Research Affiliate
Research Scientist U.S. Geological Survey
Northern Rocky Mtn. Sci. Center

Contact Information

Office:     2327 University Way Ste. 2
Phone:    (406) 994-7390
Email:      [email protected]
Website:  http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/staff/gpederson

Education

B.S., Michigan State University, 2000
M.S., Montana State University, 2004
Ph.D. University of Arizona, 2010

Research Interests

My research is focused primarily on climate variability and its role in driving biological and physical components of mountainous ecosystems of western North America.  In addressing these issues I use instrumental and tree-ring based records of climate to assess the time intervals and spatial scales over which these processes operate. Of particular interest is the influence of interdecadal climate regimes, long-term temperature trends, and ocean-atmosphere teleconnections in driving observed changes in mountain snowpack, streamflow, glaciers, and forest disturbance events.  Recent studies have addressed the susceptibility of natural resources within national parks and protected areas to climate variability and change, and sought to apply both the modern and paleoclimatic records to present day resource management problems.  See http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/staff/gpederson for more research related information.

Selected Publications

Pederson GT, ST Gray, CA Woodhouse, DB Fagre, JS Littell, E Watson, BH Luckman, and LJ Graumlich. 2011.  The unusual nature of recent snowpack declines in the North American Cordillera. Science, 15 July 2011: 333 (6040), 332-335. Published online 9 June 2011 [DOI:10.1126/science.1201570]

Woodhouse, C. A., G. T. Pederson, and S. T. Gray. 2011. An 1800-yr record of decadal-scale hydroclimatic variability in the upper Arkansas River basin from bristlecone pine. Quaternary Research. 75(3) 483-490.

Pederson, Gregory T., Stephen T. Gray, Toby Ault, Wendy Marsh, Daniel B. Fagre, Andrew G. Bunn, Connie A. Woodhouse, Lisa J. Graumlich, 2011. Climatic Controls on the Snowmelt Hydrology of the Northern Rocky Mountains. J. Climate, 24, 1666–1687. doi: 10.1175/2010JCLI3729.1

Muhlfeld, Clint C, J. Joseph Giersch, F. Richard Hauer, Gregory T. Pederson, Gordon Luikart, Douglas P. Peterson, Christopher C. Downs, and Daniel B. Fagre. 2011. Climate change links fate of glaciers and an endemic alpine invertebrate. Climatic Change Letters. DOI 10.1007/s10584-011-0057-1

Ault TR, AK Macalady, GT Pederson, JL Betancourt, and MD Schwartz. In prep. Was there a shift in spring-arrival date during the mid-1980’s. Geophysical Research Letters, to be submitted Feb, 2010
Davidson JE, LJ Graumlich, E Rowland, GT Pederson, DD Breshears. In prep. Using modern climatology to design reserve networks robust to climate change. Global Change Biology, to be submitted Dec, 2010.

Muhlfeld CC, J Giersch, FR Hauer, DP Peterson, GT Pederson, CC Downs, DB Fagre. In prep. Climate Change Links Fate of Glaciers and a Rare Alpine Stonefly. Science Brevia, to be submitted Nov, 2010.

Ault TR, AK Macalady, GT Pederson, JL Betancourt, and MD Schwartz. In review. Northern Hemisphere modes of variability and the timing of spring across Western North America. Journal of Climate.

Ault TR, GT Pederson, JE Cole, JT Overpeck, DM Meko. In review.  How likely are megadroughts in the coming century? Science, submitted Oct 15, 2010.

Pederson GT, ST Gray, TR Ault, W Marsh, DB Fagre, A Bunn, CA Woodhouse, and LJ Graumlich. In press.  Climatic controls on the snowmelt hydrology of the Northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Journal of Climate

Woodhouse CA, GT Pederson, and ST Gray. in press. An 1800-year record of decadal-scale hydroclimatic variability in the Upper Arkansas River basin from bristlecone pine. Quaternary Research.

McWethy DB, ST Gray, PE Higuera, JS Littell, GT Pederson, AJ Ray, and C Whitlock. 2010. Climate and terrestrial ecosystem change inthe U.S. Rocky Mountains and UpperColumbia Basin: Historical and future perspectives for natural resourcemanagement. Natural Resource Report NPS/GRYN/NRR—2010/260. National ParkService, Fort Collins, Colorado.
http://www.greateryellowstonescience.org/download_product/1035/0

Pederson GT, LJ Graumlich, DB Fagre, T Kipfer, C Muhlfield. 2010. A century of climate and ecosystem change in Western Montana: What do recent temperature trends portend? A view from western Montana, USA. Climatic Change, 98: 133-154. DOI 10.1007/s10584-009-9642-y

Prato T, Z Qiu, GT Pederson, DB Fagre, L Bengston, and JR Williams, 2010. Potential economic benefits of adapting agricultural production systems to future climate change in Montana’s Flathead Valley.  Journal of Environmental Management. DOI 10.1007/s00267-010-9427-0.

St. George S, DM Meko, MP Girardin, GM MacDonald, E Nielsen, GT Pederson, DJ Sauchyn, JC Tardif, and E Watson. 2009. The tree-ring record of drought on the Canadian Prairies. Journal of Climate 22, 689-710.  DOI: 10.1175/2008JCLI2441.1

Watson, E, GT Pederson, BH Luckman, and DB Fagre. 2008. Glacier mass balance in the northern U.S. and Canadian Rockies: paleo-perspectives and 20th century change. B Orlove, BH Luckman, and E Wiegandt (Eds.) In: Darkening Peaks, University of California Press, Berkley, C.A.  pp. 139-153.

Reardon, BA, GT Pederson, CJ Caruso, DB Fagre. 2008. Spatial reconstructions of snow avalanche frequency and extent using tree rings in Glacier National Park, Montana. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. 40(1): 148-160.

Pederson, GT, C Whitlock, E Watson, BH Luckman, and LJ Graumlich. 2007. Climate change and ecosystem history. D Fagre and T Prato (Eds.) In: Sustaining Rocky Mountain Landscapes: Science, Policy and Management of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem, RFF Press, Washington D.C.

Pederson, GT, ST Gray, DB Fagre, and LJ.Graumlich.  2006.  Long-Duration Drought Variability and Impacts on Ecosystem Services: A Case Study from Glacier National Park, Montana USA.  Earth Interactions, 10(4), pg. 1-28, Article ID: 10.1175/EI153.1.

Pederson, GT, DB Fagre, ST Gray and LJ Graumlich.  2004.  Decadal-scale climate drivers for glacial mass balance in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.  Geophysical Research Letters 31, L1220310.1029/2004GL019770.

Gray, ST, LJ Graumlich, JL Betancourt, and GT Pederson.  2004.  A tree-ring based reconstruction of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation since 1567 A.D.  Geophysical Research Letters, 31, No. 12, L1220510.1029/2004GL019932.