World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Earth Science
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Earth Science

D-Index
94
Citations
37066
World Ranking
191
National Ranking
97

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Earth Science in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Earth Science in United States Leader Award
  • 2021 - Geochemistry Fellow Honor, Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry
  • 2017 - GSA President's Medal, The Geological Society of America
  • 2016 - Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU)
  • 2001 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1997 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • Fellow of the Geological Society of America
  • Fellow of the Geological Society of America

Overview

Thure E. Cerling is affiliated with the University of Utah in the United States and has contributed to research primarily in the fields of Environmental Science and Earth and Planetary Sciences. Their scholarly work spans several subfields, including Ecology, Anthropology, Paleontology, Atmospheric Science, and Archeology.

The scientist's research centers on key topics such as Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology, Isotope Analysis in Ecology, Evolution and Paleontology Studies, Geology and Paleoclimatology Research, Marine Animal Studies, Archaeology and Ancient Environmental Studies, and Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.

Thure E. Cerling has authored multiple papers in notable publication venues. Frequent venues include:

  • Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
  • Goldschmidt Abstracts
  • Science

Selected recent papers include:

  • Toward a Cenozoic history of atmospheric CO 2, 2023, Science
  • Calcium isotopic ecology of Turkana Basin hominins, 2020, Nature Communications
  • Comparative isotope ecology of western Amazonian rainforest mammals, 2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Isotope data from amino acids indicate Darwin's ground sloth was not an herbivore, 2021, Scientific Reports
  • CH4/CO2 Ratios and Carbon Isotope Enrichment Between Diet and Breath in Herbivorous Mammals, 2021, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

The scientist frequently collaborates with several researchers, including:

  • Kevin T. Uno
  • Tyler E. Huth
  • Deming Yang
  • Diego P. Fernández
  • Benjamin H. Passey

Awards and honors received by Thure E. Cerling include:

  • Geochemistry Fellow Honor, Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry (2021)
  • GSA President's Medal, The Geological Society of America (2017)
  • Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU) (2016)
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2001)
  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (1997)
  • Fellow of the Geological Society of America

Best Publications

  • Global vegetation change through the Miocene/Pliocene boundary

    Thure E. Cerling;John M. Harris;Bruce J. MacFadden;Meave G. Leakey

  • The stable isotopic composition of modern soil carbonate and its relationship to climate

    Thure E. Cerling

  • C 4 photosynthesis, atmospheric CO 2 , and climate

    James R. Ehleringer;Thure E. Cerling;Brent R. Helliker

  • Development of Asian monsoon revealed by marked ecological shift during the latest Miocene in northern Pakistan

    Jay Quade;Thure E. Cerling;John R. Bowman

  • On the isotopic composition of carbon in soil carbon dioxide

    Thure E Cerling;D.Kip Solomon;Jay Quade;John R Bowman

  • Expansion of C4 ecosystems as an indicator of global ecological change in the late Miocene

    Thure E. Cerling;Yang Wang;Jay Quade

  • Stable Carbon and Oxygen Isotopes in Soil Carbonates

    Thure E. Cerling;Jay Quade

  • Carbon isotopes in soils and palaeosols as ecology and palaeoecology indicators

    T. E. Cerling;J. Quade;Y. Wang;J. R. Bowman

  • Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; evidence from Cenozoic and Mesozoic Paleosols

    Thure E. Cerling

  • Carbon isotope fractionation between diet, breath CO2, and bioapatite in different mammals

    Benjamin H. Passey;Todd F. Robinson;Linda K. Ayliffe;Thure E. Cerling

  • Stable isotopes as one of nature's ecological recorders

    Jason B. West;Gabriel J. Bowen;Thure E. Cerling;James R. Ehleringer

  • Stable isotope compositions of biological apatite

    Matthew J. Kohn;Thure E. Cerling

  • Systematic variations in the carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of pedogenic carbonate along elevation transects in the southern Great Basin, United States

    Jay Quade;Thure E. Cerling;John R. Bowman

  • Woody cover and hominin environments in the past 6 million years

    Thure E. Cerling;Jonathan G. Wynn;Samuel A. Andanje;Michael I. Bird

  • A 400 million year carbon isotope record of pedogenic carbonate; implications for paleoatomospheric carbon dioxide

    Douglas D. Ekart;Thure E. Cerling;Isabel P. Montanez;Neil J. Tabor

  • Expansion of C4 grasses in the Late Miocene of Northern Pakistan: evidence from stable isotopes in paleosols

    Jay Quade;Thure E. Cerling

  • High-temperature environments of human evolution in East Africa based on bond ordering in paleosol carbonates

    Benjamin H. Passey;Naomi E. Levin;Naomi E. Levin;Thure E. Cerling;Francis H. Brown

  • A stable isotope aridity index for terrestrial environments.

    Naomi E. Levin;Thure E. Cerling;Benjamin H. Passey;John M. Harris

  • Development of grasslands and savannas in East Africa during the Neogene

    T.E. Cerling

  • Hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios in human hair are related to geography

    James R. Ehleringer;Gabriel J. Bowen;Lesley A. Chesson;Adam G. West

  • Geomorphology and In-Situ Cosmogenic Isotopes

    T. E. Cerling;H. Craig

Frequent Co-Authors

James R. Ehleringer
James R. Ehleringer University of Utah
Benjamin H. Passey
Benjamin H. Passey University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Jay Quade
Jay Quade University of Arizona
Gabriel J. Bowen
Gabriel J. Bowen University of Utah
Matt Sponheimer
Matt Sponheimer University of Colorado Boulder
Naomi E. Levin
Naomi E. Levin University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Meave G. Leakey
Meave G. Leakey Stony Brook University
John Harris
John Harris Newcastle University
Francis H. Brown
Francis H. Brown University of Utah
Linda K. Ayliffe
Linda K. Ayliffe Australian National University

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Studying Earth Science opens doors to diverse career paths, and pursuing related online degrees can enhance your opportunities. For those interested in information management and research, exploring ala mlis programs offers a specialized route into library and information science fields. These programs often lead to roles that support scientific data organization and archiving.

Similarly, a broader focus on organizing knowledge resources can be found in a library science degree. This degree equips students with skills essential for managing educational and scientific materials, which complements Earth Science study in research institutions or museums.

For those inclined towards visual documentation and analysis, an online photography degrees can be valuable. Photography plays a crucial role in capturing geological formations, environmental changes, and scientific phenomena.

Veterans interested in combining their service experience with creative fields can explore photography programs online for veterans. These tailored programs provide accessible training, preparing students to document and contribute to Earth Science through impactful imagery.

Best Scientists Citing Thure E. Cerling

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles