Changes in the South Pacific hydroclimate over the past two millennia (and beyond!)
This talk examines long-term shifts in the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) using new proxy evidence and models, revealing how these changes have shaped regional climate and human settlement.
Changes in the South Pacific hydroclimate over the past two millennia (and beyond!)
16 Oct 2025, 13:00 – 14:00
Join us for this week’s Palaeoclimate Seminar, featuring Dr Daniel Skinner. The talk examines past shifts in the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) and their implications for regional climate and human settlement over the past millennium.
Watch the Seminar
Catch up on Dr Daniel Skinner’s talk, Changes in the South Pacific hydroclimate over the past two millennia (and beyond!). In this seminar, Dr Skinner presents new proxy evidence revealing shifts in the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) over the past millennium, and discusses the implications of these changes for regional climate and human settlement.
Dr Skinner explores how the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), a key driver of regional rainfall, has shifted over the past millennium. The seminar presents new proxy evidence and climate model analyses to uncover the mechanisms behind these changes and their implications for past human settlement and long-term hydroclimatic variability in the South Pacific.
Dr Daniel Skinner is a Senior Research Associate in the School of Geographical Sciences at the University of Bristol. His research focuses on large-scale climate variability and change, particularly the dynamics of the South Pacific Convergence Zone and the Madden–Julian Oscillation. He has published widely on tropical–extratropical interactions and ocean–atmosphere processes that shape regional hydroclimates over decadal to millennial timescales.
"I will present new proxy evidence showing shift in the SPCZ over the past millennium, and discuss the implications of this shift for human settlement of the region."
Shifts in the SPCZ
New proxy evidence reveals that the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) has shifted position over the past millennium, driving major changes in regional rainfall patterns and influencing human settlement across the South Pacific.
Follow the series
Keep up to date with upcoming speakers and events in the Palaeoclimate Seminar Series.
See all seminars
Expert in tropical climate dynamics, large-scale atmospheric circulation, and South Pacific hydroclimate variability
UCL Palaeoclimate Seminar Series – weekly on Thursdays, 1–2pm, NWW G07
This seminar is part of the UCL Palaeoclimate Seminar Series, held every Thursday during term time from 1–2 pm, usually in North West Wing Room G07. The series features leading scholars exploring diverse topics across palaeoclimate research. All staff, students, and visitors are welcome to attend.
See all seminarsGot questions? Get in touch.
Contact us if you have any questions about studying Geography at UCL.
Further information
Ticketing
Open
Cost
Free
Open to
All
Availability
Yes
Related events
The relative role of direct orbital forcing, CO2, and ice sheet feedbacks on Quaternary climate
Explore how climate shaped coral reef formation and collapse using new biomarker temperature records, revealing complex links between temperature change, CO₂, ice sheets, and reef survival.
Explore UCL Geography Postgraduate Taught Open Event
Join UCL Geography online to explore our postgraduate taught programmes, meet staff and students, and discover how we can support your next academic and professional step.
U.S. Disaster History and the Roots of Environmental Crisis
Professor Gareth Davies examines how efforts to protect Americans from disaster have often had the paradoxical consequence of leaving them more vulnerable than ever to catastrophic loss.