Marysa Lague

Assistant Professor

Research Interests

Climate Modelling
Land-atmosphere interactions
Climate Dynamics
Climate
Planetary Science
Atmospheric dynamics
Water, Ice, Landscapes
Climate: Science, Change, Action
Earth System Modelling

Relevant Thesis-Based Degree Programs

Research Options

I am available and interested in collaborations (e.g. clusters, grants).
I am interested in and conduct interdisciplinary research.
I am interested in working with undergraduate students on research projects.
 
 

Research Methodology

Climate models
Earth system models
Numerical Earth system models
Python
Jupyter
Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP)
Community Earth System Model
Isca
Fortran

Recruitment

Master's students
Doctoral students
Postdoctoral Fellows
2025

I’m a climate scientist who studies how the land surface modifies the rest of the coupled Earth system. Broadly, I study land-atmosphere interactions, climate dynamics, atmospheric dynamics, climate modelling, and the coupled climate system, as well as being active in the development, use, and analysis of both idealized and complex Earth system models. 

I study how changes in the land can drive changes in the both the local atmosphere and the large-scale climate, by modulating fluxes of water and energy between the land and the atmosphere. I use models to test how individual land-surface properties modify energy and water fluxes to the atmosphere, and how those energy flux changes in turn impact atmospheric dynamics and climate, both locally and in regions far away from the initial land change. I am the lead scientific developer of the Simple Land Interface Model (SLIM, an idealized land surface model) which couples to the Community Earth System Model and allows users to isolate the effect on the Earth system of changes in individual aspects of the land surface.

I am particularly interested in understanding where the atmosphere cares about changes in the land surface, and what particular properties of the land surface it is that the atmosphere cares about. In addition to my main area of research, I greatly enjoy interdisciplinary research collaborations on a wide range of topics, ranging from macrosystems ecology to paleocliamte to the study of exoplanets.

I support public scholarship, e.g. through the Public Scholars Initiative, and am available to supervise students and Postdocs interested in collaborating with external partners as part of their research.
I support experiential learning experiences, such as internships and work placements, for my graduate students and Postdocs.
I am interested in supervising students to conduct interdisciplinary research.

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