Sebastian G. MutzUniversity of Glasgow | UofG · School of Geographical & Earth Sciences
Sebastian G. Mutz
Dr. rer. nat. habil.
About
50
Publications
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Introduction
My research interests are centred around climate dynamics and climate - Earth surface interactions in the past (late Cenozoic), present and near future. I primarily employ process-based and empirical models to better quantify and understand these interactions, and to refine reconstructions and predictions of climate change impacts at or near the Earth's surface.
Additional affiliations
April 2016 - March 2023
January 2012 - March 2016
November 2008 - December 2011
Education
November 2008 - December 2011
October 2004 - June 2008
Publications
Publications (50)
Previous studies found depletion of precipitation 18O (18Op) during the late or post Asian monsoon season when precipitation amount is much lower. This is inconsistent with the amount effect of precipitation isotopes commonly found in tropical regions. It is still unclear whether this late/post season abnormal 18Op depletion also occurs in other mo...
This study presents an overview of the Late Cenozoic evolution of the West African Monsoon (WAM), and the associated changes in atmospheric dynamics and oxygen isotopic composition of precipitation (δ¹⁸Op). This evolution is established by using the high‐resolution isotope‐enabled GCM ECHAM5‐wiso to simulate the climatic responses to paleoenvironme...
This study presents an overview of the Late Cenozoic evolution of the West African Monsoon (WAM), and the associated changes in atmospheric dynamics and oxygen isotopic composition of precipitation (δ18Op). This evolution is established by using the high-resolution isotope-enabled GCM ECHAM5-wiso to simulate the climatic responses to paleoenvironme...
This study presents the simulated response of regional climate and the oxygen isotopic composition of precipitation (δ18Op) to different along-strike topographic evolution scenarios. These simulations are conducted to determine if the previously hypothesized diachronous surface uplift in the Western and Eastern Alps would produce δ18Op signals in t...
The nature and severity of climate change impacts vary significantly from region to region. Consequently, high-resolution climate information is needed for meaningful impact assessments and the design of mitigation strategies. This demand has led to an increase in the application of empirical-statistical downscaling (ESD) models to general circulat...
The nature and severity of climate change impacts vary significantly from region to region. Consequently, high-resolution climate information is needed for meaningful impact assessments and the design of mitigation strategies. This demand has led to an increase in the coupling of Empirical Statistical Downscaling (ESD) models to General Circulation...
The nature and severity of climate change impacts varies significantly from region to region. Consequently, high-resolution climate information is needed for meaningful impact assessments and the design of mitigation strategies. This demand has lead to an increase in the coupling of Empirical Statistical Downscaling (ESD) models to General Circulat...
Stable isotope ratios of oxygen (δ 18 O p) and hydrogen (δD p) record information about the hydrological cycle. These signals are preserved in natural archives, such as speleothems, stalagmites, ice cores, and pedogenic carbonates. Recent studies have used these proxy records of water isotopologues to reconstruct the evolution of paleoclimates, pal...
The northern South American landscape evolved in response to complex interactions between geo-dynamic processes, climate, and sea-level oscillations, culminating in formation of the Amazon River. Although the history of this drainage basin was investigated in previous studies, the controlling factors on its depositional environment before Amazon Ri...
The Andes' elevation of~4 km and great meridional extent of~50°S to 10°N greatly influences the spatial climate patterns across the South American continent. Apart from latitude and altitude, quasi-stable pressure systems modify the climate of the region. The Bolivian high, an upper-level anticyclonic circulation over the central part of the contin...
The European Alps are hypothesized to have experienced diachronous surface uplift in response to post-collisional processes such as, e.g., slab break-off. Therefore, understanding the geodynamic and geomorphic evolution of the Alps requires 15 knowledge of its surface uplift history. This study presents the simulated response of regional climate an...
The long‐term extent of the Earth system response to anthropogenic interference remains uncertain. However, the geologic record offers insights into this problem as Earth has previously cycled between warm and cold intervals during the Phanerozoic. We present an updated compilation of surface temperature proxies for several key time intervals to re...
The Middle Miocene (15.99–11.65 Ma) of Europe witnessed major climatic, environmental, and vegetational change, yet we are lacking detailed reconstructions of Middle Miocene temperature and precipitation patterns over Europe. Here, we use a high-resolution (∼0.75°) isotope-enabled general circulation model (ECHAM5-wiso) with time-specific boundary...
Frost cracking is a dominant mechanical weathering phenomenon facilitating the breakdown of bedrock in periglacial regions. Despite recent advances in understanding frost cracking processes, few studies have addressed how global climate change over the late Cenozoic may have impacted spatial variations in frost cracking intensity. In this study, we...
his dataset includes the first order (global) distribution of frost cracking intensities (FCI) [°C m], for selected paleoclimate time-slices during Late Cenozoic, as presented in the paper by Sharma et al. (2022). The paleoclimate time-slices correspond to Pre-Industrial (~1850 CE, PI), Mid-Holocene (~6 ka, MH), Last Glacial Maximum (~21 ka, LGM) a...
The Middle Miocene (15.99–11.65 Ma) of Europe witnessed major climatic, environmental, and vegetational change, yet we are lacking detailed reconstructions of Middle Miocene temperature and precipitation patterns over Europe. Here, we use a high‐resolution (∼0.75°) isotope‐enabled general circulation model (ECHAM5‐wiso) with time‐specific boundary...
Reconstructions of topography and surface uplift histories of mountain ranges over geological time help constrain the geodynamic evolution of collisional domains and improve our understanding of the interactions between climate, tectonics, and surface processes. Stable isotope palaeoaltimetry is a powerful tool to estimate past surface elevations....
Many issues related to contemporary climate change (e.g. reduced crop yield and diminishing water reservoirs) cannot be effectively addressed without improving the understanding of the climate system in future scientists, communicators and policy makers. Many higher education climate courses, however, are overspecialised, inaccessible and didactica...
The hydroclimate of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and Central Asia (CA) plays a crucial role in sustaining surface water reservoirs and thus water resources in the respective regions. In this study, we investigate the changes in Asian hydroclimate and its driving forces during specific time intervals in the last 3 Ma. We conduct high‐resolution (∼0.75°...
The topographic formation of large mountains and plateaus significantly impacts regional and global climate. Previous studies demonstrated that major mountain ranges can explain important aspects of synoptic scale climate dynamics and notable features of the climate system, such as the position of the intertropical convergence zone. Quantifying the...
We investigate relationships between synoptic-scale atmospheric variability and the mass-balance of 13 Andean glaciers (located 16-55°S) using Pearson correlation coefficients (PCCs) and multiple regressions. We then train empirical glacier mass-balance models (EGMs) in a cross-validated multiple regression procedure for each glacier. We find four...
This is the supplemental material to Mutz and Aschauer (2022): Empirical glacier mass-balance models for South America. Journal of Glaciology. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.6
Frost cracking is a dominant mechanical weathering phenomenon facilitating the breakdown of bedrock in periglacial regions. Despite recent advances in understanding frost cracking processes, few studies have addressed how global climate change over the Late Cenozoic may have impacted spatial variations in frost cracking intensity. In this study, we...
Reconstructing Oligocene–Miocene paleoelevation contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary history of the European Alps and sheds light on geodynamic and Earth surface processes involved in the development of Alpine topography. Despite being one of the most intensively explored mountain ranges worldwide, constraints on the elevation histo...
The Qaidam Basin (QB) in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau held a megalake system during the Pliocene. Today, the lower elevations in the basin are hyperarid. To understand to what extent the climate plays a role in the maintenance of the megalake system during the Pliocene, we applied the Weather Research and Forecasting model for dynamical downsca...
Reconstructing Oligocene-Miocene paleoelevation contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary history of the European Alps and sheds light on geodynamic and Earth’s surface processes involved in the development of Alpine topography. Despite being one of the most intensively explored mountain ranges worldwide, constraints on the elevation his...
In this study, we have created 10 geoscience video lessons that follow the paired-teaching pedagogical approach. This method is used to supplement the standard school curriculum with video lessons, instructed by geoscientists from around the world, coupled with activities carried out under the guidance of classroom teachers. The video lessons intro...
Local scale estimates of temperature change in the twenty-first century are necessary for informed decision making in both the public and private sector. In order to generate such estimates for Chile, weather station data of the Dirección Meteorológica de Chile are used to identify large-scale predictors for local-scale temperature changes and cons...
Lack of access to science-based natural hazards information impedes the effectiveness of school-based disaster risk reduction education. To address this challenge, we have created ten geoscience video lessons that follow the paired teaching pedagogical approach. This method is used to supplement the standard school curriculum with video lessons ins...
Many stable isotope paleoaltimetry studies have focused on paleoelevation reconstructions of orogenic plateaus such as the Tibetan or Andean Plateaus. We address the opportunities and challenges of applying stable isotope paleoaltimetry to “smaller” orogens. We do this using a high‐resolution isotope tracking general circulation model (ECHAM5‐wiso)...
Detecting and explaining differences between palaeoclimates can provide valuable insights for Earth scientists investigating processes that are affected by climate change over geologic time. In this study, we describe and explain spatiotemporal patterns in palaeoclimate change that are relevant to Earth surface scientists. We apply a combination of...
Paleoelevation reconstructions have gained attention over the past decades due to the importance of quantifying surface uplift for understanding the subsurface density structure, isostatic compensation of orogens, and interactions between surface processes, tectonics and climate. However, most studies to date have focused on paleoel-evation reconst...
Assessing paleo-climatic changes and the underlying driving mechanisms are an essential (and often poorly understood) first-step for understanding if natural variability in Earth's climate system from tectonic processes and orbital forcing could produce observed changes in surface processes. In this study, we take this first step of evaluating clim...
Detecting and explaining differences between palaeoclimates can provide valuable insight into climatic tipping points and a useful framework of information for Earth scientists investigating processes that are affected by climate change over geological time. We apply a combination of multivariate cluster- and discriminant analysis techniques to a s...
Disaster education in schools can raise awareness among students, teachers, and parents, leading to more accurate risk perception and better understanding of protective measures. For a disaster education curriculum to be effective, particularly in the context of earthquakes, the curriculum must be science-based. For example, to prepare for earthqua...
Disaster education plays a key role in reducing vulnerability and increasing safety and community resilience to disaster risks. Geoscientists can inform mitigation and resilience strategies as they collect and analyze data relevant to disaster risks. However, many of the approaches they use to engage with the public involve one-way, asymmetric comm...
Central Asia is one of the largest arid regions in the world, however, multiple lakes have existed here since the Neogene. These lakes were able to sustain themselves despite the aridification trend in Asia through the Plio-Pleistocene. For example, long-term geological multiproxy records, including carbonate δ 18 O, from lake sediments of the Qaid...
The denudation history of active orogens is often interpreted in the context of modern climate gradients. Here we address the validity of this approach and ask what are the spatial and temporal variations in palaeoclimate for a latitudinally diverse range of active orogens? We do this using high-resolution (T159, ca. 80 × 80 km at the Equator) pala...
Disaster education plays a key role in reducing vulnerability and increasing safety and community resilience to disaster risks. Geoscientists can inform mitigation and resilience strategies as they collect and analyze data relevant to disaster risks. However, many of the approaches they use to engage with the public involve one-way, asymmetric comm...
Assessing paleo-climatic changes across the Tibetan Plateau and the underlying driving mechanisms provides insights for the natural variability in the Earth's climate system in response to tectonic processes and global climate change. In this study, we use a high-resolution regional climate model to investigate various episodes of distinct climate...
Previous studies related to the active deformation within the India-Asia collision zone have relied on slip rate data from major faults to test kinematic models for the region. However, estimated geodetic and Quaternary slip rates demonstrate large variability for many of the major faults in the region (e.g., Altyn Tagh and Karakorum faults). As a...
The denudation history of active orogens is often interpreted in the context of modern climate and vegetation gradients. Here we address the validity of this approach and ask the question: what are the spatial and temporal variations in paleo-climate for a latitudinally diverse range of active orogens? We do this using high-resolution (T159, ca. 80...
The Himalaya–Tibet orogen contains one of the largest modern topographic and climate gradients on Earth. Proxy data from the region provide a basis for understanding Tibetan Plateau paleo climate and paleo elevation reconstructions. Paleo climate model comparisons to proxy data compliment sparsely located data and can improve climate reconstruction...
Variations in oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) measured from modern precipitation and geologic archives provide a promising tool for understanding modern and past climate dynamics, as well as tracking elevation changes over geologic time. In areas of extreme topography, such as the Tibetan Plateau, the interpretation of δ18O has proven challenging. Thi...
Variations in oxygen isotope compositions (δ18O) provide insight into modern climate and past changes in climate and topography. In addition, in regions such as Tibet, geologic archives of isotope ratios record climate change driven by plateau uplift and therefore also provide information about the surface uplift history. A good understanding of mo...
The glaciers in Norway exert a strong influence on Norwegian economy and society. Unlike many glaciers elsewhere and despite ongoing climate change and warming, many of them showed renewed advances and positive net mass changes in the 1980's and 1990's, followed by rapid retreats and mass losses since 2000. This difference in behaviour may be attri...
The long-term behaviour of Norwegian glaciers is reflected by the long mass-balance records provided by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate.
These show positive annual mass balances in the 1980s and 1990s at maritime glaciers followed by rapid mass loss since 2000. This study assesses the influence of various atmospheric variables...