WNY becomes living lab for students studying climate hazards

Scouring maps of Lake Erie’s ice cover to explain heavy snowfalls. Sifting sediment from a Southern Tier pond for clues about ancient climates. Trekking to Sturgeon Point to study shoreline erosion.

This summer, Western New York became the lens through which undergraduates from UB and universities nationwide investigated climate hazards and extreme weather. Over 10 weeks, 15 students worked with UB researchers on projects tackling the complex challenges of global climate change, including those facing the Great Lakes region.

“I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of the students’ research, especially considering they had just 10 weeks to explore their topics. It’s a testament to both their abilities and the exceptional mentoring they received from their advisers,” says Sophie Nowicki, Empire Innovation Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences and director of the Center for Geological and Climate Hazards, which hosted the program.

The program was supported by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REU) and the SUNY Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund. NSF funding will support the program for an additional two years.

A lack of ice coverage on Lake Erie is known to bolster snowstorms, including Buffalo’s 2022 blizzard, so Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student Camryn Nelson dug into the specifics, including location and thickness of the ice, as well as its progression throughout the snow event.

Another project revolved around sediment from Red Pond, a kettle lake in the hamlet of Steamburg formed by retreating glaciers. UB environmental geosciences major Grace Maxson characterized the sediment from before and after the Younger Dryas, a sudden cooling period about 12,000 years ago. Such work could provide insights about the effects of modern climate change. 

Meanwhile, Baylor University student Emily DeMieri digitized topographic maps from the last century into geographic information system software to find rates of shoreline erosion. She even conducted a small-scale study at Sturgeon Point in the Town of Evans, finding that the marina’s blocky shale cliffs had more evidence of erosion than its sloping glacial till. 

Nine of the participating students who came from universities throughout the U.S. were supported by NSF REU grant, while the SUNY Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund supported an additional five students from within the SUNY system. The UB Department of Geography also supported an additional student.

“It was particularly great to see local students share their knowledge of Buffalo and Western New York with non-local students to come up with crucial insights on how climate change will affect our region,” Nowicki says.

While his particular project wasn’t focused on Western New York, UB student Ben Raimondo saw the impact his work could have on the local community.

The material science and engineering major contributed to the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project (ISMIP), an international effort co-chaired by Nowicki to predict ice sheet loss and sea level rise. Specifically, he worked on identifying where different models disagree in their predictions for the Greenland Ice Sheet, and what factors drive those disagreements.

“Global climate processes are interconnected. Sea level rise will affect coastal communities everywhere, including right here in New York State,” Raimondo says. “While the data wasn’t local, the implications certainly can be.”

University at Albany student Sage Keidel used social media to track dust storms across the globe. Compiling geotagged data and images from online, she created a map of such dust events and determined if there was any spatial pattern. She even tested AI’s ability to decipher if the images were truly dust storms.

“I think being able to approach research in a new way was extremely valuable and taught me so many skills, like communication, data acquisition and management, and problem-solving,” says Keidel, who is studying atmospheric science. “I also really enjoyed collaborating with the other students when I faced a challenge and building not only professional relationships, but lifelong friendships.”

Students also received training on how to present their research and were encouraged to attend a scientific conference to do so. The program has some funding set aside to support students in attending a conference.

Raimondo submitted his work to the 2025 American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting to be held in New Orleans later this year. 

“I’m excited to present my project and learn about other research being done in related fields,” he says.