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Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center (GECSC) researchers conduct multi-purpose geologic mapping and topical scientific studies to address issues concerning geologic, climatic, ecosystem, and land surface changes; human interactions with the environment; and physical, chemical, and biological characterization of the Earth's surface and upper crust. 

News

New study of bat habitats and wind energy can help energy providers minimize collisions

New study of bat habitats and wind energy can help energy providers minimize collisions

USGS Friday's Findings - July 26, 2024

USGS Friday's Findings - July 26, 2024

Friday's Findings - April 26, 2024

Friday's Findings - April 26, 2024

Publications

Microplastic and associated black particles from road-tire wear: Implications for radiative effects across the cryosphere and in the atmosphere

The environmental effects of airborne micro- and nano-size plastic particles are poorly understood. Microscopy and chemical analyses of atmospherically deposited particles on snow surfaces at high elevation (2,865–3,690 m) in the Upper Colorado River basin (UCRB; Colorado Rocky Mountains) revealed the presence of black substances intimately associated with microplastic fibers, particles interprete
Authors
Richard L. Reynolds, Heather A. Lowers, George N. Breit, Harland L. Goldstein, Elizabeth Kellisha Williams, Corey Lawrence, Raymond F. Kokaly, Jeff Derry

Lead isotopes constrain Precambrian crustal architecture, thermal history, and lithospheric foundering in Laurentia

Laurentia (ancestral North America) records nearly 4 billion years of crustal evolution. Here, a newly compiled continental-scale Pb isotopic database is used to evaluate the Precambrian crustal evolution of Laurentia. Pb model ages yield a 2.7 Ga peak, a 2.5–1.8 Ga minimum and 1.8–0.9 Ga continuum. Pb model ages yield thermochronometric data and track crustal growth via arc-related magmatism and
Authors
Ian William Hillenbrand

Mantle melting in regions of thick continental lithosphere: Examples from Late Cretaceous and younger volcanic rocks, Southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado (USA)

Major- and trace-element data together with Nd and Sr isotopic compositions and 40Ar/39Ar age determinations were obtained for Late Cretaceous and younger volcanic rocks from north-central Colorado, USA, in the Southern Rocky Mountains to assess the sources of mantle-derived melts in a region underlain by thick (≥150 km) continental lithosphere. Trachybasalt to trachyandesite lava flows and volcan
Authors
Lang Farmer, Leah E. Morgan, M. Cosca, James Mize, Treasure Bailey, Kenzie J. Turner, Cameron Mark Mercer, Eric T Ellison, Aaron Bell
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