Background
Alena Kimbrough is an early career researcher who studies the response of large interhemispheric hydrological systems to extreme warm periods and glacial-interglacial climate. Using stalagmites from the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool, she reconstructs high-resolution rainfall and local vegetation records. Alena’s field sites in Indonesia, are at the intersection of major atmospheric convection systems, including the ITCZ and the Indian and Pacific Walker Circulations. These systems transport heat and energy from the tropics to higher latitudes. The longevity of the stalagmite records and the ability to obtain precise ages make them powerful tools to understand links and feedbacks between Antarctica and the tropics, contributing to an equator-to-pole understanding of past climate dynamics.