Dr. Audrey Dallimore joined the School of Environment and Sustainability in January, 2007 and teaches courses in the Earth Sciences and Sustainable Development. She maintains a research association with the Geological Survey of Canada-Pacific, at the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, B.C., where she has been involved in the past 6 years in oceanographic and climate research of the B.C. and western Arctic coasts as a marine geologist. She holds a Ph.D. (2001) and M.Sc. (1988) in Earth Sciences from Carleton University, and a B.Sc. Honors (1979) in Geological Sciences from Queen’s University.

Dr. Dallimore’s research is focused on understanding climate shifts such as the 5-7 year ENSO cycle and the longer (30–40 years) Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Both these oceanic phenomena have profound effects on precipitation, upwelling, wind fields and storm events as well as sea level in the Pacific coastal region. Preliminary research results show that the record-breaking rain and storm events of the past two years in the B.C. coastal region may be a sign that the Pacific is yet again changing its state (or regime).

Dr. Dallimore’s research is part of the field of paleooceanography, which investigates and attempts to reconstruct past conditions and processes of change as recorded in ocean sediments. Pacific climate exhibits considerable cyclical variability over the scales of decades to millennia. Reconstruction of this variability over many thousands of years from ocean sediments, and correlating it with an understanding of modern coastal ocean processes, helps scientists to forecast significant changes in precipitation, storm surges, ecosystems (fisheries) and extreme storm events in the Pacific region. This information is vital to planners and policy makers to minimize their future risk with respect to climate and environmental changes.

Participation in Research Networks

2005-present: MONA/IMAGES 2002 campaign of the Americas (International Marine Global Changes Program).

Acted as team sedimentologist and regional geologist for the interpretation of the sedimentary record contained in giant piston cores raised from Effingham Inlet and Barkley Sound, west coast Vancouver Island. This work involves a multi-disciplinary research team from Canadian government and universities. http://www.images-pages.org/HOME.html

2005- present: Polar Climate Stability Network. Research grant from the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Science (CFCAS).

Participation in a major five-year research grant to a multi-disciplinary Canadian research network in high latitude climate variability and secular change focused upon the problem
of climate change at high northern latitudes, the region of the Earth that we expect will be most strongly affected by greenhouse gas induced global warming. North Pacific marine research is an integral part of the interpretation of Arctic climate processes and climate change.

2001-2004: High-resolution Holocene paleoclimate and paleoceanographic record from anoxic basins along the British Columbia coast. Research grant from the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Science (CFCAS).

Participation in a multi-disciplinary research team for the study of the modern and pre-historic North Pacific Ocean climate from oceanographic monitoring transects and study of marine sediment cores spanning the past 10,000 years of Earth history.

1998-2000: Long-term Variability in Pelagic Fish Abundance and Oceanographic Conditions on the British Columbia Shelf: Implications for Fisheries Planning. Research grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Participation in a multi-disciplinary university and government research team for the study of changes in B.C. coastal oceanographic environments over the past 5,000 years and the resulting affects on, and responses of pelagic ecosystems and commercial fish stocks, utilizing oceanographic monitoring transects and marine sediment cores.

Selected publications:

Hay, M.B., Dallimore, A., Thomson, R.E., Pienitz, R. and S. Calvert. In press. Diatom record of late Holocene oceanography and climate along the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Quaternary Research.

Dallimore, A., Thomson, R.E. and Bertram, M.A., 2005. Modern to Late Holocene deposition in an anoxic fjord on the west coast of Canada: implications for regional oceanography, climate and paleoseismic history. Marine Geology 219, 47-69.

Wright, C, Dallimore, A., Thomson, R.E., Patterson, R.T. and Ware, D.M., 2005. Late Holocene paleofish populations in Effingham Inlet, British Columbia, Canada. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 224 , 367-384.

Dallimore, A., 2004. The characteristics of thecamoebians of Arctic thermokarst lakes, Richards Island, N.W.T. Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 34 (4) 249-257.

Patterson, R.T., Wright, C., Chang, A., Taylor, L.A., Lyons, P.D., Dallimore, A., Kumar, A., 2002. Atlas of common squamatological (fish scale) material in coastal British Columbia, and assessment of the utility of various scale types in paleofisheries reconstruction. Paleontologia Electronica, 4, 2.

Dallimore, A., 2001. Late Holocene geologic, oceanographic and climate history of an anoxic fjord: Effingham Inlet, west coast, Vancouver Island. PhD thesis, Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario.

Dallimore, A., Schroder-Adams, C.J. and Dallimore, S.R., 2000. Holocene environmental history of thermokarst lakes on Richards Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. Journal of Paleolimnology, 23(3) 261-283.

Web-based Publication

Wake, C.P., Dallimore, A., and Fisher, D.A., May, 2006. North Pacific Climate Workshop Final Report and Interactive Data Website. http://ess.nrcan.gc.ca/extranet/npw/index_e.php (user name: npw, password: npw123**)

Recent Conference Presentations and Invited Talks

Dallimore, A. Cycles and Modes of Pacific Ocean Circulation: how they affect the water cycle. Invited presentation to NRCan-sponsored climate change policy workshop “Adapting to Water Supply Issues in a Changing Climate: Earth Science Contributions.” Ottawa, February, 2007.

Dallimore, A. Environmental impacts of climate change and extreme storm events of the B.C. coast. Invited presentation to the Environmental Educators Conference, Royal Roads University, June, 2006.

Dallimore, A. Uncovering the Earth’s natural climate history from marine sediments and glacial ice: keys to our possible future. Invited presentation to the Air and Waste Management Association, Vancouver Island Chapter, March, 2006. www.pnwis.org/Ch_VI/Luncheon%20Notices/AWMA_March_2006_SPEAKER_
NOTICE.pdf

Dallimore, A., Enkin, R.J. and Southon, J.R. Post-glacial and paleo-environmental history of the west coast of Vancouver Island. Poster presentation to the AGU (American Geophysical Union) Annual General Meeting, San Francisco, December, 2005.

Dallimore, A. and Enkin, R.J. Post-glacial and paleo-environmental history of the west coast of Vancouver Island. Presentation to the CANQUA (Canadian Quaternary Association) Bi-Annual General Meeting, Winnipeg, May, 2005.

Dallimore, A., Thomson, R.E., Enkin, R.J., Kulikov, E.A., Bertram, M.A., Wright, C.A., Southon, J.R., Barrie, J.V., Baker, J., Pienitz, R., Chang, A.S. and Pedersen, T.F. A high-resolution record of Holocene climate variability from a western Canadian coastal inlet. Poster presentation to the AGU (American Geophysical Union) Annual General Meeting, San Francisco, December, 2004.

Dallimore, A., Thomson, R.E. and Barrie, J.V. Holocene geologic, oceanographic and climatic history interpreted from laminated sediments and modern oceanography in fjords along the Pacific coast of Canada. Presentation to the GSA (Geological Society of American) Annual Meeting, Seattle, November, 2004.

Popular Press Coverage of Current Research

Nicklen, P., 2006. Where Currents Collide: In wild tides surging through the straits of Vancouver Island off British Columbia, marine life grows up strong and beautiful. National Geographic, August, 2006 (210) No.2, pp. 120 – 135.