Lindsay McTague ('26) is a geology major with an art and art history minor from Juneau, Alaska. One of her primary areas of interest is how climate dynamics impact geology over time and what that can tell us about mitigating future climate change. This focus on climate and response is influenced by her time in Alaska, as she has seen change happening firsthand. When she is not studying geology (or art and art history), she is likely to be found rowing on the St. Lawrence River with the women’s crew team or out on the trails around campus.
This summer (2024) she took part in a summer dendrochronology research project, exploring how trees in the sub-arctic climate zone of Alaska are responding to temperatures due to the impacts of climate change and polar amplification. While researching, she used data from Dr. Stewart's Silvertip chronology in Kenai Peninsula, Alaska and ran statistical programs to find correlations to climactic factors. She found linkages to pre-season warming temperatures creating a longer and more rapid growth season for the spruce trees. Future implications of this data show that boreal forests are expanding their capacity as carbon sinks, but need to be monitored due to the uncertainty of anthropogenic climate change.
