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About Me.

I was born and raised in Manaus, a 2+ million people city in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. It was during my undergrad studies in Manaus that I learned that rivers have a story to tell. Since then, I couldn't stop thinking about the evolution of the Earth's surface and what hidden stories I could uncover by studying landscapes.​ Inspired in the Earth’s amazing scenery, I am intrigued by the processes that interact to create, sustain, and modify landscapes through time.

Below you'll find more about my path in this pursuit of speaking the language of landscapes. Click the box below to download my full CV.

Positions

2022 - Present

Queens College

City University of New York

Assistant Professor

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Doctoral Professor at the Earth and Environmental Science, CUNY Graduate Center

2018-2022

Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto

Assistant Professor (tenured in 2021)

Departmento de Geologia

Escola de Minas

2016-2018

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

University of California, San Diego

Postdoctoral Researcher

Scripps EARTH

Focus: Geomorphology and Cosmogenic Isotopes

Advisor: Dr. Jane K. Willenbring

Publications

* denotes student author

Title
Authors
Year
Journal
(U-Th)/He ages of the lateritization and bauxitization events in the Central-Eastern Amazon
Albuquerque, M; Horbe, AMC; Gautheron, C; Vieira, JGC; Val, P; Pinna-Jame, R; Salazar, CA
2024
In Review
Mobility of South America's transcontinental drainage divide and shrinkage of the Paraná River Basin linked to lithologic and geodynamic controls
Crelier, C; Zumba, A; Peifer, D; Val, P
2024
In Review
Hard rocks keep tectonically dead landscapes geomorphically alive
Val, P; Peifer, D
2024
In Preparation
Knickpoint migration and transient landscapes on the continental margin of Northeastern Brazil
Panta, G; Corrêa, AC; Val, P; Monteiro, KA
2024
In Review
Human impacts outpace natural processes in the Amazon
Albert, J, Carnaval, AC, Flantua, SGA, Lohmann, LG, Ribas, CC, Riff, D, Carillo, JD, Fan, Y, Figueiredo, JJP, Guayasamin, JM, Hoorn, C, Melo, GH, Nascimento, N, Quesada, CA, Ulloa Ulloa, C, Val, P, Arieira, J, Encalada, AC, Nobre, CA
2023
Science
Optimising global landscape evolution models with 10Be
Ruetenik GA; Jansen JD; Val P; Ylä-Mella L
2023
Earth Surface Dynamics
Cenozoic tectonic reactivation and its implications for landscape transience in southeastern Brazil
Santos, JM; Salamuni, E; Val, P; Silva, CL; Morales, M; Souza, IA; Sanches, E
2023
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Landscape evolution as a diversification driver in freshwater fishes
Val, P.; Lyons, N; Gasparini, N; Willenbring, J; Albert, J
2022
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Cyclic sediment deposition by orbital forcing in the Miocene wetland of western Amazonia? New insights from a multidisciplinary approach
Hoorn, C; Kukla, T; Bogotá-Angel, G.; van Soelen, E; González-Arango, C; Wesselingh, FP; Vonhof, H; Val, P.; Morcote-Rios, G; Roddaz, M; Dantas, EL; Santos, RV; Damsté, JSS; Kim J-H; Morley, RJ
2022
Global and Planetary Change
Cosmogenic Nuclide Techniques
Schaefer, JM; Codilean, AT; Willenbring, JK; Lu, Z-T; Keisling, B; Fülöp, R-H; Val, P
2022
Nature Reviews Methods Primers
Bases teóricas do modelo stream-power de incisão fluvial
Peifer, D; Cremon, ÉH; Val, P, Fernandes, NF
2022
Revista Brasileira de Geomorfologia
The Miocene wetland of western Amazonia and its role in biogeography
Hoorn, C; Boschman, LM; Kukla, T; Sciumbata, M; Val, P
2022
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society
Capítulo 35: Modelos numéricos de evolução do relevo (LEMS) e sua importância para estudos de evolução da paisagem
Fernandes, NF; Peifer, D; Val, P
2022
In: Júnior, ABC; Gomes, MCV; Guimarães, RF; Gomes, RAT. Revisões da Literatura da Geomorfologia Brasileira
Ongoing landscape transience in the Eastern Amazon Craton consistent with lithologic control of base level
*Fadul, C. M.; *Oliveira, P.; Val, P
2022
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Subduction Zone Dynamics and the Topography of Cordilleran Orogens
Val, P, Willenbring, JK
2022
In: Shroder, J.J.F. (Ed.), Treatise on Geomorphology, vol. 2. Elsevier, Academic Press, pp. 68–86.
Across-strike asymmetry of the Andes orogen linked to the age and geometry of the Nazca plate.
Val, P., Willenbring, JK
2022
Geology
Chapter 1: Geology and geodiversity of the Amazon: Three billion years of history
Val, P.; Figueiredo, J; Melo, G; Flantua, SGA; Quesada CA; Fan, Y; Albert, JA; Guayasamin, JM; Hoorn, C
2021
Amazon Assessment Report
River reorganization affects populations of dwarf cichlid species (Apistogramma genus) in the lower Negro River, Brazil
Sá Leitão, CS; Souza, É; Santos, CH; Val, P.; Val, AL; Almeida-Val, VMF
2021
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Topographic controls on divide migration, stream capture, and diversification in riverine life
Lyons, N; Val, P.; Albert, J; Willenbring, J; Gasparini, N
2020
Earth Surface Dynamics
Tectonic control of erosion rates in the southern Central Andes
Val, P.; Venerdini AL; Ouimet W; Alvarado P; Hoke GD
2018
Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Regional landscape response to thrust belt dynamics: The Iglesia basin, Argentina
Ruetenik, G; Moucha, R; Hoke, G; Val, P
2018
Basin Research
The changing course of the Amazon River in the Neogene: center stage for Neotropical diversification
Albert, J; Val, P.; Hoorn, C
2018
Neotropical Ichthyology
Development and characterization of microsatellite loci in Amazonian dwarf cichlids Apistogramma spp. (Peciformes: Cichlidae): uncovering geological influence on Amazonian fish population.
Sá-Leitão, CS; Santos, CH; Souza, EM; Val, P.; Vilarinho, G; Silva, MN; Val, AL; Almeida-Val, VMF
2017
Journal of Applied Ichthyology
A practical tool for examining paleo-erosion rates from sedimentary deposits using cosmogenic radionuclides: examples from hypothetical scenarios and data. Geochemistry,
Val, P.; Hoke, GD
2016
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
Reconciling tectonic shortening, sedimentation and spatial patterns of erosion from 10Be paleo-erosion rates in the Argentine Precordillera.
Val, P.; Hoke, GD; Fosdick, JC; Wittmann H
2016
Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Erosion of an active fault scarp leads to drainage capture in the Amazon region, Brazil
Val, P.; Silva, CL; Harbor, DJ; Morales, N; Maia, TFA; Amaral, FR
2014
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Distribuição de knickpoints em bacias de drenagem na região de Manaus (AM) e seu potencial para o estudo neotectônico e evolução da paisagem na Amazônia.
Val, P.; Silva, CL; Santos, JM; Morales, N; Harbor
2013
Contribuições à Geologia da Amazônia

Funding (selected)

2024

National Science Foundation

Division of Earth Sciences, Geomorphology and Land-Use Dynamics

2023

Instituto Serrapilheira

CAREER: Tectonically dead but geomorphologically alive: Investigating the role of hard rocks as triggers of widespread, long-term landscape change in continent interiors

U$750,499

DELTA H 2023

R$55,500

2023

PSC-CUNY

DEAR Amazon:

Detecting Erosion Acceleration in Response to deforestation and fires in the Amazon rainforest

U$6,000

Education

2012-2016

Syracuse University

PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Focus: Tectonic Geomorphology

100% Supported with a CAPES Fellowship

Advisor: Gregory D. Hoke

PhD committee: Paul Fitzgerald, Rob Moucha, Terry Jordan, William Ouimet

2009

Washington & Lee University

Exchange student in Environmental Sciences

Funded by the CAPES-FIPSE Program

Advisor: David Harbor

2006-2012

Universidade Federal do Amazonas

Bachelor of Science, Geology

Undergrad research experiences in Geomorphology, Neotectonics, Structural Geology

Advisor: Clauzionor L. Silva

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