Internships and Research

Derby Wharf, one of four historic wharfs at Salem Maritime National Historic Site, has been identified as the most vulnerable asset to current environmental conditions as well as projected future conditions from climate change impacts, such as sea level rise, increased storm surge and more frequent tidal flooding.

During my YLCC internship this summer, I worked to document how climate change is affecting Navajo National Monument located on the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona. I documented the ongoing erosion and deposition occurring within Keet Seel canyon and reconstructed the 2011 Keet Seel Canyon flood. This was an extremely large event, and with climate change, we can expect to see these types of events becoming more frequent.

The winter of 2015 was representative of Washington climate-change scenarios with a 2° C increase in temperature. This provided an ideal opportunity to analyze glacier distribution, glacier melt, and the downstream contribution from Olympic glaciers impacted by climate change.

Climate scientists are investigating the potential of cold air pools—temperature inversions where cold, dense air concentrates in areas of high topographic variation—to maintain refugia that are buffered from climate change and enable the persistence of valued resources. Learn about 2017 FPL intern Sophia Chau's experience at Devils Postpile National Monument.