She and her colleagues use the global laboratory to answer her queries, working primarily in the Himalaya-Tibet, western North America, and the Andes mountains. By examining the geochemistry of minerals in soils, lake sediments and river sands, she can better understand how rivers and glaciers erode, how climate changes our landscape, and how mountains and river gorges came to be. In recognition of her work, she recently won the prestigious Donath Medal for young scientists from the Geological Society of America.