Interests:  While at Brown, Jeff concentrated on developing records of changes in sea level and storm activity from coastal wetland deposits in eastern North America and explored the impacts of these forces on coastal wetland development.  By dating the onset of salt marsh development and shifts in vegetation communities associated with changes in tidal flooding frequency, Jeff was able to infer how sea level has fluctuated in the past 5,000 years in eastern North America. In addition, by mapping and dating overwash deposits in back-barrier salt marshes he able to estimate the frequency of intense landfalling hurricanes in the eastern United States.

Jeff is currently employed as an assistant scientist in the Geology and Geophysics Department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. Jeff also continues to be involved in the Quaternary Environments group as an adjunct assistant professor for the Department of Geological Sciences here at Brown University.

E-mail:  jdonnelly@whoi.edu