Introduction
I am an Assistant Research Scientist (Soil Science) in the Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences. My research broadly centers on the evaluation of soil genesis and geomorphology to understand landscape history and dynamics. I am especially interested in (1) disentangling the physicochemical nuances of pedogenic processes, namely argilluviation and podzolization, and (2) explaining soil variability and complexity across scales, with special consideration for how disturbances influence the trajectory and outcomes of soil formation.
Education
| Year | Degree | Institution | Major |
| 2025 | Ph.D. | Michigan State University | Geography |
| 2020 | M.S. | Michigan State University | Geography |
| 2017 | B.A. | University of Northern Iowa | Environmental Geography |
Awards
| Year | Award | Organization |
| 2024 | Peter Birkeland Soil Geomorphology Award | Geological Society of America |
| 2022 | Advancing Pedology Award | Soil Science Society of America |
Publications
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2025 Schaetzl, R., Lepper, K., Kincare, K., Lusch, D., Baish, C., Lowell, T., Esch, J., Post, A., Gugel, R., Marcouiler, T., and A. Peterson. The Geomorphology and Glacial History of the Houghton Lake Basin, Northern Lower Michigan, USA. Under Review, Quaternary Research. |
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2024 Sion, B., Baish, C., Kielhofer, J., Sabol, D., Frankenstein, S., and Vennik K. Towards improved predictive mapping of cross-country vehicle mobility potential using geomorphic indicators: an example from formerly glaciated terrain in northeastern Europe. In: McDonald, E. V., Sion, B. D., Henderson, S. (Eds.), Military Geosciences: Past Lessons and Modern Challenges. Geological Society of America Special Paper. Submitted November 2024. Baish, C., Post, A., Shortridge, A., Schaetzl, R., Hopkins, P., Bowman, A., Rabac, I., Frantz, B., and O. Finley. Thousands of Shallow, Relict Gullies Indicate Thermo-erosion on the Sandy Uplands of Northern Lower Michigan during the Late Holocene. Geomorphology, 467. doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109482 |
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2023 Miller B.A., Baish, C., and R.J. Schaetzl. Use of Soil Maps to Interpret Soil-Landform Assemblages and Soil-Landscape Evolution. In: Geopedology – An Integration of Geomorphology and Pedology for Soil and Landscape Studies. 2nd ed. Zinck, J., Metternicht, G., del Valle, H., and M. Angelini (edd.). Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-20667-2_13 Sion, B., Samburova, V., Berli, M., Baish, C., Bustarde, J., and S. Houseman. Assessment of the effects of the 2021 Caldor megafire on soil physical properties, eastern Sierra Nevada, USA. Fire, 6(2): 1-20. doi: 10.3390/fire6020066 |
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2022 Schaetzl, R.J., Miller, B.A., and C. Baish. Catenas and Soils. In: Shroder, J. (Editor in Chief), Pope, G.A. (Ed.), Treatise on Geomorphology. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, vol. 4, Weathering and Soils Geomorphology. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-818234-5.00214-5 Sion, B., Baish, C., and J. Bustrade. Distribution of Geomorphic Landforms and Soils Along the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro in the Socorro area: Implications for Trafficability and Trail Routing. In: Geology of the Socorro Region III, New Mexico Geological Society 72nd Annual Fall Field Conference Guidebook. doi:10.56577/FFC-72.399 Patton, N., Baish, C., Kielhofer, J., Sion, B., and E. McDonald. Preliminary evaluation of Fort Greely as a US analog for high-latitude environments using soil-landform characteristics. 24 pp. Report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. Kielhofer, J., Sabol, D., Baish, C., and E. McDonald. Current knowledge of frozen soil formation, soil-landform relationships for seasonally frozen soils, and techniques for remote detection and prediction. 45 pp. Report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. |
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2021 Baish, C. and R.J. Schaetzl. New insights into the origin and evolution of glossic features in coarse-textured soils in northern Lower Michigan (USA). Soil Science Society of America Journal, 85(6): 2115-2134. doi:10.1002/saj2.20331 Baish, C., Sion, B., and E. McDonald. A landform-based predictive mapping approach to estimating soil textural properties in Estonia and Lithuania (II): US analogs. 38 pp. Report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. Baish, C., Sion, B., Adam, K., Sabol, D., and E. McDonald. A landform-based predictive mapping approach to estimating soil textural properties in Estonia and Lithuania. 34 pp. Report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. |
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2020 Schaetzl, R.J., Kasmerchak, C., Pavel, S., Baish, C., Hadden, M, and D. Rothstein. Acidification and weathering associated with deep tongues in sandy Spodosols, Michigan, USA. Geoderma Regional, 23. doi:10.1016/j.geodrs.2020.e00332 Schaetzl, R.J., Baish, C., Colgan, P.M., Knauff, J., Bilintoh, T., Wanyama, D., Church, M., McKeehan, K., Fulton, A., and A.F. Arbogast. Variations in Till Texture and Clay Mineralogy of the Saginaw Lobe (Michigan, USA): Evidence for a Sediment-Mixing Process Model of Till Genesis. Quaternary Research, 94: 174-194. doi:10.1017/qua.2019.82 |
Personal website: https://sites.google.com/view/baishmsu/home
Keywords
soil science, pedology, soil geography, soil geomorphology, soil chemistry, soil mapping