Dr Chris Boulton
Associate Research Fellow
C.A.Boulton@exeter.ac.uk
Laver Building Level 7
Laver Building, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter, EX4 4QE, UK
Overview
After completing my MMath in the Mathematics department at Exeter in 2011, I stayed on for my PhD, switching to Geography, as part of the Earth System Science research group. The topic 'Early warning signals of environmental tipping points' allowed me to apply my maths skills to the real world, specifically climate science. Throughout my PhD, I was also involved in the teaching programming skills and statistics to undergraduate bioscience and geography students.
Broad research specialisms:
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Climate Modelling
- Time Series Analysis
- Dynamical Systems
Qualifications
MMath in Mathematics (Exeter)
PhD in Geography – Early warning signals of environmental tipping points (Exeter)
Publications
Journal articles
Lenton T, Buxton J, Abrams J, Boulton C, Powell T, Cunliffe A (In Press). A resilience sensing system for the biosphere. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Abstract.
Arthur R, Boulton C, Shotton H, Williams HTP (In Press). Social sensing of floods in the UK. PLoS ONE
Lenton TM, Abrams JF, Bartsch A, Bathiany S, Boulton CA, Buxton JE, Conversi A, Cunliffe AM, Hebden S, Lavergne T, et al (2024). Publisher Correction: Remotely sensing potential climate change tipping points across scales. Nature Communications, 15(1).
Lenton TM, Abrams JF, Bartsch A, Bathiany S, Boulton CA, Buxton JE, Conversi A, Cunliffe AM, Hebden S, Lavergne T, et al (2024). Remotely sensing potential climate change tipping points across scales. Nat Commun, 15(1). Abstract. Author URL.
Abrams JF, Huntingford C, Williamson MS, Armstrong McKay DI, Boulton CA, Buxton JE, Sakschewski B, Loriani S, Zimm C, Winkelmann R, et al (2023). Committed Global Warming Risks Triggering Multiple Climate Tipping Points. Earth's Future, 11(11). Abstract.
Smith T, Zotta R-M, Boulton CA, Lenton TM, Dorigo W, Boers N (2023). Reliability of resilience estimation based on multi-instrument time series. Earth System Dynamics, 14(1), 173-183. Abstract.
Boulton CA, Lenton TM, Boers N (2023). Reply to: Little evidence that Amazonian rainforests are approaching a tipping point. Nature Climate Change, 13(12), 1321-1323.
Arellano-Nava B, Halloran PR, Boulton CA, Scourse J, Butler PG, Reynolds DJ, Lenton TM (2022). Destabilisation of the Subpolar North Atlantic prior to the Little Ice Age. Nature Communications, 13(1). Abstract.
Boulton CA, Lenton TM, Boers N (2022). Pronounced loss of Amazon rainforest resilience since the early 2000s. Nature Climate Change, 12(3), 271-278. Abstract.
Buxton JE, Abrams JF, Boulton CA, Barlow N, Rangel Smith C, Van Stroud S, Lees KJ, Lenton TM (2022). Quantitatively monitoring the resilience of patterned vegetation in the Sahel. Glob Chang Biol, 28(2), 571-587. Abstract. Author URL.
Arellano Nava B, Halloran PR, Boulton CA, Lenton TM (2021). Bivalves indicate that the North Atlantic was under stress before the onset of the Little Ice Age. Abstract.
Buxton J, Powell T, Ambler J, Boulton C, Nicholson A, Arthur R, Lees K, Williams H, Lenton T (2021). Community-driven tree planting greens the neighbouring landscape. Abstract.
Boulton CA (2021). Looking to the (far) future of climate projection. Global Change Biology, 28(2), 346-348.
Boulton C, Lenton T, Boers N (2021). Loss of Amazon rainforest resilience since the early 2000s. Abstract.
Martin K, Schmidt K, Toseland A, Boulton CA, Barry K, Beszteri B, Brussaard CPD, Clum A, Daum CG, Eloe-Fadrosh E, et al (2021). The biogeographic differentiation of algal microbiomes in the upper ocean from pole to pole. Nature Communications, 12(1). Abstract.
Boulton CA, Ritchie PDL, Lenton TM (2020). Abrupt changes in Great Britain vegetation carbon projected under climate change. Global Change Biology, 26(8), 4436-4448. Abstract.
Ritchie P, Smith G, Davis K, Fezzi C, Halleck-Vega S, Harper A, Boulton C, Binner A, Day B, Gallego-Sala A, et al (2020). Shifts in national land use and food production in Great Britain after a climate tipping point. Nature Food, 1, 76-83.
Boulton CA, Lenton TM (2019). A new method for detecting abrupt shifts in time series. F1000Research, 8, 746-746. Abstract.
Boulton CA, Belcher CM (2019). A novel approach for predicting the probability of ignition of palaeofires using fossil leaf assemblages. Palaeontology, 62(5), 715-730. Abstract.
Ritchie PDL, Harper AB, Smith GS, Kahana R, Kendon EJ, Lewis H, Fezzi C, Halleck-Vega S, Boulton CA, Bateman IJ, et al (2019). Large changes in Great Britain’s vegetation and agricultural land-use predicted under unmitigated climate change. Environmental Research Letters, 14(11), 114012-114012. Abstract.
Boulton CA, Hughes E, Kent C, Smith JR, Williams HTP (2019). Student engagement and wellbeing over time at a higher education institution. PLoS One, 14(11). Abstract. Author URL.
Boulton CA, Kent C, Williams HTP (2018). Virtual learning environment engagement and learning outcomes at a ‘bricks-and-mortar’ university. Computers and Education, 126, 129-142. Abstract.
Boulton CA, Booth BBB, Good P (2017). Exploring uncertainty of Amazon dieback in a perturbed parameter Earth system ensemble. Global Change Biology, 23(12), 5032-5044. Abstract.
Thomas ZA, Kwasniok F, Boulton CA, Cox PM, Jones RT, Lenton TM, Turney CSM (2015). Early warnings and missed alarms for abrupt monsoon transitions. Climate of the Past, 11(12), 1621-1633. Abstract.
Boulton CA, Lenton TM (2015). Slowing down of North Pacific climate variability and its implications for abrupt ecosystem change. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 112(37), 11496-11501. Abstract. Author URL.
Boulton CA, Allison LC, Lenton TM (2014). Early warning signals of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation collapse in a fully coupled climate model. Nat Commun, 5 Abstract. Author URL.
Beckett SJ, Boulton CA, Williams HTP (2014). FALCON: a software package for analysis of nestedness in bipartite networks. F1000Res, 3 Abstract. Author URL.
Murphy JM, Booth BBB, Boulton CA, Clark RT, Harris GR, Lowe JA, Sexton DMH (2014). Transient climate changes in a perturbed parameter ensemble of emissions-driven earth system model simulations. Climate Dynamics, 43(9-10), 2855-2885. Abstract.
Boulton CA, Good P, Lenton TM (2013). Early warning signals of simulated Amazon rainforest dieback. Theoretical Ecology, 6(3), 373-384. Abstract.
Booth BBB, Bernie D, McNeall D, Hawkins E, Caesar J, Boulton C, Friedlingstein P, Sexton DMH (2013). Scenario and modelling uncertainty in global mean temperature change derived from emission-driven global climate models. EARTH SYSTEM DYNAMICS, 4(1), 95-108. Author URL.
Booth BBB, Bernie D, McNeall D, Hawkins E, Caesar J, Boulton C, Friedlingstein P, Sexton D (2012). Scenario and modelling uncertainty in global mean temperature change derived from emission driven Global Climate Models. Abstract.
Conferences
Kent C, Boulton CA, Williams H (2017). Towards measurement of the relationship between student engagement and learning outcomes at a bricks-and-mortar university. Abstract.
Boulton CA, Shotton H, Williams HTP (2016). Using social media to detect and locate wildfires. 1st International Workshop on Social Web for Environmental and Ecological Monitoring (SWEEM) at International Conference on Web and Social Media (ICWSM 2016).
