Jeff Munroe
Philip B. and Sarah F. Cowles Stewart Professor of Earth and Climate Sciences
- Office
- McCardell Bicen Hall 414
- Tel
- (802) 443-3446
- jmunroe@middlebury.edu
- Office Hours
- by appointment
Jeff Munroe was raised in Massachusetts and received an undergraduate degree in geology from Bowdoin College. For his M.S. research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison he studied the development of permafrost-affected soils on the north slope of Alaska. In 1996 he began a research collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service in northern Utah that continues to this day. Part of this work formed the basis of his Ph.D. dissertation, also at the UW-Madison, studying the glacial and post-glacial history of the Uinta Mountains. Since coming to Middlebury in 2001 he has continued his work in Utah and has developed additional research studying environmental change in northeastern Nevada, glacier retreat in Glacier National Park, and the evolution of lake environments and mountain soils in northern Vermont.
He teaches courses on geomorphology, Quaternary geology, environmental geology, paleolimnology, and Arctic and Alpine Environments. When not in the lab or doing fieldwork, he enjoys hiking and nordic skiing.
Courses Taught
ECSC 0112
Upcoming
Environmental Geology
Course Description
Environmental Geology
Geological processes form the physical framework on which ecosystems operate. We require an understanding of the geological environment in order to minimize disruption of natural systems by human development and to avoid hazards such as floods and landslides. This course is an overview of basic tectonic, volcanic, and landscape-forming processes and systems, including earthquakes, rivers, soils, and groundwater. Environmental effects of energy, mineral, and water resource use, and waste disposal are also examined. Weekly field labs after spring break. Registration priority for first and second-year students. 3 hrs. lect./disc., 3 hrs. lab/field trips (formerly GEOL 0112)
Terms Taught
Requirements
ECSC 0350
The Mountain Critical Zone
Course Description
Past, Present, and Future of the Mountain Critical Zone
The Critical Zone is the name given to the thin slice of the Earth from the treetops to the base of the soil where geology, biology, hydrology and climate all come together. This course will focus on topics germane to the Critical Zone in mountain environments including glaciers and permafrost, cold-climate weathering and landforms, ecosystem adaptations to cold environments, snow and snowpack hydrogeology, responses to contemporary climate change and projections for the future. The goal is to provide a strong scientific grounding through which contemporary issues involving mountain regions can be understood. Laboratory exercises will include analysis of datasets from mountain environments. (any 0100-level ECSC course, or by waiver) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab (formerly GEOL 0350)
Terms Taught
Requirements
ECSC 0352
Upcoming
Quaternary Geology
Course Description
Glacial and Quaternary Geology
In this course we will examine the causes and effects of glaciation along with the characteristics that make the Quaternary Period unique in geologic time. Topics will include glaciology, glacial erosion and deposition, glacier reconstruction, and techniques for interpreting and dating the Quaternary stratigraphic and paleoclimatic record from diverse terrestrial, lacustrine, and marine archives. Consideration also will be given to how severe climatic fluctuations impacted nonglacial environments. An overnight weekend field trip at the end of the semester will introduce students firsthand to alpine glacial landforms. (Any 0100-level geology or geography course, or by waiver) (formerly GEOL 0352) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab
Terms Taught
Requirements
ECSC 0500
Current
Upcoming
Readings & Research
Course Description
Readings and Research
Individual or group independent study, laboratory or field research projects, readings and discussion of timely topics in earth and environmental science. (Approval only) (formerly GEOL 0500)
Terms Taught
ECSC 0700
Current
Upcoming
Senior Thesis Research
Course Description
Senior Thesis Research
Upon completion of ECSC 0400, all senior ECSC/GEOL majors will continue their independent senior thesis research by taking one unit of ECSC 0700. This research will culminate in a written thesis which must be orally defended. (Approval only) (formerly GEOL 0700)
Terms Taught
ECSC 0701
Current
Upcoming
Senior Thesis Research
Course Description
Senior Thesis Research
Optional second semester or Senior Work for students undertaking a full-year thesis project. (Approval only)
Terms Taught
FYSE 1306
Mountains of the Northeast
Course Description
Mountains of the Northeast
The mountains of the northeastern U.S. are an integral part of the cultural and natural history of this region. In this seminar we will consider topics germane to northeastern mountains including the geologic origin of the northern Appalachians, characteristics of mountain environments, changing perceptions of northeastern mountains over time, mountains as resources for modern society, and challenges facing these environments today and in the future. Readings and discussion will be combined with field excursions to enhance our understanding of mountains from a variety of perspectives. 3 hrs sem.
Terms Taught
Requirements
GEOL 0112
Environmental Geology
Course Description
Environmental Geology
Geological processes form the physical framework on which ecosystems operate. We require an understanding of the geological environment in order to minimize disruption of natural systems by human development and to avoid hazards such as floods and landslides. This course is an overview of basic tectonic, volcanic, and landscape-forming processes and systems, including earthquakes, rivers, soils, and groundwater. Environmental effects of energy, mineral, and water resource use, and waste disposal are also examined. Weekly field labs after spring break. Registration priority for first and second-year students. 3 hrs. lect./disc., 3 hrs. lab/field trips
Terms Taught
Requirements
GEOL 0350
Artic and Alpine Environments
Course Description
Past, Present, and Future of the Mountain Critical Zone
The Critical Zone is the name given to the thin slice of the Earth from the treetops to the base of the soil where geology, biology, hydrology and climate all come together. This course will focus on topics germane to the Critical Zone in mountain environments including glaciers and permafrost, cold-climate weathering and landforms, ecosystem adaptations to cold environments, snow and snowpack hydrogeology, responses to contemporary climate change and projections for the future. The goal is to provide a strong scientific grounding through which contemporary issues involving mountain regions can be understood. Laboratory exercises will include analysis of datasets from mountain environments. (Formerly GEOL 0250) (any 0100-level GEOL or GEOG course, or by waiver) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab
Terms Taught
Requirements
GEOL 0500
Readings And Research
Course Description
Readings and Research
Individual or group independent study, laboratory or field research projects, readings and discussion of timely topics in earth and environmental science. (Approval only)
Terms Taught
GEOL 0700
Senior Thesis Research
Course Description
Upon completion of GEOL 0400, all senior geology majors will continue their independent senior thesis research by taking one unit of GEOL 0700. This research will culminate in a written thesis which must be orally defended. (Approval only)
Terms Taught
INDE 0800
Upcoming
Ind Schol Sr Work/Proj/Thesis
Course Description
Terms Taught
INTD 1222
Karst and Cave Geology
Course Description
Karst and Cave Geology
This course will provide an overview of the diverse aspects of a peculiar landscape known as “karst”, from surface geomorphology to caves as past environmental archives. Through in-class discussions and exercises, students will learn about karst hydrology and the challenges of using karst aquifers for drinking water supply. Students will understand the main processes of cave development, and how cave formations like stalagmites are created and can be used to generate paleoclimate records. A week-long fieldtrip to Mammoth Cave National Park will allow students to study the characteristic morphological features of both surface and subsurface karst. Students will discuss related topics such as landscape evolution, environmental pollution and cave archaeology with local experts. They will also gain experience in fieldwork such as karst spring monitoring or microclimate and sediment studies of caves and upon return to Middlebury College they will conduct labwork to analyse the different types of samples collected during fieldwork. Finally, they will interpret the results in small groups. (Any lab-based 100-level Geology course or permission from the Chair) (Approval Only) .
Terms Taught
Requirements
Publications
- Munroe, J.S., Brencher, Q.*: Holocene carbon burial in lakes of the Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA. Quaternary, 2(1), 13, https://doi.org/10.3390/quat2010013.
- Munroe, J.S., 2018: Hydrogeomorphic controls on Holocene lacustrine loss-on-ignition records. Journal of Paleolimnology, 61; 53-68.
- Munroe, J.S., 2018: Monitoring snowbank processes and cornice fall avalanches with time-lapse photography. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 154: 32-41.
- Munroe, J.S., 2018: Distribution, evidence for internal ice, and possible hydrologic significance of rock glaciers in the Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA. Quaternary Research, 90: 50-65.
- Munroe, J.S., Bigl, M.F.*, Silverman, A.E.*, and Laabs, B.J.C., 2018, Records of late Quaternary environmental change from high-elevation lakes in the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range, Nevada, in Starratt, S.W., and Rosen, M.R., eds., From Saline to Freshwater: The Diversity of Western Lakes in Space and Time: Geological Society of America Special Paper 536, p. 33–51.
- Munroe, J.S., O’Keefe, S.S.*, and Gorin, A.L.*, 2018: Chronology, stable isotopes, and glaciochemistry of perennial ice in Strickler Cavern, Idaho, USA. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 130: 175-192.
*student co-author