from campus.
Spring Workshop
The
QRC
Spring
Workshop brings national and
international experts to the UW for
an intensive 2-3 day mini-conference on a different theme each year.
Past
workshop topics have included:
•
Glaciation,
Climate Variability, and Climate Dynamics in the Tropics: An
Interdisciplinary
Workshop in honor of Stephen
C.
Porter
•
Environmental
Change and Natural Hazards in the Northwest: Lessons from the Past
•
Tsunami
Deposits
•
Large
Earthquakes and Active Faults in the Puget Sound Region
•
Physical
and Biological Responses to the Younger Dryas Climatic Oscillation in
the
Circum-Pacific Region
•
Surface-Exposure
Dating of Quaternary Landforms: Promise and Limitations
The
QRC
Spring
2010 Workshop (April 15th
– 17th) will be on
the novel technique and applications of Clumped Isotope geochemistry.
Graduate Program
The academic program associated with the QRC is coordinated with affiliated graduate departments. Students interested in doing research in a Quaternary-related subject at the Center should apply through the traditional department of their choice.
Contact Information
Quaternary Research Center
University of Washington
Johnson Hall,
Room 377A
Box 351310
Seattle, WA 98195-1310
206.543.1166
Resource Center
QRC Special
Collections
Website Curator
Laura Gilson
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