Cockburn, Jaclyn

Dr. Jaclyn Cockburn
Associate Professor
PhD, Queen's University, 2008
Pronouns: 
She/her
Phone: 
519-824-4120 ext. 53498
Specialization: 

Geomorphology, fluvial systems, freshwater fish habitat, hydroclimate variability, hazards, climate change.

*Denotes student co-author was supervised or co-supervised by J. Cockburn


Refereed Articles

Newman, D. R., Lindsay, J. B., & Cockburn, J. (2018).  Evaluating metrics of local topographic position for multiscale geomorphometric analysis.   Geomorphology. DOI:10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.04.003.
 
Krompart*, J., Cockburn, J., & Villard, P. V. (2018).  Pocket wetlands as additions to stormwater treatment train systems: a case study from a restored stream in Brampton, ON, Canada.   Canadian Water Resources Journal. DOI: 10.1080/07011784.2018.1459863
 
Hughes, G. B., Adams, J., & Cockburn, J. M. (2018).  Solar Activity Expressed in a Modern Varve-Thickness Sequence.   Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. DOI: 10.1139/cjes-2018-0111
 
Newman, D., Lindsay, J. B., & Cockburn, J. (2018).  Measuring hyperscale topographic anisotropy as a continuous landscape property.   Geosciences. DOI: 10.3390/geosciences8080278
 
Davis*, L., Cockburn, J., & Villard, P. (2017).  Deploying action cameras to observe fish in shallow, ice-covered streams. Journal of Freshwater Ecology. 32: 193-198 DOI: 10.1080/02705060.2016.1258013
 
Cockburn, J., & Garver, J.I. (2016). Building a coalition of concerned stakeholders to guide watershed decisions. GSA Today. DOI: 10.1130/GSAT267GW.1
 
Cockburn, J., Vetta*, M., & Garver, J.I. (2016). Tree-ring evidence linking late twentieth century changes in precipitation to slope instability, central New York State, USA. Physical Geography. DOI: 10.1080/02723646.2016.1157741
 
Burns, T., Berg, A., Cockburn, J., & Fetlock, E. (2016).  Regional scale spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in a prairie region.   Hydrological Processes. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.10954.
 
Stretch, V., Gedalof, Z., Cockburn, J., & Pisaric, M. (2016).  Sensitivity of reconstructed fire histories to detection criteria in mixed-severity landscapes.   Forest Ecology and Management. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2016.08.009.
 
Cockburn, J, Villard, P., & Hutton*, C. (2015). Assessing instream habitat suitability and hydraulic signatures of geomorphic units in a reconstructed single thread meandering channel Authors. Ecohydrology. DOI: 10.1002/eco.1705
 
Cockburn, J. & Garver, J.I. (2015). Change in runoff regimes in the Catskill Mountains: above average discharge in the last two decades. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 3, 199-210, doi:10.1016/j.ejrh.2014.11.006.
 
Lindsay, J.B., Cockburn, J.M.H., & Russell, H.A. (2015). An integral image approach to performing multi-scale topographic position analysis. Geomorphology, 245, 51-61, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.05.025.
 
Molder*, B., Cockburn, J., Berg, A., Lindsay, J., & Woodrow*, K. (2015). Sediment-assisted nutrient transfer from a small, no-till, tile drained watershed in Southwestern Ontario. Agricultural Water Management, 152, 31- 40, doi: doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2014.12.010.
 
Bhamjee, R., Lindsay, J.B., & Cockburn, J. (2015). Monitoring ephemeral headwater streams: a paired- sensor approach. Hydrological Processes. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.10677

My research interests are in past and contemporary landscape processes and specifically how environmental variability has modified or changed these process dynamics. As well, I am interested in how our knowledge of past processes is informed through the use of paleoenvironmental proxies and rely on sedimentary records (e.g., clastic varve or annually laminated sedimentary units) and tree ring growth records (e.g., eccentric growth and reaction wood) to help reconstruct past landscape processes. In the context of future global change or landuse management changes, high-resolution records will help us understand how surface processes in the past have responded to variability and how they might change in the future.

In addition, I am actively evaluating instrument records (temperature, precipitation, discharge, water quality) as a way of establishing baseline conditions to which future scenarios are compared. I am also developing and/or improving field instruments used in monitoring and measuring sedimentary processes in lakes and streams.

  • Mohawk Watershed Symposium, an annual meeting to discuss the state of the Mohawk Watershed
  • Twentieth century changes in river and stream regimes throughout New York and New England
  • Sediment-assisted nutrient runoff in response to summer rainfall in agricultural drainage systems
  • Slope instability risk related to subsurface hillslope drainage connectivity, Schoharie Valley, New York
  • Stream restoration using ‘natural’ channel design principles to minimize water quantity and quality impacts of storm water management systems, and to promote species at risk habitat and overall stream resilience
  • Sedimentary records of climate and sediment supply variability in the Canadian High Arctic
  • Geomorphic and hydrologic responses to co-seismic and inter-seismic uplift and subsidence along the Copper River Delta and Alaganik Slough, Alaska

GEOG*1350 Earth: Hazards and Global Change
GEOG*2000 Geomorphology
GEOG*2110 Climate and the Biophysical Environment
GEOG*4150 Catchment Processes
GEOG*4690 Geography Field Research
GEOG*4990 Independent Study in Geography
GEOG*6060 Special Topics in Geography
GEOG*6610 Global Hydrology

I am always excited to speak with enthusiastic scholars looking to pursue potential graduate (MSc) or senior undergraduate research opportunities. In particular, individuals driven by curiosity and a keen sense for understanding the processes that shape the world around us through a geoscience lens. Our work looks at how fluvial geomorphology and ecohydrology intersect within the context of disturbed systems (e.g., land use land change, climate variability, pre & post disasters or extreme events). Opportunities for Fall 2024 include sediment budget based on sediment cores, ice and winter conditions and their impact on channel morphodynamics, and tool development to track fluvial geomorphic changes in restored channels. Successful applicants will receive funding following our department’s graduate financial support policy. Funds for fieldwork, conference attendance and other opportunities for professional development are also available and will be allocated based on the research projects. Students with strong backgrounds & interest in Physical Geography, Physical and Environmental Sciences are encouraged to contact me to discuss available projects and funding.

Graduate Students Supervised

Name Research
M.Sc. Giovino, Christopher
M.Sc. 2014 Molder, Bryce Sediment and nutrient mobilization in agricultural landscapes.
M.Sc. 2014 Vetta, Matthew Evaluating sediment yield resulting from slope instability along the Schoharie Valley with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) imagery and dendrogeomorphological methods.
M.Sc. 2015 Hutton, Cara Resilience and habitat conditions within a recent stream corridor realignment built using ‘natural’ channel design principles.
M.Sc. 2015 Krompart, Jason Pocket wetland impacts on streamflow and water quality.
M.Sc. 2016 Davis, Lindsay Overwinter habitat of minnows in small, southern Ontario streams.
M.Sc. 2016 Padovan, Patrick Hydrogeomorphic Adjustments in Urban Channel Restoration Projects.
M.Sc. 2017 Van Patter, Jesse The Lasting Impacts of Large-Volume Runoff Events: Evaluating River Discharge and Suspended Sediment Transfer Patterns Following Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, Schoharie Watershed, New York State, USA
M.Sc. 2018 Tweedie, John Evaluating juvenile salmonid habitat using a spatially explicit bioenergetics model.
M.Sc. 2019 McCarrel, Kyle A century of change: Tracking watershed change using lake sediments on the Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada.
M.Sc. 2019 Mielhausen, Josie Evaluating fish passage effectiveness through a sequence of modified vortex rock weirs.
M.Sc. 2022 Scott, Alex Thinking Outside the Channel: Evaluating Water and Carbon Retention in a Low-Order, Designed River Corridor.
M.Sc. 2022 Smith, Abigail Seasonal microhabitat preference for minnows in low order streams.
M.Sc. 2022 Smith, Karine Investigating Ice-Impacted Fluvial Processes in a Small Riffle-Pool Sequence in Southern Ontario
M.Sc. inc. Gibson, Adam The impacts of stream restoration on the overwintering habitat of endangered species.