Research in my lab focuses on understanding hydrological extremes and their connections to the natural and built environment. We are interested in the influence of climate variability, greenhouse warming, urbanization, and land use on flood risk. We are also interested in how floods and climate-related disasters shape landscapes and the inhabitants of those landscapes.
Extreme events occur infrequently, so our research draws on historical and geological perspectives to better evaluate the causes and consequences of storms and floods. Our projects typically use sedimentary records to reconstruct environmental changes over hundreds to thousands of years. We combine these geological records with instrumental, historical, and archaeological datasets to inform a variety of computational approaches, including statistical and earth system models.
Publications
In The News
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From “Eww” to “Whoa”: Reflections on our School to Sea Programs
As part of the School to Sea program, students from Lynn Public Schools had a chance to visit the Marine Science Center for some interactive learning, from touch tanks to Moon Snails. -
To Predict Our Future Climate, They’re Digging Into The Mud Of The Past
Samuel Muñoz searches for answers about what future warming climates in an unusual place- ancient mud layers. -
Our plastic pollution problem may have more significant consequences than we think
Plastics are everywhere - and that's a problem. New research published in Science finds that plastics may be altering the Earth’s carbon cycle and our ability to monitor it. -
Microplastics are everywhere, but their dangers largely remain a mystery, experts say
The abundance of microplastics found nearly anywhere around us has been a pressing issue for quite some time, but why? Sam Munoz and Aron Stubbins discuss the mystery of their effects. -
Can infrastructure and tourism endure triple-digit temperatures, extreme weather during ‘Danger Season’?
Northeastern Faculty in the College of Science and the College of Engineering specializing in environmental studies are asked about the increasing temperatures effect on Infrastructure and Tourism. -
With storms threatening to intensify, should Floridians stay or should they go?
With hundreds of Floridians remaining in shelters weeks after Hurricane Ian devastated swathes of the Sunshine state, the question many residents face is whether to rebuild—or retreat. -
Are volcanoes impacted by climate change? Or is it the other way around?
While a study of Iceland proposes a possible link, scientists at Northeastern University say the effect of volcanic activity on global warming is minimal. -
California is once again being deluged by atmospheric rivers. What are they and will climate change make them worse?
California is once again being deluged by atmospheric rivers that have unleashed major flooding across the state, with river number 12 scheduled to dump more precipitation the week of March 19. -
Can we do a better job of predicting river floods in New England?
A professor at Northeastern University hopes his team’s research will build lead time into warnings about river flooding in New England, such as the one that devastated Vermont this month. -
Climate modelers can’t agree on the Mississippi River’s future. Northeastern professor Samuel Muñoz is settling the debate.
The Mississippi River, an ecological, cultural and economic hub of activity, is dangerously misunderstood — at least, by climate modelers. -
From ‘climate haven’ to disaster zone: How Hurricane Helene became the perfect storm to devastate western North Carolina
Before the aftermath of Hurricane Helene dumped more than 30 inches of rain on some parts of western North Carolina and led to historic flooding that has killed more than 30 people in the mountainous region, Asheville was known as a “climate haven.” -
What is La Niña? A Northeastern expert explains how the weather pattern may impact your winter plans
The La Niña event forecast for this winter may deliver more snow than usual to the Northwestern U.S. and dry, warm weather to the South. -
News
What made the Texas flash flood so deadly and how AI could improve forecasting
The deluge that surged through Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend devastated the hill country and shocked the world with its intensity and loss of life. The Guadalupe River at Kerrville rose from 1.73 feet to 34.29 feet in three hours on July 4, according to a river gauge maintained by the federal government. The […]