The research straddles the interface between zoological, geological, and humanistic studies in that it focuses on faunal remains as paleoenvironmental indicators of past human societies. Within this broad discipline, we are involved in the study of fauna from Pleistocene sites ranging in time from nearly two million years ago to the Holocene. The scope of our research encompasses the paleoecologic, taphonomic and taxonomic implications of faunal assemblages from Pleistocene sites in the southern Levant.

Together with colleagues, we guide students from archaeology and from geology as they induce new fields of study, such as virtual paleontology; research on hitherto unknown faunal records from Mongolia; applying 3D models for the interpretation of Neanderthal faunal exploitation patterns, and even the use of Ichnotaxa as a tool for reconstruction of the paleoenvironment. 

Gali Beiner, is the conservator of the National Natural History Collections and she is also leading research into better conservation protocols in the lab and in the field.

Research Methods

Our research uses morphological observation with quantitative methods, microscopes and CT. We use the following collections as source of comparison and research.

The Archaeozoological collections comprise hundreds of sites representing the history of the fauna from the Pliocene to the Holocene of Israel, where major events in the history of human took place, from hunting, gathering, fishing, to domestication and husbandry. The collections are open to students and researchers from all over the world.

The recent vertebrate comparative collection represents the local fauna of Israel and adjacent regions. It includes specimens of all taxa collected during the past 60 years. This collection represents populations from various regions of the country. Prof. Israel Aharoni started the collection at the beginning of the 20th century, and was in turn followed by researchers and students who collected animals for research and teaching. Rare species, extinct species, and endangered species, including type specimens, are present in the collection. 

The Paleontological collections hold an impressive body of information on the fossil records of the eastern Mediterranean, its biogeographic origins and the evolution of invertebrates and vertebrates.

 We enlarge these collections through the research of our groups including survey and excavations.

Research Students 

Steiner, T. Doctoral student (with Prof. G. Shelah HUJI). 

Jallon. A., Doctoral student (with Prof. E. Hovers, HUJI)

Nikolskaia, P. Doctoral student

Frish, A. MA. students (with Prof. Y. Garfinkel HUJI).

Friedman, R. MSc. student (with Drs. A. Muskin and R. Calvo, Geological Survey Israel). 

 

Contact Information 

Rivka Rabinovich | rivkar@mail.huji.ac.il | Giveat Ram, Berman building, Floor -1 | Institute of Earth Sciences, south wing, Floor 0, room 12. 

Gali Beiner - Lab Manager | gali.beiner@mail.huji.ac.il

Our group focuses on the relationship between water and extreme weather events in regions characterised by scarcity of water as well as the impact of climate change on such interactions. The research lies at the boundary between hydrology, climatology, atmospheric sciences, and surface processes in environments ranging from vast barren deserts to Mediterranean catchments.

Research Methods

The interdisciplinary research we do combines the development of new tools, data analysis and collection, and modelling of climatic- and hydrologic-related phenomena.

 

Research Students

• Atul Rai; PhD student, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong. Co-supervised by Tim Cohen. Thesis title: Australia’s inland hydrology: quantifying discharge characteristics of the Lake Eyre basin and Australia’s channel country

• Miku Nakamura; MSc student, the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich. Co-supervised by Iris Thurnherr. Thesis title: Meteorological factors involved in heavy precipitation in and filling of Kati-Thanda Lake Eyre.

• Guorong Ling; MSc student in the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich. Co-supervised by Hilla Afargan-Gerstman. Thesis title: Forecasting cyclones related to heavy precipitation events in the Sahara.

 

Contact Information 

Moshe (Koko) Armon | moshe.armon@mail.huji.ac.il

 

In our lab, we study physical processes in the ocean, with a focus on understanding both past and present climate changes and the interaction between the sea and the atmosphere. We conduct ocean measurements, including currents, temperature, salinity, oxygen, and more, using a wide range of instruments such as underwater gliders, current meters, drifting buoys, and surface current radars. Additionally, we run numerical models with varying levels of complexitys. 

 

Surface drifters

 

 

 

Ocean mooring

 

HF radar for surface
current measurements

 

Deploying Acoustic Doppler
Current Profiler

 

Ocean gliders

 

WireWalker

Research Studants: 

Stefan Graf (PhD. Studant)

Itamar Yacoby (PhD. Studant)

Aviram Ohayon (MSc. Studant)

Contact Information:

Hezi Gildor | Room 312 North | 972-2-6584393 | hezi.gildor@mail.huji.ac.il

My research involves the application of trace-element ratios and Sr, Nd, Pb, Mo and Fe isotopic compositions to follow the fate of metals in the environment, in archaeological artifacts and in humans. The clean lab and our sensitive analytical instruments enable me and my students to study small-samples and/or materials with low elemental concentrations (e.g., dust samples, teeth and brain). Currently, my group is involved in research projects centering around:

1. Records of aeolian, fluvial and lacustrine sediments as tracers of paleo-environment conditions and sediment sources.
2. Tracing metal artifacts in antiquity.
3. The dark side of ancient metallurgy: Measuring toxic metals and metallic isotopes (and aDNA) in human populations and in artifacts to trace the impact of early industries through time.
4.  The association between elemental anomalies in the human brain and mental diseases.

We carry out these projects in collaboration with researchers from the Hebrew University (Earth Science, Archaeology, Medicine), the Geological Survey of Israel, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, The Israel Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, GFZ - Potsdam, Germany, Columbia University, University of California San Diego, University of Michigan, and the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

Research Studants: 

Yafit Schnell Ben-Avraham (PhD. Studant)

Sharon Ram (PhD. Studant)

Contact Information:

yigal.erel@mail.huji.ac.il

The research group deals with interactions between meteorological and hydrological systems on local to global scales and looking at the past, present and future. The main emphasis is rain, surface runoff and floods, but other directions (hydrological, geomorphological, agricultural and environmental) are also covered (typically in collaboration with other researchers).

The group's research includes: understanding dominant processes and factors in the creation of extreme rainstorms leading to floods, surface runoff modeling, stream flow, floods and soil erosion; The time-space structure of rainstorms and the statistical characteristics of rain intensities; remote sensing of precipitation; development of flood warning systems; urban hydrology; climate changes and their impact on the precipitation regime, streamflow and floods; the effect of climate change on heat waves, droughts, and the development of pest populations; reconstruction of the past precipitation regime; and more.

The research approaches in the group include: development and application of models to analyze and understand systems and processes and to examine hypotheses; development and application of "weather generators" to create synthetic records with appropriate statistical properties as input to models; development, application and interpretation of machine learning models to obtain new insights on hydrological processes and more.

Research Methods:

The main research methods are the development and application of process-based models, stochastic models and machine learning models; analysis of remote sensing data (radar and satellite) and model data for spatial and temporal characterization of hydrometeorological phenomena; advanced statistical methods for frequency analysis. Databases developed in the group include calibrated rain data from meteorological radar from the 1990s until today, high-resolution meteorological models for multi-precipitation storms. In addition, there are many global and regional databases in the field of hydrometeorology.

 

Research Studants:

Talia Rosin (post-doc)
Pelagiya Belyakova (post-doc)
Omri Porat (PhD)
Elyakom Vadislavsky (PhD)
Ayana Neta (PhD in the Faculty of Agriculture, with Shai Morin and Adam Lampert)
Ziv Mor (PhD, With Nadav Lensky)
Raz Nussbaum (MSc)
Yaniv Goldschmidt (MSc, with Francesco Marra)
Atar Bar (MSc, with Tamir Kamai)
Omri Levin (MSc)
Yifat Kimchi (MSc)

 

Contact Information:

Efrat Morin | 02-6584669 | efrat.morin@mail.huji.ac.il| Room 308 south

Our environment is shaped by the interaction between water and rock. This interaction has a crucial impact on a range of diverse processes, such as the way landscapes develop and erode, the spread of contaminants in groundwater, and the storage of carbon dioxide in subsurface reservoirs. In my group, we study these processes using a combination of cutting edge lab technology, state-of-the-art modeling, and field work. Current research projects include:

• Developing new methods for carbon storage
• Mitigating contaminant transport in aquifers
• Quantifying weathering in carbonate rocks

Students in my team are part of a dynamic research program that is pioneering new projects at the interface between hydrology, geology, and geochemistry. Scholarships are available for creative and talented candidates with backgrounds in Earth Sciences and Natural Sciences. 

Research Students 

Moshe Eliyahu (Lab manager) 

Dr. Rolando Carbonari (Post-doc) 

Roni Grayevsky (PhD Studant) 

Tomer Ben-David (MSc Studant) 

Hadar Kravitz (MSc Studant) 

 

Contact Details 

Simon Emmanuel | simon.emmanuel@mail.huji.ac.il 

Moshe Eliyahu | moshe.eliyahu4@mail.huji.ac.il 

As a marine biogeochemist, my interest revolves around the interactions between organisms and their environment, with emphasis on trace metal bioavailability to phytoplankton and redox transformations. I am intrigued by the fact that microorganisms, striving to acquire nutrients and protect themselves from external stressors, actively modify their chemical milieu and in turn influence the biogeochemical cycles of trace and major elements in the ocean. I study fundamental processes and mechanisms by combining field and laboratory measurements and experiments.

Ongoing and future projects:

• Dust as a source of iron to Trichodesmium, a globally significant phytoplankton
• Bioavailability of iron to phytoplankton

Research Studants 

Dr. Coco Koedooder (Post-doc) 

Dr.  Futing Zhang (Post-doc) 

Anna-Neva Visser (Post-doc) 

Siyuan Wang (PhD Studant)

Contact Details 

Yeala Shaked | yeala.shaked@mail.huji.ac.il

Organic geochemistry and biogeochemistry, stable isotopes, sulfur cycle, organic-inorganic interactions

Research Studants 

PhD Ilya Kutuzov (Post-doc)  

Yafit Schnell Ben-Avraham (PhD Studant)

Hadar Cohen Saadon (PhD Studant)

Chen Davidson (PhD Studant)

Sutapa Patra (PhD Studant)

Vasileia Chatzi (MSc Studant)

Michal Krasna (MSc Studant)

Noam Mizrahi (MSc Studant)

 

Contact Details

Alon Amrani |  alon.amrani@mail.huji.ac.il | Room 204 North | 972-2-65-85477

 

The PredEx lab focuses on improving the ability to predict extreme weather events and their impacts across time and spatial scales, from regional to global and beyond.

Our work addresses the issue of weather and climate predictability from different perspectives, including physical observations, computer modeling, and mathematical/statistical theory.

Research Students

PhD Studants 

Victor Murphy 
My PhD research focuses on enhancing intrinsic predictability in numerical weather prediction by using dynamical system metrics within machine learning and artificial intelligence. The goal is to integrate these metrics into predictive models, thus extending the forecast horizon for long-term weather predictions. I am also working on a research project in the broader department called Systems Thinking in Earth and Environmental Sciences Teaching, which Professor Carynelisa Haspel is coordinating.
Email: victor.murphy@mail.huji.ac.il

Tair Plotnik

André Klif
Analyze sub-seasonal forecast models and/or climate models to better predict the
probability of occurrence of heat waves in the Middle East.
Email: andre.klif@mail.huji.ac.il

MSc Studants 

Efraim Bril
Paleo-climate: climate change in the Levant during the last interglacial period
LinkedIn profile : Efi Bril
Email: efraim.bril@mail.huji.ac.il

Margarita Mazor
Intricate relationship between weather types and the migration patterns of white storks
over the Eastern Mediterranean.
Email: Margarita.Mazor@mail.huji.ac.il 

Yuval Levin
Impact of anthropogenic emissions on the predicted precipitation regime for the Middle East
in the 21st century.
Email: yuval.levin@mail.huji.ac.il

 

Contact Us

assaf.hochman@mail.huji.ac.il |  Room 213 South

Climate Change affects the terrestrial biosphere, while changes in the biosphere feedback and affect the climate system. Understanding these complex interactions is important at these times of Global Change.
Related research in our lab tracks carbon sequestration in soils and wetlands. We measure soil carbon and not only the CO₂ emitted during organic carbon decomposition but also make high-accuracy measurements of O₂ influx. The comparison between these two gases enables better understanding of soil processes.

Previous research projects focus on developing the use of oxygen stable isotopes of phosphate for tracking phosphorus in dust and its biogeochemical cycling in soil. This research is based on field work, remote-sensing and lab work. These approaches could help evaluate the effects of changing climate on the terrestrial phosphorus cycle, which is an important limiting factor for plant growth.

In the last series of projects, we have developed, in collaboration with Prof. Amrani from my institute, an approach to measuring the sulfur isotopes of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and used this to determine its isotopic composition in the atmosphere, plant uptake, and seawater. This is done by sampling in the ocean and forests, and by lab experiments. Our continued research in this field will help to better constrain global-scale photosynthesis and the influence of this gas on Earth's albedo and, hence, climate.

Research students

Guy Sapir (Master) in collaboration with Yoav Rosenberg and Rotem Golan

Michal Karsana (Master) in collaboration with Prof. Alon Amrani

Chen Davidson (PhD) in collaboration with Prof. Alon Amrani

Contact Us

Prof. Alon Angert:

Room 217 south | 02-6584758 | alon.angert@mail.huji.ac.il

Tal Vainer (Lab manager): 

lab.angert@gmail.com

Mesoscale and Planetary Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Mesoscale Numerical Weather-Prediction (from hours to seasons), Mesoscale Numerical Climate-Prediction, Impact of Weather and Climate on Environmental Applications: Urban Planning, Air Pollution, Dust Storms, Renewable Energies, Water Resources and Agriculture.

Research Methods

Dynamical Mesoscale Modeling:

• The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) limited-area model including the following extensions:

  1. WRF-Chem: On-line coupled meteorology, atmospheric chemistry and mineral dust

  2. WRF-Urban: Detailed urban canopy modules

  3. MAD-WRF: Multi-sensor Advection Diffusion algorithm for advanced satellite cloud-initialization

  4. WRF-SCM: Single Column Model

  5. WRF-3DVAR, WRF-4DVar and WRF-EnKF: data assimilation suites based on 3- and 4-Dimensional Variational and Ensemble Kalman Filter algorithms

• The Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) global model with high-resolution zoom-in capabilities

Statistical modeling: 

• Statistical downscaling using analogues and weather-regimes based algorithms

 

Research Students

• Dr. Anton Gelman: Post-doc position

Subject: Improvement of numerical weather prediction over the Eastern Mediterranean trough clouds-data assimilation and           machine learning techniques

Email: anton.gelman@mail.huji.ac.il

• Dr. Ilya Livshits: Researcher 

Subject: Development of an advanced model for dust forecasts over the Eastern Mediterranean 

Email: ilivsh@gmail.com

 

• Borys Beznoshchenko: Ph.D. candidate with Dr. Eran Tas (Faculty of Agriculture) and Prof. Erick Fredj (Love Institute)

 Subject: Study of photochemistry over Israel with advanced modeling tools

 Email: Borys.Beznoshchenko@mail.huji.ac.il

• Yoav Rubin: Ph.D. candidate with Prof. Pinhas Alpert (TAU)

 Subject: Use of microwave cellular links to measure atmospheric moisture and to improve numerical weather prediction

Email: rubin.yoav@gmail.com

 

 

Contact

Lab Lead: Prof. Dorita Rostkier-Edelstein 

Email: dorita.rostkier-edelstein@mail.huji.ac.il

 

We research physical processes in the oceans and seas, including circulation, waves, transport, mixing, air-sea interaction, and ocean-climate interactions. The investigated processes span the spectrum of scales between meters or less (e.g. mixing, waves, boundary layers) to the global overturning circulation in the oceans. The interactions between ocean physics at different scales are some of our principal foci.

Research Methods:

We employ a variety of research methods, with similar emphasis on numerical/theoretical modeling, and on marine observations/experiments

Research Students:

 

Liron Michaeli (lab manager/technician)

Xingyu Li (PhD student studying the ocean surface layer)

Etai Warszawer (MSc student, studying bottom turbulence and sediment suspension)

Jonathan Miller (BSc student, studying use of UAVs in surface flow measurements)

 

 

Contact Information: 

Dr. Aviv Solodoch | Aviv.Solodoch@mail.huji.ac.il | +972-51-2339913

Mr. Liron Michaeli (lab manager/technician) | lironmi@mail.huji.ac.il | 052-4510555