Victor Polyak, senior research scientist in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UNM, has been honored with the National Speleological Society Science award, according to a UNM release.
Polyak received the award for his “dedication to the research of caves,” much of which includes published studies. He is currently the manager of the Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory.
According to the statement, the award recognizes an NSS member who has shown impressive commitment to the scientific study of caves.
“I’m honored to be awarded the NSS Science Award,” Polyak said in the statement. "It comes from my fellow cavers and scientists. It was a lot of fun receiving the award."
His research includes studies on Carlsbad Cavern and Lechuguilla Cave, two world-renowned caves in New Mexico
A majority of Polyak’s research deals with paleoclimatology – the study of past climates, according to www.globalchange.umich.edu -- of the southwest U.S. as well as the timing of growth of speleothems (mineral deposits) from caves of Mallorca, Spain, that are sea-level high-stand indicators.
This research provides one of the most accurate sea level records for the last interglacial period, a period that extended from 127,000 to 75,000 years ago. Additionally, Polyak has conducted research of landscape evolution that has made large contributions to the evolution of the Grand Canyon, according to the release.
