Steven W Leavitt
- Professor, Dendrochronology
- Professor, Global Change - GIDP
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
Biography
Dr. Steven W. Leavitt has been a professor in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona since 1990. His undergraduate degree is in geology, and his graduate degrees are in environmental science and geoscience (geochemistry). Dr. Leavitt’s research centers on past, present and future global change, variously using light stable-isotope analysis of tree rings, native plant leaves, crop plants, soils and geological materials.
Leavitt has used carbon isotope analysis in multiple FACE (Free-Air CO2 Enrichment) experiments conducted at the Maricopa Agricultural Center (Arizona), including cotton, wheat and sorghum, to understand more about impact of CO2 fertilization on crop production and soil organic carbon pools.
He has further pursued use of carbon isotopes in tree rings to investigate environmental moisture, drought, and water-use efficiency of pinyon pine, ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir trees in networks of sites around the US Southwest and Baja.
Much of Leavitt’s recent efforts have involved ongoing investigation of wood from ancient buried forests from around the Great Lakes area spanning the period from about 4,000 to 15,000 years ago, for tree-ring and isotope analysis to better understand the environment of that time. Additionally, several recent and ongoing studies have involved investigation of tree rings and tree-ring isotopes in China with respect to climate and ecological questions.
Degrees
- Ph.D. Geosciences
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States
- Inference of past atmospheric d13C and PCO2 from 13C/12C measurements in tree rings
- M.S. Environmental Sciences
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
- Soil-plant relationships of nutrient and non-nutrient metals in Louisa Co., Virginia
- B.S. Geology
- University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, United States
- The geology and genesis of magmatic iron deposits at Kiruna and Gellivare, Sweden, and Iron Mountain, Missouri
Work Experience
- UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (2008 - 2025)
- UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (1996 - Ongoing)
- UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (1990 - 1996)
- University of Wisconsin- Parkside (1984 - 1990)
- UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (1982 - 1984)
Awards
- Editor, Tree-Ring Research
- Tree-Ring Society, Fall 2023
- Tree-Ring Society, Fall 2021
- Tree-Ring Society, Spring 2018
Interests
Research
Stable-isotope dendrochronology; light stable-isotope geochemistry applied to geological and environmental problems; the global carbon cycle in geologic time and the recent imbalance from anthropogenic effects; environmental and climate reconstructions with particular interest in the last 15,000 years.
Teaching
GenEd- Introduction to Global ChangeGrad- Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Courses
2026-27 Courses
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Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Fall 2026)
2025-26 Courses
-
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2026) -
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Fall 2025)
2024-25 Courses
-
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2025) -
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
-
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2024) -
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
-
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2023)
2021-22 Courses
-
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2022) -
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Fall 2021)
2020-21 Courses
-
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2021) -
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Fall 2020)
2019-20 Courses
-
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2020)
2018-19 Courses
-
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2019) -
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Fall 2018)
2017-18 Courses
-
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2018) -
Global Biogeochem Cycles
GC 572 (Fall 2017) -
Global Biogeochem Cycles
GEOS 572 (Fall 2017) -
Global Biogeochem Cycles
HWRS 572 (Fall 2017) -
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Fall 2017)
2016-17 Courses
-
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2017) -
Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Fall 2016)
2015-16 Courses
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Intro to Global Change
GC 170A1 (Spring 2016)
Scholarly Contributions
No activities entered.
