Scott is a Research Geologist who uses diatoms, chrysophytes, testate amoebae, and foraminifera to reconstruct the past environments of lakes, estuaries, and the ocean. In addition to these biological proxies, he uses sediment geochemistry (biogenic silica, inorganic geochemistry, grain size) data to provide a more complete picture of paleoenvironmental conditions.
Professional Experience
2009-Present, Research Geologist
2002-2009, Geologist
1996-2010, Adjunct Professor, University of California, San Francisco State University, Berkeley City College, College of San Mateo, and Canada College
1996-2002, Physical Science Technician
1990-1995, Geologist, Technical Reports Unit
1989-1990, Field Technician, Utah Geological and Mineral Survey
1983-1987, Senior Museum Preparator, University of California Museum of Paleontology
1981-1983, Geologist, Bechtel Civil and Minerals
Education and Certifications
2004-Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley-Geography
1989-M.A. University of California, Berkeley-Paleontology
1981-B.A. Whitman College-Geology/Chemistry
1981-B.A. Whitman College-Biology
Science and Products
Pacific Ocean Patterns, Processes, and Productivity (POP3): Impacts of ancient warming on marine ecosystems and western North America
Radiocarbon measurements, census counts of benthic foraminifera, diatoms, and palynomorphs, and geochemistry from core 721-1 obtained in 2002 off San Francisquito Creek in South San Francisco Bay
Environmental evolution of peat in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta (California) during the Middle and Late Holocene as deduced from pollen, diatoms and magnetism
Lakes of the western United States: Novel tools and new views
Middle and late Pleistocene pluvial history of Newark Valley, central Nevada, USA
From saline to freshwater: The diversity of western lakes in space and time
Diatom record of holocene moisture variability in the San Bernardino Mountains, California, USA.
Holocene sedimentary architecture and paleoclimate variability at Mono Lake, California
Distinguishing brackish lacustrine from brackish marine deposits in the stratigraphic record: A case study from the late Miocene and early Pliocene Bouse Formation, Arizona and California, USA
Diatom floras in lakes in the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range, Nevada, USA: A tool for assessing high-elevation climatic variability
Middle Pleistocene infill of Hinkley Valley by Mojave River sediment and associated lake sediment: Depositional architecture and deformation by strike-slip faults
A North American Hydroclimate Synthesis (NAHS) of the Common Era
International Limnogeology Congress (ILIC6), Reno USA, special issue on new limnogeological research focused on Holocene lake systems
International Limnogeology Congress (ILIC6), Reno USA, special issue on new limnogeological research focused on pre-Holocene lake systems
Science and Products
- Science
Pacific Ocean Patterns, Processes, and Productivity (POP3): Impacts of ancient warming on marine ecosystems and western North America
Projections for AD 2100 suggest warming of +1-4°C in the North Pacific Ocean, which will result in widespread transformations throughout the marine environment and western North America. Many of these changes are beyond the predictive capabilities of current climate models. To better address this future uncertainty, our team is developing a geological framework using past warm intervals as... - Data
Radiocarbon measurements, census counts of benthic foraminifera, diatoms, and palynomorphs, and geochemistry from core 721-1 obtained in 2002 off San Francisquito Creek in South San Francisco Bay
The urbanized area of downtown Menlo Park is subject to persistent flooding and sediment deposition by San Francisquito Creek in South San Francisco Bay. To mitigate these events, a suite of cores was collected in 2002 at the mouth of the creek to determine sediment depositional rates on the delta. One of those cores (721-1) was selected for microbiological (pollen, diatoms, and foraminifera) and - Publications
Filter Total Items: 39
Environmental evolution of peat in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta (California) during the Middle and Late Holocene as deduced from pollen, diatoms and magnetism
We studied the sequence of climatic and hydrological events associated with the formation of peat during the Holocene, using pollen, diatoms and environmental magnetism from peat cores at three locations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California: Browns Island, Franks Wetland and Webb Track Levee. Our data show that peat first formed under relatively dry conditions in a freshwater environmAuthorsIrina Delusina, Scott W. Starratt, Kenneth L VerosubLakes of the western United States: Novel tools and new views
No abstract available.AuthorsScott W. Starratt, Michael R. RosenMiddle and late Pleistocene pluvial history of Newark Valley, central Nevada, USA
Newark Valley lies between the two largest pluvial lake systems in the Great Basin, Lake Lahontan and Lake Bonneville. Soils and geomorphology, stratigraphic interpretations, radiocarbon ages, and amino acid racemization geochronology analyses were employed to interpret the relative and numerical ages of lacustrine deposits in the valley. The marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 2 beach barriers areAuthorsJoanna L. Redwine, R. M. Burke, Marith C. Reheis, R. J. Bowers, Jordon Bright, D. S. Kaufman, R. M. ForesterFrom saline to freshwater: The diversity of western lakes in space and time
Beginning with the nineteenth-century territorial surveys, the lakes and lacustrine deposits in what is now the western United States were recognized for their economic value to the expanding nation. In the latter half of the twentieth century, these systems have been acknowledged as outstanding examples of depositional systems serving as models for energy exploration and environmental analysis, mDiatom record of holocene moisture variability in the San Bernardino Mountains, California, USA.
Lower Bear Lake, in the San Bernardino Mountains, contains a Holocene paleohydrology record for southern California. The diatom and sediment geochemistry record indicates that the region experienced a wet Early Holocene followed by a gradual decrease in precipitation, which was punctuated by four strong and five weak pluvial episodes. The Lower Bear Lake record is compared with that of Silver LakeAuthorsScott W. Starratt, Matthew E. Kirby, Kristine GloverHolocene sedimentary architecture and paleoclimate variability at Mono Lake, California
Mono Lake occupies an internally drained basin on the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada, and it is sensitive to climatic changes affecting precipitation in the mountains (largely delivered in the form of snowpack). Efforts to recover cores from the lake have been impeded by coarse tephra erupted from the Mono Craters, and by disruption of the lake floor due to the uplift of Paoha Island ~300 yr aAuthorsSusan H Zimmerman, Sidney R. Hemming, Scott W. StarrattDistinguishing brackish lacustrine from brackish marine deposits in the stratigraphic record: A case study from the late Miocene and early Pliocene Bouse Formation, Arizona and California, USA
Brackish marine and brackish continental environments are fundamentally different from a compositional perspective. Brackish water is often defined as having salinity lower than that of standard seawater but higher than that of freshwater, but less regard is given to the origin of the salts involved. The simple dilution of standard seawater by freshwater in a coastal or estuarine setting constitutAuthorsJordon Bright, Andrew S. Cohen, Scott W. StarrattDiatom floras in lakes in the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range, Nevada, USA: A tool for assessing high-elevation climatic variability
Local conditions, including lake size, depth, bathymetric profile, watershed characteristics, and timing and extent of ice cover determine the characteristics of diatom floras, and how those assemblages respond to short and long-term changes in climate. The diatom assemblages from fourteen sediment samples collected from marginal and profundal zones of seven lakes in the Ruby Mountains and East HuAuthorsScott W. StarrattMiddle Pleistocene infill of Hinkley Valley by Mojave River sediment and associated lake sediment: Depositional architecture and deformation by strike-slip faults
Hinkley Valley in the Mojave Desert, near Barstow about 140 km northeast of Los Angeles and midway between Victorville Valley and the Lake Manix basin, contains a thick sedimentary sequence delivered by the Mojave River. Our study of sediment cores drilled in the valley indicates that Hinkley Valley was probably a closed playa basin with stream inflow from four directions prior to Mojave River infAuthorsDavid M. Miller, Elizabeth Haddon, Victoria E. Langenheim, Andrew J. Cyr, Elmira Wan, Laura Walkup, Scott W. StarrattA North American Hydroclimate Synthesis (NAHS) of the Common Era
This study presents a synthesis of century-scale hydroclimate variations in North America for the Common Era (last 2000 years) using new age models of previously published multiple proxy-based paleoclimate data. This North American Hydroclimate Synthesis (NAHS) examines regional hydroclimate patterns and related environmental indicators, including vegetation, lake water elevation, stream flow andAuthorsJessica R. Rodysill, Lesleigh Anderson, Thomas M. Cronin, Miriam C. Jones, Robert S. Thompson, David B. Wahl, Debra A. Willard, Jason A. Addison, Jay R. Alder, Katherine H. Anderson, Lysanna Anderson, John A. Barron, Christopher E. Bernhardt, Steven W. Hostetler, Natalie M. Kehrwald, Nicole Khan, Julie N. Richey, Scott W. Starratt, Laura E. Strickland, Michael Toomey, Claire C. Treat, G. Lynn WingardByWater Resources Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Energy Resources Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science CenterInternational Limnogeology Congress (ILIC6), Reno USA, special issue on new limnogeological research focused on Holocene lake systems
The 6th International Limnogeology Congress (ILIC6) of the International Association of Limnogeology (IAL) was held in Reno, Nevada, USA 15–19 June, 2015. The successful congress brought together a wide variety of academic, government, and industry participants from 20 countries and six continents. The highpoint of the four-day meeting were eight keynote addresses highlighting cutting-edge researcAuthorsScott W. Starratt, Michael R. RosenInternational Limnogeology Congress (ILIC6), Reno USA, special issue on new limnogeological research focused on pre-Holocene lake systems
No abstract available.AuthorsMichael R. Rosen, Scott W. Starratt - News