David Harning is a CIRES research scientist at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) studying past Arctic climates. His research involves digging into sediments and extracting biological and chemical evidence of past environments to unravel records of temperature, vegetation, glaciers, sea ice, and ocean circulation. Harning’s work is vital for understanding how the Arctic will respond to a warming climate and abrupt change — and it has taken him to some amazing places, including Greenland and Iceland. He grew up in New Hampshire, where he “spent a lot of time in and around the water,” and he recently completed the Leadville Trail 100 Run for the second time.

Humans of CIRES Q&A

Q: What do you work on at CIRES?

I study the pattern of Arctic paleoclimate during the current interglacial. This involves analyzing records of past temperature, vegetation, glaciers, sea ice, and ocean circulation from sediments to understand how the Arctic will change in a warmer world and how sensitive it is to periods of abrupt climate change.

Q: Where is the most exciting place you’ve traveled to for your research/job?

Greenland. I've been lucky to travel to a number of amazing places, including many trips to Iceland, but witnessing the sheer size and power of the Greenland Ice Sheet was truly impressive. Being in the middle you can only see more ice in every direction and watching the outlets calve in the ocean will be something I'll never forget.

Q: Where did you grow up?

I grew up on the coast of New Hampshire and spent a lot of time in and around the water. I always said I need to either have the mountains or oceans in life. Right now, I'm living by the mountains, but my research is increasingly focusing on the ocean so I think it's a win-win!

Q: Tell us about a hobby of yours.

I love running and racing long distances, particularly on the trails. I just ran the Leadville 100 for the second time and am really excited to toe the line at the Boston Marathon next April.