John Johnston

John Johnston aims to identify natural patterns and trends involving sediment, lake water levels, and climate to help predict future scenarios for some of the largest freshwater resources on Earth.

Professor Johnston is currently a leader in two large, multidisciplinary research groups focused on the Mackenzie and Laurentian Great Lakes. He also teaches a number of undergraduate geology courses, including the 3rd-year fieldcamp.

• Sedimentology, stratigraphy, geomorphology, hydrogeology, geochronology, limnology, geodesy, geophysics, climatology, geochemistry, soils, coring & sampling in remote locations.

• Great Lakes-St. Lawrence and Mackenzie watersheds (sediment, water, ice, and climate).

• Geoscience education, experiential and online learning, physical and digital models, extended reality, field training of students and professionals.

• Threats to Aquatic Ecosystems and their Interaction

• Conservation

• Geohazards: Risks and Prevention

• Climate Change and Geosciences

• Increasingly Complex Water Challenges

• Protection of Surface and Groundwater Resources

Increasing pressures as a result of both human-induced and natural factors have raised concern about future available freshwater resources.

Prof. Johnston's goal is to identify natural patterns and trends of sediment (coastal), water (lake level), ice (glacial isostatic adjustment) and climate (multi-decadal to millennial) to place historical events into context and help predict future scenarios.

His current interests involve studying modern and ancient freshwater lakes and associated deposits to decouple climatic and human influence.

He uses the latest sedimentologic, stratigraphic and geomorphic principles in conjunction with geochronological (i.e. 210Pb, 14C, OSL), gephysical (i.e. GPR), geochemical (i.e. C/N) and ecological (i.e. macrofossil, diatom) methods to link surface features to subsurface sediment clues.

Professor Johnston is a leader in two large and long-standing, multidisciplinary research groups focused on water resources in two of Canada’s most important drainage basins, the Mackenzie and Laurentian Great Lakes.

The Five W’s of Dr. Johnston’s Research...

What? - Expertise interpreting modern and ancient coastal sediment and sequences. To unravel natural drivers of water level change (climate, sediment, outlet, glacial isostatic adjustment) during palaeohydrographic reconstruction.

When? - Focus on the late Holocene, the last five millennia.

Where? - The Laurentian Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario) and Mackenzie (Athabasca, Great Slave, Great Bear) drainage basins. Well preserved deposits in remote areas.

Who? - Two leading, large and long-standing, multidisciplinary research groups (and growing). Great Lakes member since 1998 and Mackenzie member since 2004.

Why? – Improve resolution of geological records to better merge with and extend instrumental records. Identify natural patterns and trends, place historical events in to context, and predict future possible scenarios.

• 2004, Doctorate Geological Sciences, Indiana University, United States

• 1999, Master of Science Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 1995, Bachelor of Science (BSc) Physical Sciences (minor in geology), University of Guelph, Canada

• 1994 Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Undergraduate Award

• 1994 Geological Association of Canada Undergraduate Award

• 1995 University of Guelph geology representative for Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Student-Industry Field Trip

• 2002 IU Bloomington Professional Council and the Office of the Chancellor Award

• 2003 Award for Academic Achievement, Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University.

• 2003 Distinguished Service Award 2003 – In recognition of valuable contributions to the new Geological Society of America Limnogeology Division. First web manager for this new division.

• 2003 International Association for Great Lakes Research Scholarship

• 2003 Indiana University Department of Geological Sciences Estwing Award

• 2004 Award for Academic Achievement, Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University.

• 2015 Certificate of Excellence in Reviewing - Journal of Paleolimnology, in recognition of the timely, thoughtful, and high-quality reviews submitted to ensure the journal’s continued growth and success.

• Geological Association of Canada

• Geological Society of America

• International Association for Great Lakes Research

• American Geophysical Union

• Great Lakes Research Consortium

• Member, The Water Institute

• EARTH 121 - Introductory Earth Sciences
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• EARTH 235 - Stratigraphic Approaches to Understanding Earth's History
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• EARTH 390 - Methods in Geological Mapping
  • Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• EARTH 491 - Special Topics in Earth and Environmental Sciences
  • Taught in 2021

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.