Department of Earth and Environmental Science

Douglas J Jerolmack

Assistant Professor
Department of Earth and Environmental Science
University of Pennsylvania
240 S. 33rd Street
Hayden Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6316

Tel.: (+1) 215-746-2823
Fax: (+1) 215-898-0964
E-mail: sediment@sas.upenn.edu

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts Ph. D., Geophysics, 2006. Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences.

Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania B.S., Environmental Engineering, 2001. School of Environmental Science, Engineering and Policy. 

Additional Experience

Research Interests

My research focuses on the spatial and temporal evolution of patterns that emerge at the interface of fluid and sediment on Earth and planetary surfaces. Scales of interest range from ripples and dunes evolving over minutes in sandy rivers, to the preserved record of millions of years of coastal evolution on the continental shelf. I iterate between mathematical modeling, laboratory experiments and field observations in order to elucidate the minimum number of ingredients that are required to explain physical phenomena. While my interests are wide ranging, they share a common theme: to understand the internally-generated dynamics of sedimentary systems, to characterize the response of these complex systems to changes in boundary conditions such as climate, and to develop methods for accurately separating the two signals.

Relevant Links:

	Applied Math and Computational Science (AMCS) at Penn. The Graduate Group in AMCS is composed of faculty and students drawn from a wide range of Schools at the University of Pennsylvania. The AMCS provides a forum for researchers from fields that involve mathematics in a significant way to meet and discuss problems of common interest. This interdepartmental, interschool graduate group offers doctoral and masters degrees in Applied Math and Computational Science. Fellowships are available for outstanding students interested in interdisciplinary graduate work in applied mathematics.
	The National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED), an NSF Science and Technology Center established in 2002, is a partnership of research and educational institutions, government agencies, and industry that pursues its goal of predictive Earth-surface science by integrating physical, biological, and social sciences to understand how landscapes and ecosystems evolve together. Headquartered at University of Minnesota.
	The Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS) deals with the Earth's surface - the ever-changing, dynamic interface between lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and atmosphere. We are a diverse community of experts promoting the modeling of earth surface processes by developing, supporting, and disseminating integrated software modules that predict the movement of fluids, and the flux (production, erosion, transport, and deposition) of sediment and solutes in landscapes and their sedimentary basins. Headquarters are at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
	Hydrologic Synthesis is an NSF-funded project headquartered at the University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign. The aim of this project is to conduct a range of synthesis activities that will produce transformational outcomes in the critical research area of “improving predictability of water cycle dynamics in a changing environment,” which will serve as an effective model of synthesis within the hydrological community.