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Nathaniel A. Lifton

Earth and Planetary Sciences · Purdue University West Lafayette

OpenAlex ORCID
Established · publishing since 1992Rising activity
Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchCryospheric studies and observationsPleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologyClimate change and permafrostLandslides and related hazards

Publications

182

Citations

8,416

Est. group size

~4

Recurring co-author estimate

Active years

35

Publishing since 1992

Research summary
AI-generated

Nathaniel A. Lifton's research focuses on reconstructing past glacier and ice sheet behavior using cosmogenic nuclide dating, a technique that measures rare isotopes produced in rock surfaces by cosmic rays to determine how long a surface has been exposed or buried by ice. His work combines fieldwork in places like Alaska, Scandinavia, Scotland, and the Colorado Rockies with development of new laboratory and computational methods for measuring these isotopes, particularly in situ cosmogenic 14C. This research helps scientists understand how glaciers and mountain landscapes have changed since the last ice age and through the current Holocene period.

Cosmogenic nuclide dating methodsGlacier and ice sheet history reconstructionGlacial erosion processesMountain landscape evolution (geomorphology)Paleoclimate and Holocene environmental change

Publication output has declined somewhat from a peak around 2017 (15 papers) to a steadier, lower pace averaging about 7 papers per year over the last five years, with some fluctuation year to year.

Generated by claude-sonnet-5 from public bibliographic data · Jul 20, 2026

Publication cadence
Publications per year over the last 10 years — averaging 7.2/year recently
2017: 15 publications15172018: 10 publications182019: 8 publications192020: 5 publications202021: 7 publications212022: 7 publications222023: 11 publications232024: 6 publications242025: 8 publications252026: 4 publications26
Recent publications
Publishes in
  • Quaternary Science Reviews×10
  • Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America×10
  • AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts×8
  • Communications Earth & Environment×3
  • Geochronology×3
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This profile was generated automatically from public scholarly data (OpenAlex). Group size and activity levels are estimates derived from co-authorship patterns.

Last updated Jul 20, 2026.

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