Katherine (Kate) French is a research geochemist in the Central Energy Resources Science Center (CERSC) at the USGS in Denver, Colorado. She specializes in organic and petroleum geochemistry with a focus on hydrocarbon biomarkers in rocks, sediments, and oils.
Kate received a B.S. in chemistry from Yale University (2009), completed a Ph.D. in geochemistry from the MIT/WHOI joint program in oceanography (2014), and was an Agouron postdoctoral fellow at WHOI (2016). She started with the USGS in 2017 where she focuses on molecular characterization of sedimentary organic matter, developing improved analytical methods, and enhancing understanding of biomarkers in the sedimentary record. She has applied her research to geobiology of early Earth and Phanerozoic anoxia, organic matter transport from land to sea, and petroleum systems. She is a member of the Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group (MCSG), which is a team that provides technical expertise to maximize the scientific potential of the Mars samples that would be returned to Earth as part of Mars Sample Return (MSR).
Professional Experience
Research Geochemist at the Central Energy Resources Science Center (CERSC) at the USGS in Denver (2017-present)
Agouron Geobiology Postdoctoral Fellow at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI; 2015-2016)
Education and Certifications
Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography (MIT/WHOI); Ph.D. in Geochemistry (2010-2014)
Fulbright Scholar in Germany at the Alfred Wegner Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI; 2009-2010)
Yale University; B.S. in Chemistry (2005-2009)
Science and Products
Daily operating standard data used for verification of the Petroleum Geochemistry Research Laboratory Method for Qualitative Biomarker Analysis of Crude Oil and Rock Extracts by Gas Chromatography-Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry
The data release contains biomarker data generated by Gas Chromatography-Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry in the Petroleum Geochemistry Research Laboratory. The data was used to determine the precision and accuracy of one daily operating standard for the method entitled, "Petroleum Geochemistry Research Laboratory Method for Qualitative Biomarker Analysis of Crude Oil and Rock Extracts by Gas C
Data release for Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming
This Data Release contains data associated with the journal article "Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming";. Data include bulk organic geochemistry, major and trace element geochemistry, mineralogy, extractable organic matter composition, extractable biomarkers, and organic stable carbon isotope analyses.
Data Release for "Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured by GC-QQQ-MS"
This data release includes biomarker ratio values calculated from measurements made at the USGS for the reference oil NSO-1 that were reported in a journal article entitled Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured by GC-QQQ-MS (French et al., 2020).
French, K.L., Leider, A., and Hallmann, C., 2020, Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured
Filter Total Items: 16
U.S. Geological Survey Rocky Mountain Region 2022 science exchange, showcasing interdisciplinary and state-of-the-art USGS science
IntroductionThe Rocky Mountains and the Colorado River Basin in the Western United States represent complex, interconnected systems that sustain a number of species, including tens of millions of humans. These systems face several challenges, including worsening drought, altered wildfire regimes, climate change, and the spread of invasive species. These factors can exacerbate one another, further
Authors
Dana E. Peterson, Katherine L. French, Jeannette H. Oden, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy N. Titus, Katharine G. Dahm, Jessica M. Driscoll, William J. Andrews
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, Astrogeology Science Center, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Report of the Science Community Workshop on the proposed First Sample Depot for the Mars Sample Return Campaign
The Mars 2020/Mars Sample Return (MSR) Sample Depot Science Community Workshop was held on September 28 and 30, 2022, to assess the Scientifically-Return Worthy (SRW) value of the full collection of samples acquired by the rover Perseverance at Jezero Crater, and of a proposed subset of samples to be left as a First Depot at a location within Jezero Crater called Three Forks. The primary outcome o
Authors
Andrew D. Czaja, Maria-Paz Zorzano Mier, Gerhard Kminek, Michael Meyer, David Beaty, Elliot Sefton-Nash, Brandi Carrier, Fiona Thiessen, Timothy Haltigin, Audrey Bouvier, Nicolas Dauphas, Katherine L. French, Lydia Hallis, Rachel Harris, Ernst Hauber, Laura Rodriguez, Susanne P. Schwenzer, Andrew Steele, Kimberly Tait, Michael T. Thorpe, Tomohiro Usui, Jessica Vanhomwegen, Michael Velbel, Samuel Edwin, Kenneth A. Farley, Daniel Glavin, Andrea Harrington, Lindsay Hays, Aurore Hutzler, Meenakshi Wadhwa
Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming
The siliceous nature of the Mowry Shale distinguishes it from many of the well-studied organic-rich mudstones of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway. Available models of organic enrichment in mudstones rarely incorporate detailed biomarker, bulk organic, inorganic, and mineralogy data. Here, we used these data to evaluate how variations in organic matter source, productivity, dilution, and pres
Authors
Katherine L. French, Justin E. Birdwell, Paul G. Lillis
Biomarkers in the Precambrian: Earth’s ancient sedimentary record of life
The hydrocarbon remnants of biologically diagnostic lipids inform our understanding of Earth’s early ecosystems, particularly where morphological vestiges of biology are absent or ambiguous. Yet both the analysis and interpretation of ancient biomarkers require scrutinous approaches. Here, we describe the status quo of Precambrian biomarker geochemistry with four examples that highlight current ch
Authors
Christian Hallmann, Katherine L. French, Jochen J. Brocks
Carotenoid biomarkers in Namibian shelf sediments: Anoxygenic photosynthesis during sulfide eruptions in the Benguela Upwelling System
Anoxygenic photosynthesis by phototrophic sulfur bacteria is prevalent in microbial mat ecosystems and in restricted, highly stratified aquatic environments. This limited distribution reflects their simultaneous requirements for an anoxic habitat, reduced sulfur to supply electrons for carbon fixation, and an appropriate light regime. Although these conditions were often satisfied in ancient seas,
Authors
Jian Ma, Katherine L. French, Xingqian Cui, Donald Bryant, Roger Summons
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 6.9 billion barrels of oil and 41.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in conventional and continuous accumulations in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations onshore and in State waters of the U.S. Gulf Coast region.
Authors
Janet K. Pitman, Stanley T. Paxton, Scott A. Kinney, Katherine J. Whidden, Seth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Christopher J. Schenk, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Ofori N. Pearson, Lauri A. Burke, Phuong A. Le, Justin E. Birdwell, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Katherine L. French, Ronald M. Drake, Thomas M. Finn, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Kristen R. Marra, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Chilisa M. Shorten
Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured by GC-QQQ-MS
The Norwegian Geochemical Standard North Sea Oil-1 was analyzed by gas chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QQQ-MS) on two instruments using independently developed analytical methods. Biomarker ratios determined by GC-QQQ-MS were compared to each other and to previously reported values determined by gas chromatography single quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-Q-MS) or flame ioniza
Authors
Katherine L. French, Arne Leider, Christian Hallmann
Trends in thermal maturity indicators for the organic sulfur-rich Eagle Ford Shale
Thermal maturity is critical to evaluate petroleum systems and to interpret biomarker results for paleoenvironmental and geobiology studies. Many thermal maturity indices were developed for marine source rocks containing type II kerogen, but their behavior in organic sulfur-rich source rocks requires more investigation. Here, we present geochemical analyses of whole and extracted rock, isolated ke
Authors
Katherine L. French, Justin E. Birdwell, Michael Lewan
Biomarker similarities between the saline lacustrine Eocene Green River and the Paleoproterozoic Barney Creek Formations
The Paleoproterozoic Barney Creek Formation, which is currently interpreted as a restricted, deep marine paleoenvironment, plays a disproportionate role in our understanding of Proterozoic ocean chemistry and the rise of complex life. The Barney Creek Formation hosts several unusual biomarker features, specifically its methylhopane and carotenoid signatures. Herein, we demonstrate that the saline
Authors
Katherine L. French, Justin E. Birdwell, Michael Vanden Berg
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Central North Slope of Alaska, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 3.6 billion barrels of oil and 8.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (associated and nonassociated) in conventional accumulations in Mississippian through Paleogene strata in the central North Slope of Alaska.
Authors
David W. Houseknecht, Katherine J. Whidden, Christopher D. Connors, Richard O. Lease, Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, William A. Rouse, Palma J. Botterell, Rebecca A. Smith, Margaret M. Sanders, William H. Craddock, Christina A. DeVera, Christopher P. Garrity, Marc L. Buursink, C. Özgen Karacan, Samuel J. Heller, Thomas E. Moore, Julie A. Dumoulin, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Katherine L. French, Cheryl A. Woodall, Ronald M. Drake, Kristen R. Marra, Thomas M. Finn, Scott A. Kinney, Chilisa M. Shorten
Assessment of water and proppant quantities associated with petroleum production from the Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast, Texas, 2019
Building on a geology-based assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable petroleum resources in the Eagle Ford Group in south Texas, the U.S. Geological Survey has estimated the required water and proppant demands and formation water production volumes associated with possible future development of these petroleum resources. The results of the water and proppant assessment are presented her
Authors
Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Seth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Katherine J. Whidden, Justin E. Birdwell, Lauri A. Burke, Ronald M. Drake, Thomas M. Finn, Katherine L. French, Karen E. Jenni, Scott A. Kinney, Phuong A. Le, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Kristen R. Marra, Tracey J. Mercier, Stanley T. Paxton, Janet K. Pitman, Christopher J. Schenk, Brian N. Shaffer, Chilisa M. Shorten, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Cheryl A. Woodall
Element cycling in the Middle-Late Triassic Shublik Formation: Mineralization vs. recycling of biolimiting nutrients in an unconventional resource play
The Triassic Shublik Formation in northern Alaska is one of the major source rocks in North America, having generated much of the petroleum in Prudhoe Bay and associated fields. The middle Shublik Formation, the focus of this study, is a highly phosphatic, organic-rich carbonate mudstone interval. Apatite cements can occur as phosphatic peloids, steinkerns, elongate or angular nodules, and shells
Authors
Katherine J. Whidden, Julie A. Dumoulin, James Macquaker, Justin E. Birdwell, Adam Boehlke, Katherine L. French
Science and Products
- Data
Daily operating standard data used for verification of the Petroleum Geochemistry Research Laboratory Method for Qualitative Biomarker Analysis of Crude Oil and Rock Extracts by Gas Chromatography-Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry
The data release contains biomarker data generated by Gas Chromatography-Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry in the Petroleum Geochemistry Research Laboratory. The data was used to determine the precision and accuracy of one daily operating standard for the method entitled, "Petroleum Geochemistry Research Laboratory Method for Qualitative Biomarker Analysis of Crude Oil and Rock Extracts by Gas CData release for Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming
This Data Release contains data associated with the journal article "Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming";. Data include bulk organic geochemistry, major and trace element geochemistry, mineralogy, extractable organic matter composition, extractable biomarkers, and organic stable carbon isotope analyses.Data Release for "Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured by GC-QQQ-MS"
This data release includes biomarker ratio values calculated from measurements made at the USGS for the reference oil NSO-1 that were reported in a journal article entitled Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured by GC-QQQ-MS (French et al., 2020). French, K.L., Leider, A., and Hallmann, C., 2020, Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 16
U.S. Geological Survey Rocky Mountain Region 2022 science exchange, showcasing interdisciplinary and state-of-the-art USGS science
IntroductionThe Rocky Mountains and the Colorado River Basin in the Western United States represent complex, interconnected systems that sustain a number of species, including tens of millions of humans. These systems face several challenges, including worsening drought, altered wildfire regimes, climate change, and the spread of invasive species. These factors can exacerbate one another, furtherAuthorsDana E. Peterson, Katherine L. French, Jeannette H. Oden, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy N. Titus, Katharine G. Dahm, Jessica M. Driscoll, William J. AndrewsByNatural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, Astrogeology Science Center, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science CenterReport of the Science Community Workshop on the proposed First Sample Depot for the Mars Sample Return Campaign
The Mars 2020/Mars Sample Return (MSR) Sample Depot Science Community Workshop was held on September 28 and 30, 2022, to assess the Scientifically-Return Worthy (SRW) value of the full collection of samples acquired by the rover Perseverance at Jezero Crater, and of a proposed subset of samples to be left as a First Depot at a location within Jezero Crater called Three Forks. The primary outcome oAuthorsAndrew D. Czaja, Maria-Paz Zorzano Mier, Gerhard Kminek, Michael Meyer, David Beaty, Elliot Sefton-Nash, Brandi Carrier, Fiona Thiessen, Timothy Haltigin, Audrey Bouvier, Nicolas Dauphas, Katherine L. French, Lydia Hallis, Rachel Harris, Ernst Hauber, Laura Rodriguez, Susanne P. Schwenzer, Andrew Steele, Kimberly Tait, Michael T. Thorpe, Tomohiro Usui, Jessica Vanhomwegen, Michael Velbel, Samuel Edwin, Kenneth A. Farley, Daniel Glavin, Andrea Harrington, Lindsay Hays, Aurore Hutzler, Meenakshi WadhwaGeochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming
The siliceous nature of the Mowry Shale distinguishes it from many of the well-studied organic-rich mudstones of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway. Available models of organic enrichment in mudstones rarely incorporate detailed biomarker, bulk organic, inorganic, and mineralogy data. Here, we used these data to evaluate how variations in organic matter source, productivity, dilution, and presAuthorsKatherine L. French, Justin E. Birdwell, Paul G. LillisBiomarkers in the Precambrian: Earth’s ancient sedimentary record of life
The hydrocarbon remnants of biologically diagnostic lipids inform our understanding of Earth’s early ecosystems, particularly where morphological vestiges of biology are absent or ambiguous. Yet both the analysis and interpretation of ancient biomarkers require scrutinous approaches. Here, we describe the status quo of Precambrian biomarker geochemistry with four examples that highlight current chAuthorsChristian Hallmann, Katherine L. French, Jochen J. BrocksCarotenoid biomarkers in Namibian shelf sediments: Anoxygenic photosynthesis during sulfide eruptions in the Benguela Upwelling System
Anoxygenic photosynthesis by phototrophic sulfur bacteria is prevalent in microbial mat ecosystems and in restricted, highly stratified aquatic environments. This limited distribution reflects their simultaneous requirements for an anoxic habitat, reduced sulfur to supply electrons for carbon fixation, and an appropriate light regime. Although these conditions were often satisfied in ancient seas,AuthorsJian Ma, Katherine L. French, Xingqian Cui, Donald Bryant, Roger SummonsAssessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 6.9 billion barrels of oil and 41.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in conventional and continuous accumulations in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations onshore and in State waters of the U.S. Gulf Coast region.AuthorsJanet K. Pitman, Stanley T. Paxton, Scott A. Kinney, Katherine J. Whidden, Seth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Christopher J. Schenk, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Ofori N. Pearson, Lauri A. Burke, Phuong A. Le, Justin E. Birdwell, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Katherine L. French, Ronald M. Drake, Thomas M. Finn, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Kristen R. Marra, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Chilisa M. ShortenComparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured by GC-QQQ-MS
The Norwegian Geochemical Standard North Sea Oil-1 was analyzed by gas chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QQQ-MS) on two instruments using independently developed analytical methods. Biomarker ratios determined by GC-QQQ-MS were compared to each other and to previously reported values determined by gas chromatography single quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-Q-MS) or flame ionizaAuthorsKatherine L. French, Arne Leider, Christian HallmannTrends in thermal maturity indicators for the organic sulfur-rich Eagle Ford Shale
Thermal maturity is critical to evaluate petroleum systems and to interpret biomarker results for paleoenvironmental and geobiology studies. Many thermal maturity indices were developed for marine source rocks containing type II kerogen, but their behavior in organic sulfur-rich source rocks requires more investigation. Here, we present geochemical analyses of whole and extracted rock, isolated keAuthorsKatherine L. French, Justin E. Birdwell, Michael LewanBiomarker similarities between the saline lacustrine Eocene Green River and the Paleoproterozoic Barney Creek Formations
The Paleoproterozoic Barney Creek Formation, which is currently interpreted as a restricted, deep marine paleoenvironment, plays a disproportionate role in our understanding of Proterozoic ocean chemistry and the rise of complex life. The Barney Creek Formation hosts several unusual biomarker features, specifically its methylhopane and carotenoid signatures. Herein, we demonstrate that the salineAuthorsKatherine L. French, Justin E. Birdwell, Michael Vanden BergAssessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Central North Slope of Alaska, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 3.6 billion barrels of oil and 8.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (associated and nonassociated) in conventional accumulations in Mississippian through Paleogene strata in the central North Slope of Alaska.AuthorsDavid W. Houseknecht, Katherine J. Whidden, Christopher D. Connors, Richard O. Lease, Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, William A. Rouse, Palma J. Botterell, Rebecca A. Smith, Margaret M. Sanders, William H. Craddock, Christina A. DeVera, Christopher P. Garrity, Marc L. Buursink, C. Özgen Karacan, Samuel J. Heller, Thomas E. Moore, Julie A. Dumoulin, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Katherine L. French, Cheryl A. Woodall, Ronald M. Drake, Kristen R. Marra, Thomas M. Finn, Scott A. Kinney, Chilisa M. ShortenAssessment of water and proppant quantities associated with petroleum production from the Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast, Texas, 2019
Building on a geology-based assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable petroleum resources in the Eagle Ford Group in south Texas, the U.S. Geological Survey has estimated the required water and proppant demands and formation water production volumes associated with possible future development of these petroleum resources. The results of the water and proppant assessment are presented herAuthorsNicholas J. Gianoutsos, Seth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Katherine J. Whidden, Justin E. Birdwell, Lauri A. Burke, Ronald M. Drake, Thomas M. Finn, Katherine L. French, Karen E. Jenni, Scott A. Kinney, Phuong A. Le, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Kristen R. Marra, Tracey J. Mercier, Stanley T. Paxton, Janet K. Pitman, Christopher J. Schenk, Brian N. Shaffer, Chilisa M. Shorten, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Cheryl A. WoodallElement cycling in the Middle-Late Triassic Shublik Formation: Mineralization vs. recycling of biolimiting nutrients in an unconventional resource play
The Triassic Shublik Formation in northern Alaska is one of the major source rocks in North America, having generated much of the petroleum in Prudhoe Bay and associated fields. The middle Shublik Formation, the focus of this study, is a highly phosphatic, organic-rich carbonate mudstone interval. Apatite cements can occur as phosphatic peloids, steinkerns, elongate or angular nodules, and shellsAuthorsKatherine J. Whidden, Julie A. Dumoulin, James Macquaker, Justin E. Birdwell, Adam Boehlke, Katherine L. French