Sarah M. Giles
  • Postdoctoral Fellow

Biography

I am a research scientist working to better understand (1) how ancient environments formed/evolved; (2) carbonate rock geochemistry and it’s implications for ocean chemistry and fluid flow; (3) modern/ancient coastal geomorphology. My expertise include project design and management, data analysis and interpretation, and the development and implementation of research approaches/tools. I enjoy generating creative new ideas and evaluating them using specialized methods, as well as teaching foundational geoscience concepts to students. I seek to collaborate with other researchers to push new scientific boundaries as well as to mentor and encourage the next generation of geoscientists.

Educational Background

  • 2018-2024 Ph.D. Geology, Columbia University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
  • 2018-2021 M.Phil. Geology, Columbia University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
  • 2014-2018 B.S. Geology, Texas A&M University-College Station, Magna Cum Laude

Awards & Honors

  • 2023 GSA Stephen E. Laubach Structural Diagenesis Research Award - $2,500
  • 2022 SEPM Student Research Grant – Gerald M. Friedman Endowment - $1,250
  • 2021 AAPG Gordon I. Atwater Memorial Grant - $3,000

Selected Publications

  • Giles, S.M., Christie-Blick, N. and Lankford-Bravo, D.F., 2023. A subaerial origin for the mid-Ediacaran Johnnie valleys, California and Nevada: Implications for a diachronous onset of the Shuram excursion. Precambrian Research, 397, p.107187.

    Giles, S.M., Giles, K.A., Rowan, M.G., Maza, K., Christie Blick, N. and Lankford Bravo, D.F., 2024. Did mid Ediacaran regional sea level drawdown trigger extensive allochthonous salt breakout and the incision of kilometre deep palaeocanyons, Flinders Ranges, South Australia?. Terra Nova. P. 1-10. DOI: 10.1111/ter.12724

    Pesek, M.E., Perez, N.D., Meigs, A., Rowden, C.C. and Giles, S.M., 2020. Exhumation timing in the Oregon Cascade Range decoupled from deformation, magmatic, and climate patterns. Tectonics, 39(9), p.e2020TC006078.