Carolyn Ruppel, PhD
I lead the USGS Gas Hydrates Project, which is jointly funded by the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program and the Energy Resources Program. Project scientists in Woods Hole and Denver study the resource and climate aspects of natural hydrates. My work also focuses on methane seeps, hydroacoustics, marine environmental compliance, and subsea permafrost on the Arctic coast.
Research
Highlighted Journal Articles, Data Releases, and Geonarratives
- Gas Hydrate in Nature
- Hydrate formation on marine seep bubbles and the implications for water column…
- Elevated levels of radiocarbon in methane dissolved in seawater reveal likely l…
- Preliminary global database of known and inferred gas hydrate locations
- Post-expedition report for USGS T-3 ice island heat flow measurements in the Hi…
- Thermal Data and Navigation for T-3 (Fletcher's) Ice Island Arctic Ocean Heat F…
My primary research focus is on the interaction between methane hydrates (and methane seeps) on one hand and the ocean-atmosphere system on the other. I focus particularly on the US Atlantic and US Pacific margins, as well as Arctic Ocean margins (US Beaufort Sea and Svalbard). I also work on energy issues related to gas hydrates (including delineating their distribution in marine sediments; 2018 MATRIX seismic program on US Atlantic margin), the coexistence of permafrost (including subsea) and hydrates (Beaufort Sea), and reservoir properties of hydrate-bearing sediments. As a side specialty, I assist with programmatic environmental compliance for USGS marine acoustics surveys. During my career, I have also worked on marine heat flow data acquisition and analysis, other aspects of the hydrogeology of gas hydrate systems, and coastal zone hydrogeophysics (particularly tidal pumping, inductive EM data, and saline intrusion in surficial aquifers). My earliest work focused on numerical modeling of large scale tectonic processes and associated particle tracking, continental rifting, and marine analogs for continental tectonic processes.
Professional Experience
July 2023 - present: Supervisory Research Geophysicist, U.S. Geological Survey
Feb 2023 - present: Part-Time Acting Senior Science Advisor to the USGS Chief Scientist
July 2022 - Feb 2023: Acting Senior Science Advisor to the USGS Chief Scientist (detail)
2010-present: Chief, USGS Gas Hydrates Project
2006-2023: Research Geophysicist, U.S. Geological Survey
2006-2019: Visiting Scientist, MIT, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences
2003-2006: Program manager (faculty rotater), National Science Foundation, Ocean Sciences (MG&G and Ocean Drilling Program)
2000-2002: Coordinator, Georgia Tech Focused Research Program on Methane Hydrates
2000-2006: Associate Professor (tenured) of Geophysics, Georgia Tech
1994-2000: Assistant Professor of Geophysics, Georgia Tech
1992-1993: Postdoctoral Scholar and Postdoctoral Research, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Education and Certifications
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D., 1992, Geophysics and Geology (with Marcia McNutt)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, M.S., 1986, Earth sciences (with Leigh Royden and Kip Hodges)
Affiliations and Memberships*
Panel member, National Academy of Sciences, Community on Ocean Acoustics Education and Expertise (study completion in 2024)
Member, Science Advisory Board, University of Tromso, Centre of Excellence for Ice, Cryosphere, Carbon and Climate, 2023-
Member, Arctic Icebreaker Coordinating Committee (UNOLS), 2015-2020
Chief Scientist, 8 research cruises (3 Arctic), 2010-2019
Member, Advisory Board, University of Tromso, Centre of Excellence for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE) 2014-present
Strategic Plan Committee, Coastal & Marine Geology Program, USGS, 2014-2019
Arctic subgroup (appointed CMGP representative), Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST), OSTP, 2015-16
Mentor, Graduate Women at MIT (GWAMIT), 2013-2016
USGS Technical lead, NSF-USGS Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Marine Seismics, 2008-2012
Lead organizer, Catching climate change in progress, circum-Arctic Ocean drilling workshop, December 2011 (sponsored by US Science Support Program for IODP)
Lead proponent, IODP Pre-Proposal 797, Late Pleistocene to contemporary climate change on the Alaskan Beaufort Margin (ABM)
Organizer and convener, USGS-DOE Climate-Hydrates workshop, Boston, MA, March 2011
Originator and Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Natural Gas Hydrates, inaugural conference held June 2010.
Interagency Technical Coordinating Committee, DOE Methane Hydrates R&D Program, 2010-present
The Future of Natural Gas, MIT Energy Initiative, affiliated author (methane hydrates), 2008-2011
National Research Council, Scientific Ocean Drilling (SOD) review, presentation on Gas Hydrates and SOD, 2010
IODP Operations Task Force, 2008-2009
IODP Science Planning Committee (SPC), 2006-2009
Organizer, DOE-USGS Symposium/Meeting on Gas Hydrates and Climate Change (held at MIT), February 2008
Honors and Awards
National Science Foundation, Director's Award for Program Management, 2005 (Chixulub seismic program)
JOI/USSAC Distinguished Lecturer, Ocean Drilling Program, 1999-2000
Science and Products
New seismic data acquired over known gas hydrate occurrences in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico: Fire In the ice
Evidence for extensive methane venting on the southeastern U.S. Atlantic margin
Mass fractionation of noble gases in synthetic methane hydrate: Implications for naturally occurring gas hydrate dissociation
Minimum distribution of subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the US Beaufort Sea continental shelf
Observations of mass fractionation of noble gases in synthetic methane hydrate
Strong atmospheric chemistry feedback to climate warming from Arctic methane emissions
Methane hydrates and contemporary climate change
Methane hydrates and the future of natural gas
The impact of hydrate saturation on the mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of hydrate-bearing sand, silts, and clay
Parametric study of the physical properties of hydrate‐bearing sand, silt, and clay sediments: 2. Small‐strain mechanical properties
Parametric study of the physical properties of hydrate-bearing sand, silt, and clay sediments: 1. Electromagnetic properties
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
USGS scientists contribute to new gas hydrates monograph
The recently-published monograph entitled World Atlas of Submarine Gas Hydrates on Continental Margins compiles findings about gas hydrates offshore all of Earth’s continents and also onshore in selected permafrost regions.
Science and Products
New seismic data acquired over known gas hydrate occurrences in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico: Fire In the ice
Evidence for extensive methane venting on the southeastern U.S. Atlantic margin
Mass fractionation of noble gases in synthetic methane hydrate: Implications for naturally occurring gas hydrate dissociation
Minimum distribution of subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the US Beaufort Sea continental shelf
Observations of mass fractionation of noble gases in synthetic methane hydrate
Strong atmospheric chemistry feedback to climate warming from Arctic methane emissions
Methane hydrates and contemporary climate change
Methane hydrates and the future of natural gas
The impact of hydrate saturation on the mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of hydrate-bearing sand, silts, and clay
Parametric study of the physical properties of hydrate‐bearing sand, silt, and clay sediments: 2. Small‐strain mechanical properties
Parametric study of the physical properties of hydrate-bearing sand, silt, and clay sediments: 1. Electromagnetic properties
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
USGS scientists contribute to new gas hydrates monograph
The recently-published monograph entitled World Atlas of Submarine Gas Hydrates on Continental Margins compiles findings about gas hydrates offshore all of Earth’s continents and also onshore in selected permafrost regions.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government