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Staff profile

Overview

Josephine Grzeskowiak-Shipp

PhD

Affiliations
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PhD in the Department of Earth Sciences

Biography

Research

I am a PhD researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through the Iapetus Doctoral Training Partnership.

My research investigates the potential influence of magmatic carbon dioxide (CO₂) degassing on radiocarbon dating at Laacher See, Germany. Specifically, I am examining whether the incorporation of radiocarbon-depleted volcanic CO₂ into surrounding environments may bias radiocarbon measurements and affect the established chronology of the Laacher See eruption.

Education

  • 2026–Present: PhD in Geological Sciences, Durham University

    • Supervisors: Prof. James Baldini, Dr Rich Brown, Prof. Andrea Burke (University of St Andrews) and Prof. Darren Gröcke.

    • Research: Investigating the potential effects of magmatic CO₂ degassing on radiocarbon dating and eruption chronology at Laacher See, Germany.

  • 2025–2026: MPhil in Quantitative Climate and Environmental Science, University of Cambridge — Distinction

    • Research: Conducted my research project in partnership with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), investigating the influence of Antarctic meltwater on diatom-associated biogenic silica in the Bellingshausen Sea through laboratory geochemistry and oceanographic data analysis.

  • 2021–2025: BSc (Hons) in Environmental Earth Science, University of St Andrews — First Class Honours

    • Research: Investigated climate–growth relationships in tree-ring records from British Columbia, developing an automated statistical modelling approach to identify climatic drivers of tree-ring variability.

Research Interests

  • Exploring, interpreting and evaluating natural archives and proxy records to better understand palaeoenvironments and Earth-system processes.

  • Geochemistry, biogeochemistry and elemental cycling.

  • Fieldwork, environmental monitoring and sample collection.

  • Laboratory-based research and analytical techniques.

  • Interdisciplinary research integrating field observations, laboratory analysis and quantitative modelling.