Nicole West
Active + Alumnus
INVESTIGATOR, COLLABORATOR
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Shale Hills Assistant Professor of Geology, Central Michigan University
West's page
PhD, Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, 2014
Current Research: Isotopic tracers for regolith production and transport, the role of climate in the evolution of landscapes
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CZO Publications
Papers/Books
2019
Climate preconditions the Critical Zone: Elucidating the role of subsurface fractures in the evolution of asymmetric topography. West, N., Kirby, E., Nyblade, A., and Brantley, S.L. (2019): Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol 513, p. 197-205
2018
Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory: Shale Hills in the Context of Shaver's Creek Watershed. Brantley Susan, White Timothy, West Nicole, Williams Jennifer, Forsythe Brandon, Shapich Dan, Kaye Jason, Lin Hangsheng (Henry), Shi Yuning, Kaye Margot, Herndon Elizabeth, Davis Kenneth, He Yuting, Eissenstat David, Weitzman Julie, DiBiase Roman, Li Li, Reed Warren, Brubaker Kristen, Gu Xin (2018): Vadose Zone Journal, 17:180092
2018
Stratigraphic control of landscape response to base-level fall, Young Womans Creek, Pennsylvania, USA. DiBiase, R.A., Denn, A.R., Bierman, P.R., Kirby, E., West, N., and Hidy, A.J. (2018): Earth and Planetary Science Letters 504, p. 163-173
2017
Growing new generations of critical zone scientists. Wymore, Adam S., Nicole R. West, Kate Maher, Pamela L. Sullivan, Adrian Harpold, Diana Karwan, Jill A. Marshall, Julia Perdrial, Daniella M. Rempe and Lin Ma (2017): Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 42 (14): 2498-2502 Cross-CZO National
2016
CZ-tope at Susquehanna Shale Hills CZO: Synthesizing multiple isotope proxies to elucidate Critical Zone processes across timescales in a temperate forested landscape. Sullivan P., Ma L., West N., Jin L., Karwan D., Noireaux J., Steinhoefel G., Gaines K., Eissenstat D., Gaillardet J., Derry L., Meek K., Hynek S., and Brantley S.L. (2016): Chemical Geology, vol 445, 103–119
2016
Oxidative Dissolution under the Channel Leads Geomorphological Evolution at the Shale Hills Catchment . Sullivan, P.L., Hynek, S., Gu, X., Singha, K., White, T.S., West, N., Kim, H., Kirby, E., Clarke, B.; Duffy, C.; Brantley, S.L. (2016): American Journal of Science, 316 (10): 981-1026
2015
Laser vision: lidar as a transformative tool to advance critical zone science. Harpold, A. A., Marshall, J. A., Lyon, S. W., Barnhart, T. B., Fisher, B. A., Donovan, M., Brubaker, K. M., Crosby, C. J., Glenn, N. F., Glennie, C. L., Kirchner, P. B., Lam, N., Mankoff, K. D., McCreight, J. L., Molotch, N. P., Musselman, K. N., Pelletier, J., Russo, T., Sangireddy, H., Sjöberg, Y., Swetnam, T., and West, N. (2015): Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 2881-2897 Cross-CZO National
2014
Aspect-dependent variations in regolith creep revealed by meteoric 10Be. West, Nicole , Kirby, Eric, Bierman, Paul and Clarke, Brian A. (2014): Geology, vol 42 (6):507-510
2013
Regolith production and transport in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory, Part 1: Insights from U-series isotopes. Ma, L., Chabaux, F., West, N., Kirby, E., Jin, L., and Brantley, S. (2013): Journal of Geophysical Research, Earth Surface 118 (2) 722-740
2013
Regolith production and transport at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory: Part 2 - Insights from meteoric 10Be. West, N., Kirby, E., Bierman, P., Slingerland, R., Ma, L., Rood, D., and Brantley, S. L. (2013): Journal of Geophysical Research, Earth Surface 118:1-20
2011
Preliminary estimates of regolith generation and mobility in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory, Pennsylvania, using meteoric 10Be. West, N., Kirby, E., Bierman, P., Rood, D. (2011): Applied Geochemistry v.26, S146 – S148
Papers and books that explicitly acknowledge a CZO grant are highlighted in PALE ORANGE.
Other CZO Publications
2018
Stratigraphic control of landscape response to base-level fall, Young Womans Creek, Pennsylvania, USA. Roman A DiBiase*, Alison Denn, Paul R Bierman, Eric Kirby, Nicole West, Alan Hidy (2018): Abstract EP21D-2271 presented at 2018 AGU Fall Meeting, Washington, D.C., 10-14
2017
ASPECT-DEPENDENT FEEDBACKS BETWEEN REGOLITH PRODUCTION AND TRANSPORT AT THE SHALE HILLS CRITICAL ZONE OBSERVATORY. West, N., Kirby, E., Nyblade, A., and Brantley, S.L. (2017): 2017 Geological Society of America Fall Meeting, Seattle, WA, 22-25 October
2016
Microclimate Controls on the Evolution of Critical Zone Architecture in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. West, N., Kirby, E., Nyblade, A., and Brantley, S.L. (2016): 2016 Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA, 12-16 Dec.
2016
Geomorphic equilibrium and the spatial variation of the geomorphic diffusivity at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. Zhang, Y., Slingerland, R.L., Duffy, C., Gu, X., Lin, H., and West, N. (2016): 2016 Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA, 12-16 Dec.
2015
Seeking GUTH, the Grand Unified Theory of Hillslopes: Linking weathering, erosion and landscapes. Anderson, SP, Dietrich, WE, Rempe, D, West, N, Brantley, SL, Bacon, AR, Buss, HL, Fisher, BA, Flinchum, B, Holbrook, S, Klos, PZ, Leopold, M, Moon, S, Nielson, T, Pelletier, J, and Terry, N. (2015): EP34A-01 Landscape Evolution from a Critical Zone Science Perspective III, presented at 2015 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 14-18 Dec. Cross-CZO
2015
REGOLITH PRODUCTION AND TRANSPORT IN THE SUSQUEHANNA SHALE HILLS CRITICAL ZONE OBSERVATORY: INSIGHTS FROM U-SERIES ISOTOPES (Invited). Ma L., Chabaux F., West N., Kirby E., Jin L., and Brantley S.L. (2015): Pardee Symposium, 2015 GSA Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 47, No. 7, p.832
2015
The interplay of regolith evolution and watershed hydrodynamics in a first order watershed. Sullivan P.L., Hynek, S., Gu, X., Singha, K., White, T., West, N., Kim, H., Clarke, B., Kirby, E., Duffy, C., and Brantley, S.L (2015): 2015 Goldschmidt Conference, Prague, CZ, 16-21 Aug
2015
Isotopic tracers of asymmetric watershed evolution. West, N. (2015): Geological Society of Washington, Meeting 1494, 11 March, 2015.
2015
TOPOGRAPHIC FINGERPRINTS OF MICRO-CLIMATE AND LITHOLOGY IN THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS (Invited). West, N. and Kirby, E. (2015): Pardee Symposium, 2015 GSA National Meeting, Baltimore, MD, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 47, No. 7, p.831
2015
Microclimate controls on weathering: Insights into deep critical zone evolution from seismic refraction surveys in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. West, Nicole, Eric Kirby, Andrew Nyblade and Susan Brantley (2015): EP41C-0941 Mechanistic Underpinnings of Damage, Disruption, and Downslope Transport of Rock and Regolith Posters, presented at 2015 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 14-18 Dec.
2015
Water-regolith-energy Interaction in Landscape Evolution and Its Influence on Forming Asymmetric Landscape: An Example from the Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory of Central Pennsylvania. Zhang, Yu, Rudy L Slingerland, Yuning Shi, Christopher Duffy and Nicole West (2015): EP33D-06 Landscape Evolution from a Critical Zone Science Perspective II, presented at 2015 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 14-18 Dec.
2014
EP33B-3635 Using shallow seismic tomography to characterize patterns of near-surface weathering and the mobile-immobile regolith transition: Implications for the erodibility and morphology of hillslopes . Brian Clarke • Eric Kirby • Douglas Burbank • Nicole West (2014): 2014 AGU Annual Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, Dec 15-19th Cross-CZO
2014
Topographic Fingerprints of Hillslope Erosion in the Central Appalachians Revealed by Meteoric Beryllium-10. Nicole West (2014): Doctor of Philosophy, Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, p. 159
2014
EP32B-06 Hillslope response to differences in aspect-related microclimate (Invited) . Nicole West • Eric Kirby (2014): 2014 AGU Annual Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, Dec 15-19th
2014
CZ-tope: A multiple isotope approach to quantify critical zone processes – the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory as an example. Steinhoefel, G., Sullivan, P., Noireaux, J., West, N., Hynek, S., Gaillardet, J., Jin, L., Ma, L., Derry, L.A., Meek, K., Karwan, D.L., Yesavage, T., Fantle, M.S., Brantley, S.L. (2014): Presented at the NSF National Critical Zone Observatory Program All Hands Meeting, Yosemite, CA, 21-24 Sept., 2014
2014
Aspect-related topographic asymmetry at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. West N., Kirby E., and Bierman, P. (2014): Presented at the NSF National Critical Zone Observatory Program All Hands Meeting, , Yosemite, CA, 21-24 Sept., 2014
2014
ASYMMETRIC TOPOGRAPHY REFLECTS VARIABLE TRANSPORT EFFICIENCY ON SOIL-MANTLED HILLSLOPES IN THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS. WEST, Nicole and KIRBY, Eric (2014): GSA Northeastern Section 49th Annual Meeting 23–25 March 2014
2014
ASPECT-DEPENDENT REGOLITH FLUX REVEALED BY METEORIC 10BE. WEST, Nicole, KIRBY, Eric, and BIERMAN, Paul (2014): 2014 GSA Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia (19–22 October 2014)
2013
Cross-CZO Contrasts: Aspect Controls and Critical Zone Architecture. Clarke, B.A., Kirby, E., Burbank, D.W., West, N. (2013): Abstract H43L-07presented at 2013 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 9-13 Dec. Cross-CZO
2013
Topographic fingerprints of hillslope erosion in the North American Appalachians. Nicole West and Eric Kirby (2013): EGU General Assembly 2013
2013
Going Steady: Using multiple isotopes to test the steady-state assumption at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (Invited) . West, N., Kirby, E., Ma, L., Bierman, P.R. (2013): Abstract H54A-03 presented at 2013 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 9-13 Dec.
2013
Quantifying Aspect Control on Transport Efficiency and Mobile Regolith Flux at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory . WEST, Nicole, KIRBY, Eric, BIERMAN, Paul R., and CLARKE, Brian (2013): GSA Annual Meeting
2012
Testing hillslope transport models in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. West, N., Kirby, E. (2012): AGU Annual Fall Conference Proceedings
2011
Using meteoric 10Be to estimate soil residence times and erosion rates at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory, PA. West, N., Kirby, E., Bierman, P., (2011): European Science Foundation Conference on Cosmogenic Nuclides, Obergurgl, Austria, August, 2011
2011
Preliminary estimates of regolith generation and mobility in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory, Pennsylvania, using meteoric 10Be. West, N., Kirby, E., Bierman, P., Rood, D., (2011): International Symposium on the Geochemistry of the Earth’s Surface, Boulder, CO, June, 2011
2011
Toward an understanding of landscape change in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. West, N., Kirby, E., Bierman, P., Slingerland, R., Ma, L., Jin, L., Brantley, S., (2011): All Hands Meeting, Oracle, AZ, May, 2011
2011
Constraints on regolith formation and erosion rates at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory, PA, determined using meteoric 10Be. West, N., Kirby, E., Bierman, P.R., Rood, D.H. (2011): AGU Annual Fall Conference Proceedings
2010
Using meteoric 10Be to track soil erosion and transport within a forested watershed, Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory, PA. West, N., Kirby, E., Bierman, P.R., Rood, D.H. (2010): AGU Annual Fall Conference Proceedings
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Models
Isotope Weathering
Isotopic Estimates of Weathering
Isotope geochemistry (Uranium, Thorium, Beryllium) offer estimates of weathering rates at Shale Hills.
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News
82nd Annual Field Conference of PA Geologists tour the CZO
05 Oct 2017 - Just under 250 geologists from across the state of Pennsylvania spent three days (Oct 5-7) exploring outcrops and research sites in Blair, Centre...
Shale Hills CZO hosts Jorden Hayes for All-Hands 2016
16 May 2016 - Jorden Hayes (Southern Sierra CZO) was an invited speaker and visitor to the Shale Hills CZO All-Hands meeting in May 2016
Sino-USA CZO scientists meet to discuss future collaborations
09 Oct 2015 - About 60 Chinese and American critical zone scientists met in Guiyang, China for two days of discussions and presentations on the significance of...
CZNews: Fall 2015
01 Oct 2015 - The CZO National Office Newsletter CZNews: Fall 2015
Salon on Deep Critical Zone Architecture held June 14-18, 2015
26 Jun 2015 - An international group of 17 researchers met at Snow Mountain Ranch, Granby, Colorado for 3.5 days of presentations and discussions on the nature of...
Susquehanna Shale Hills CZO hosts Dorothy Merritts for All Hands 2015
13 May 2015 - The annual SSHCZO All Hands meeting featured Dr. Dorothy Merritts, Harry W. and Mary B. Huffnagle Professor of Geosciences and Chair of the...
Shale Hills hosts Environmental Geophysics students for field based class project
25 Mar 2015 - Students enrolled in Environmental Geophysics (Geosc 483) at the University Park Penn State campus will spend the next month applying principles and...
Summer REUs use seismic techniques to gather data on subsurface structure
11 Aug 2014 - To improve understanding of the shallow critical zone structure at Shale Hills, two REU students along with CZO post-doc scholar Nicole West and...
CZO researchers present at GSA in Denver
04 Nov 2013 - CZO researchers presented the results of various scientific studies at the 125th annual meeting of the Geological Society of America.
Terrestrial LIDAR Comes to the Catchment
01 Apr 2010 - PI’s Eric Kirby and Rudy Slingerland and PhD student, Nicole West, hosted A.J. Herrs (University of Kansas) from March 21st – 23rd to...
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Events
Nicole West - Geosciences - PhD defense
Topographic Fingerprints of Hillslope Erosion in the Central Appalachians Revealed by Meteoric Beryllium-10
541 Deike Building.Critical Zone Seminar Series
Geomorphic and stratigraphic archives of hillslope erosion in the Shale Hills CZO
301 Steidle Building.
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