Dr. Debbie Thomas

Biography

Debbie Thomas is a Professor and Executive Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University Galveston, with a primary research interest in paleoceanography focusing on the Cretaceous and Cenozoic periods. Her work involves the utilization of deep-sea sedimentary records to explore the role of deep oceans in global heat transport and overall climate states. Thomas employs a variety of techniques including radiogenic isotopes, stable isotopes, and trace element geochemistry to reconstruct patterns of deep-water formation and circulation under varying boundary conditions. Her research interests also encompass the evolution of Atlantic thermohaline circulation patterns during the early Cenozoic, investigating shifts between “greenhouse” and modern “icehouse” modes, as well as examining the role of Pacific thermohaline circulation in climactic shifts during the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. Thomas has contributed to understanding changes in ancient deep-water production and the onset of deep-water circulation in the South Atlantic basins, which opened during the Early to Late Cretaceous.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards