Hannah Baranes, Ph.D.

Hannah joined GMRI in 2022 as a postdoctoral researcher and now leads the Coastal Dynamics Lab in the Climate Center. Hannah uses a combination of observational, statistical, and numerical techniques to characterize coastal and estuarine flood risk. Her work also supports translation of sea level rise and flood hazard science to coastal management, climate resilience planning, flood forecasting and preparedness, and state rule-making. 

Ongoing projects include developing a flood risk assessment tool for working waterfronts; improving flood forecasting by installing tide gauges alongside community science, education, and municipal engagement programs; designing the statistics for a statewide coastal flood risk model; and statistical modeling of water levels in tidal rivers. She is also a member of the Maine Climate Council’s Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, served as a review editor on the Fifth National Climate Assessment, and co-authored the City of Boston’s regional climate projections report.

Prior to joining GMRI, Hannah received her B.A. in Earth Sciences from Dartmouth College and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Geosciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Hannah’s graduate work aimed to understand the dynamic processes that shape the coastal environment. She has published on topics ranging from incorporating tides into flood hazard statistics, to understanding the processes that supply salt marshes with the mineral sediment they need to survive. 

Outside work, Hannah spends most of her time coaching and playing ultimate frisbee. She’s also an avid backcountry snowboarder and an avidly-mediocre mountain biker.