Sinéad Lyster

I am a geoscientist working at the intersection between surface processes, sedimentology, and stratigraphy. I am interested in  how surface processes shape the sedimentary record and, in turn, how we can exploit the sedimentary record to understand landscape evolution. To do this, I work to bridge the gap between our understanding of the large-scale processes that shape landscapes and the local-scale mechanisms by which landscapes physically evolve. This research is crucial to understand how ancient and modern landscapes evolved on Earth and other planets. I tackle questions such as:

1. How did ancient rivers respond to climate change?

2. How did Paleozoic land plant evolution shape ancient river and delta landscapes?

3. How does the mobility of channels (i.e., migration, avulsion) impact river and delta deposits?

4. Can we reconstruct hydroclimate (i.e., precipitation rates/patterns) from river deposits?

5. How did ancient alluvial fans evolve in response to tectonic and climatic change?

Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at Penn State University in both the Coastal Landscape Dynamics group and the Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction and Surface Earth Dynamics group. Previously, I completed my PhD in the Surface Processes Group at Imperial College London, and my integrated Bachelors and Masters degree at University College London.