Francis Chantel Nixon
About
I am an Associate Professor of physical geography and Quaternary geology. I teach courses on geomorphology, geohazards, and field methods in physical geography. My research is interdisciplinary, field-based, and focused on high-latitude coasts.
Education and experience
I earned my PhD in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta, Canada, where I reconstructed Last Glacial Maximum ice sheet margins, relative sea-level change, and coastal sea in the western Canadian High Arctic. As a PhD student, I had the good fortune to teach Environmental Technology Program courses at Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit, Nunavut. After moving to Norway, I worked at the Geological Survey of Norway in the Marine Geology group, mapping bedforms and gas hydrates in the Barents Sea. I have been an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Social Anthropology at NTNU since 2018.
Research
The overarching theme of my research program is to investigate the impacts of climate change and pollution in high-latitude coastal zones. Current research projects include:
- Reducing uncertainty in century-scale relative sea-level projections for Norway using Holocene analogues and improved glacial isostatic adjustment modelling.
- Documenting and increasing knowledge about impacts of climate change in and on Arctic coasts and fjords
- Mapping plastic litter in the coastal zone and investigating its impacts on coastal landscapes.
Research interests
- reconstructing geomorphological, sedimentological, and biogeochemical responses of the coastal zone to past environmental change;
- mapping and documenting the impacts of macroplastics in coastal sediments;
- reconstructing past coastal sea ice conditions and Arctic Ocean dynamics using geomorphology, driftwood and other floating debris;
- collaborating with communities and local stakeholders to identify their most pressing environmental concerns and increase our collective understanding of them.
Publications
2025
-
Holthuis, Max;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Kylander, Malin E.;
Bilt, Willem Godert Maria van der;
Hong, Isabel;
Joyse, Kristen M..
(2025)
Relative sea-level trends in southern Norway during the last millennium.
Boreas
Academic article
2024
-
Cyvin, Jakob Bonnevie;
Nixon, Francis Chantel.
(2024)
Plastic litter affected by heat or pressure: A review of current research on remoulded plastic litter.
Science of the Total Environment
Academic literature review
2023
-
Thorsnes, Terje;
Chand, Shyam;
Bellec, Valerie Karin;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Brunstad, Harald;
Lepland, Aivo.
(2023)
Gas seeps in Norwegian waters – distribution and mechanisms.
Norwegian Journal of Geology
Academic article
-
Peter, Maria;
Andersen, Jane Lund;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Etzelmüller, Bernd;
Westermann, Sebastian;
Fredin, Ola.
(2023)
Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard.
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Academic article
2022
-
Lakeman, Thomas;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Romundset, Anders;
Simpson, Matthew J.R.;
Svendsen, John Inge;
Vasskog, Kristian.
(2022)
Improving past and future relative sea-level constraints for the Norwegian coast.
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Abstract
-
Holthuis, Max;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Kylander, Malin E.;
Bilt, Willem Godert Maria van der;
Martin, Jake;
Lakeman, Thomas.
(2022)
Late Holocene sea-level change and storms in southwestern Norway based on new data from intertidal basins and salt marshes.
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Abstract
-
Nixon, Francis Chantel.
(2022)
Wood, whales, and the water's edge: Three proxies for interpreting past sea-ice conditions on Arctic beaches.
Past Global Changes Magazine
Popular scientific article
2021
-
Martin, Jake;
Lusher, Amy L.;
Nixon, Francis Chantel.
(2021)
A review of the use of microplastics in reconstructing dated sedimentary archives.
Science of the Total Environment
Academic literature review
-
Kveberg, Anne Aasen;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Cyvin, Jakob Bonnevie.
(2021)
Mikroplast i sedimenter fra Trøndelagskysten, Norge.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
2020
-
Dalton, April S.;
Margold, Martin;
Stokes, Chris R.;
Tarasov, Lev;
Dyke, Arthur S.;
Adams, Roberta S..
(2020)
An updated radiocarbon-based ice margin chronology for the last deglaciation of the North American Ice Sheet Complex.
Quaternary Science Reviews
Academic literature review
2019
-
Bellec, Valérie K.;
Bøe, Reidulv;
Bjarnadóttir, Lilja Rún;
Albretsen, Jon;
Dolan, Margaret F.J.;
Chand, Shyam.
(2019)
Sandbanks, sandwaves and megaripples on Spitsbergenbanken, Barents Sea.
Marine Geology
Academic article
-
Nixon, Chantel;
Chand, Shyam;
Thorsnes, Terje;
Bjarnadóttir, Lilja Rún.
(2019)
A modified gas hydrate-geomorphological model for a new discovery of enigmatic craters and seabed mounds in the Central Barents Sea, Norway.
Geo-Marine Letters
Academic article
2018
-
Oliva, Frank;
Peros, Matthew Charles;
Viau, Andre E;
Reinhardt, Eduard G;
Nixon, Chantel;
Morin, A.
(2018)
A multi-proxy reconstruction of tropical cyclone variability during the past 800 years from Robinson Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Marine Geology
Academic article
-
Lakeman, Thomas;
Pienkowski, Anna J.;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Furze, Mark F.A.;
Blasco, Steve;
Andrews, John T..
(2018)
Collapse of a marine-based ice stream during the early Younger Dryas chronozone, western Canadian Arctic.
Geology
Academic article
2016
-
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
England, John H.;
Lajeunesse, Patrick;
Hanson, Michelle A..
(2016)
An 11 000-year record of driftwood delivery to the western Queen Elizabeth Islands, Arctic Canada.
Boreas
Academic article
Journal publications
-
Holthuis, Max;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Kylander, Malin E.;
Bilt, Willem Godert Maria van der;
Hong, Isabel;
Joyse, Kristen M..
(2025)
Relative sea-level trends in southern Norway during the last millennium.
Boreas
Academic article
-
Cyvin, Jakob Bonnevie;
Nixon, Francis Chantel.
(2024)
Plastic litter affected by heat or pressure: A review of current research on remoulded plastic litter.
Science of the Total Environment
Academic literature review
-
Thorsnes, Terje;
Chand, Shyam;
Bellec, Valerie Karin;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Brunstad, Harald;
Lepland, Aivo.
(2023)
Gas seeps in Norwegian waters – distribution and mechanisms.
Norwegian Journal of Geology
Academic article
-
Peter, Maria;
Andersen, Jane Lund;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Etzelmüller, Bernd;
Westermann, Sebastian;
Fredin, Ola.
(2023)
Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard.
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Academic article
-
Lakeman, Thomas;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Romundset, Anders;
Simpson, Matthew J.R.;
Svendsen, John Inge;
Vasskog, Kristian.
(2022)
Improving past and future relative sea-level constraints for the Norwegian coast.
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Abstract
-
Holthuis, Max;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Kylander, Malin E.;
Bilt, Willem Godert Maria van der;
Martin, Jake;
Lakeman, Thomas.
(2022)
Late Holocene sea-level change and storms in southwestern Norway based on new data from intertidal basins and salt marshes.
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Abstract
-
Nixon, Francis Chantel.
(2022)
Wood, whales, and the water's edge: Three proxies for interpreting past sea-ice conditions on Arctic beaches.
Past Global Changes Magazine
Popular scientific article
-
Martin, Jake;
Lusher, Amy L.;
Nixon, Francis Chantel.
(2021)
A review of the use of microplastics in reconstructing dated sedimentary archives.
Science of the Total Environment
Academic literature review
-
Dalton, April S.;
Margold, Martin;
Stokes, Chris R.;
Tarasov, Lev;
Dyke, Arthur S.;
Adams, Roberta S..
(2020)
An updated radiocarbon-based ice margin chronology for the last deglaciation of the North American Ice Sheet Complex.
Quaternary Science Reviews
Academic literature review
-
Bellec, Valérie K.;
Bøe, Reidulv;
Bjarnadóttir, Lilja Rún;
Albretsen, Jon;
Dolan, Margaret F.J.;
Chand, Shyam.
(2019)
Sandbanks, sandwaves and megaripples on Spitsbergenbanken, Barents Sea.
Marine Geology
Academic article
-
Nixon, Chantel;
Chand, Shyam;
Thorsnes, Terje;
Bjarnadóttir, Lilja Rún.
(2019)
A modified gas hydrate-geomorphological model for a new discovery of enigmatic craters and seabed mounds in the Central Barents Sea, Norway.
Geo-Marine Letters
Academic article
-
Oliva, Frank;
Peros, Matthew Charles;
Viau, Andre E;
Reinhardt, Eduard G;
Nixon, Chantel;
Morin, A.
(2018)
A multi-proxy reconstruction of tropical cyclone variability during the past 800 years from Robinson Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Marine Geology
Academic article
-
Lakeman, Thomas;
Pienkowski, Anna J.;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Furze, Mark F.A.;
Blasco, Steve;
Andrews, John T..
(2018)
Collapse of a marine-based ice stream during the early Younger Dryas chronozone, western Canadian Arctic.
Geology
Academic article
-
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
England, John H.;
Lajeunesse, Patrick;
Hanson, Michelle A..
(2016)
An 11 000-year record of driftwood delivery to the western Queen Elizabeth Islands, Arctic Canada.
Boreas
Academic article
Report
-
Kveberg, Anne Aasen;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Cyvin, Jakob Bonnevie.
(2021)
Mikroplast i sedimenter fra Trøndelagskysten, Norge.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Masters thesis
Teaching
Courses
Outreach
2024
-
Academic lectureCyvin, Jakob Bonnevie; Nixon, Francis Chantel; Coutris, Claire; Nemes, Attila. (2024) Water Infiltration capacity in soil polluted with macroplastic. MICRO2024 , Lanzarote 2024-09-23 - 2024-09-27
2023
-
PosterCyvin, Jakob Bonnevie; Hausken, Amanda Veronica; Sledz, Zuzanna Maria; Nixon, Francis Chantel. (2023) A novel method for coring plastic-infiltrated coastal soils & quantification of leaking microplastics from central Norway. the Second International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region , Reykjavik 2023-11-22 - 2023-11-23
-
PosterSledz, Zuzanna Maria; Cyvin, Jakob Bonnevie; Nixon, Francis Chantel. (2023) Effect of macroplastic on soil percolation and infiltration rate: a lysimeter test using artificial rainfall on samples from the central Norwegian coast. SETAC Europe 33th Annual Meeting , Dublin 2023-04-30 - 2023-05-04
2022
-
Academic lectureHolthuis, Max; Nixon, Francis Chantel; Kylander, Malin E.; Bilt, Willem Godert Maria van der; Martin, Jake; Lakeman, Thomas. (2022) Late Holocene sea-level change and storms in southwestern Norway based on new data from intertidal basins and salt marshes. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2022-05-23 - 2022-05-27
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LectureCyvin, Jakob Bonnevie; Kronbäck, Sebastian; Skottun, Ane; Berglid, Thomas; Nixon, Chantel. (2022) VIRTUAL REALITY FOR ACTIVE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION. HOW AND WHY?. 11th World Environmental Education Congress , Pague 2022-03-14 - 2022-03-18