Denver Radiogenic Isotope Lab
Building 95 on the Denver Federal Center houses the Denver radiogenic isotope laboratory along with the Southwest Isotope Research Laboratory (SWIRL)
Building 95 on the Denver Federal Center houses the Denver radiogenic isotope laboratory along with the Southwest Isotope Research Laboratory (SWIRL)
Thermal-ionization mass spectrometers constituting the core of the Denver Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory
Thermal-ionization mass spectrometers constituting the core of the Denver Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory
Detritus-poor pedogenic coatings, like this one, are used to constrain minimum ages of alluvial deposition using U-series disequilibrium dating
Detritus-poor pedogenic coatings, like this one, are used to constrain minimum ages of alluvial deposition using U-series disequilibrium dating
millimeter-scale subsamples analyzed for U-series disequilibrium dating plus 87Sr/86Sr, 234U/238U, δ18O, and δ13C analyses
millimeter-scale subsamples analyzed for U-series disequilibrium dating plus 87Sr/86Sr, 234U/238U, δ18O, and δ13C analyses
The GEC Science Center supports a laboratory facility that includes sample preparation labs, class-10,000 or better clean labs for chemical processing, and an instrument lab with multiple thermal ionization mass spectrometers (TIMS).
DRIL Facilities
[The use of firm, trade, and brand names is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. government.]
The GEC and G3 Science Centers jointly support a laboratory facility located in Building 95 of the Denver Fed Center that includes sample preparation labs, two class-10,000 or better clean labs for chemical processing, and an instrument lab for thermal ionization mass spectrometers (TIMS). The lab is effectively shared between Science Centers and provides a model for efficient use of space and communal resources.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
The facility maintains two multi-collector TIMS instruments, including an IsotopX Phoenix (installed July 2017) and Thermo Finnigan Triton (installed 2004). These instruments are capable of running in fully automated modes or remotely through a secured internet connection. Both have moveable faraday cups allowing static or dynamic simultaneous multi-collection of large ion beams. Small ion beams are measured by single-collector peak-hopping methods using either a discrete-dynode electron multiplier or Daly-knob /photomultiplier collector.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Prior to TIMS analyses, chemical processing is required to separate and purify the element of interest. This typically involves acid-digestion and evaporation followed by ion chromatographic exchange on small, resin-filled columns. The clean labs include multiple HEPA-filtered work stations and evaporation boxes that provide class-1000 or better work spaces. As a result, samples are exposed to minimal environmental contamination during processing allowing analyses of very small samples.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Staff
The Denver Radiogenic Isotope Lab is cooperatively run by the principal investigators, researchers, and staff scientists:
- Adam Hudson (ahudson@usgs.gov): Research Geologist (Principal Investigator), GECSC
-
Richard Moscati (rmoscati@usgs.gov): Research Geologist (Principal Investigator), GGGSC
-
Ryan Frazer (rfrazer@usgs.gov): Physical Scientist, GECSC
-
Neil Griffis (ngriffis@usgs.gov): Research Geologist, GGGSC
- James Paces (jbpaces@usgs.gov): Research Geologist (Emeritus), GECSC
-
Leonid Neymark (lneymark@usgs.gov): Research Chemist (Emeritus), GGGSC
- Wayne Premo (wpremo@usgs.gov): Research Geologist (Emeritus), GECSC
Related
Filter Total Items: 23
Isotopic, geochronologic and soil temperature data for Holocene and late Pleistocene soil carbonates of the San Luis Valley, Colorado and New Mexico, USA
This data release contains radiocarbon dates and clumped isotope ratios for soil carbonates as well as observed soil temperatures for study sites in the San Luis Valley, Colorado and New Mexico, USA. The companion publication can be found at https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GC011221.
Geochemical data for post-fire surface water, streambed sediment, and soils from areas affected by the 2018 Camp Fire, Butte County, California
During November 2018, the Camp Fire burned more than 150,000 acres in Butte County, California. The fire was the deadliest and most destructive in California history, destroying more than 18,000 structures and causing at least 85 fatalities. The U.S. Geological Survey sampled surface water in areas affected by the Camp Fire, plus an unburned control site, during two post-fire sampling...
Geochemical and isotopic data from glendonites and surrounding sediment, Carter Creek, North Slope Alaska
The dataset consists of geochemical and isotopic data from fine-grained sediments and glendonite crystals collected at Carter Creek on the North Slope of Alaska. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) values in the measured section were found to range between 0.5 and 3.5%, with a shift towards lower values in the uppermost 5 m of the section. Stable isotopes (13C) in organic matter were relatively...
Isotope analyses (234U/238U, 87Sr/86Sr, δ13C, and δ18O) and U-series disequilibrium ages for speleothem, water, and rock samples associated with Fitton Cave, Buffalo National River, Arkansas, USA
This data release contains tabular data (comma-separated-value files) of natural radiogenic isotopes of strontium, uranium, and thorium for samples of modern water, speleothems, associated with Fitton Cave, north central Arkansas, as well as rock that host the cave deposits. In addition, U-series ages (230Th/U dates and model 234U/238U dates) are calculated from those data for subsamples...
Geochronologic and isotopic data for Paleohydrologic history of Pluvial Lake San Agustin, New Mexico
This dataset includes tables of radiocarbon, uranium thorium series, and luminescence geochronologic ages and stable carbon and oxygen isotope compositions for sedimentary and organic samples.
Mineralogy, strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (18O/16O) and carbon (13C/12C) isotope composition, elemental concentrations, and U-Th disequilibrium ages for travertine deposits from various locations in Yellowstone National Park, USA
Chemical changes in hot springs, as recorded by thermal waters and their mineral deposits, provide a window into the evolution of Yellowstone’s postglacial hydrothermal system. Travertine precipitated from thermal waters provide a record of chemical changes through time because they can be dated using U-series disequilibrium geochronology. These temporal data, along with measured...
Quetrupillán Volcanic Complex, southern Chile: Argon age data and Pb, Sr, and Nd isotopic data
This dataset accompanies planned publication 'Lava-ice interactions at late Pleistocene trachyte-basaltic andesite fissure eruptions, Quetrupillán Volcanic Complex (39°30′ S, 71°43′ W), southern Chile', as well as planned future publications on this volcanic complex. The Ar/Ar data and the Pb, Sr, and Nd data are for basalt and trachyte lava flows at Quetrupillán volcano. The Ar...
Elemental and Strontium Isotopic Composition of Select Central Plateau and Upper Basin Member Rhyolites, Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field
The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic field consists of lavas from the last two million years. The most recent volcanic units are the Central Plateau Member and the older Upper Basin Member rhyolites (Christiansen, 2001). Investigations into the elemental and isotopic composition of these lavas can provide insight into the recent volcanic history of the different eruptive episodes and provide...
Sr and U concentrations and radiogenic isotope compositions (87Sr/86Sr, 234U/238U) of thermal waters, streamflow, travertine, and rock samples along with U-Th disequilibrium ages for travertine deposits from various locations in Yellowstone National Park,
This data provides locations and technical specifications of legacy and current versions of the United States Wind Turbines database. Almost all of which are utility-scale. Utility-scale turbines are ones that generate power and feed it into the grid, supplying a utility with energy. They are usually much larger than turbines that would feed a homeowner or business. Each release...
Strontium and uranium isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr and 234U/238U) of mid- to late-Holocene lacustrine sediments from Lower Pahranagat Lake, Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Lincoln County, Nevada
This data release includes a table of concentrations (Sr, U) and radiogenic-isotope compositions (87Sr/86Sr, 234U/238U) for samples of modern lake water as well as a table of isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr and 234U/238U) for carbonate-rich samples from a 12.4-m-long composite core of lacustrine sediment from Lower Pahranagat Lake in southeastern Nevada, USA. Stratigraphic and...
Sr concentrations and 87Sr/86Sr data used to determine the Sr-chronostratigraphic age of sirenian fossils on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California, USA
This data release includes a table of Sr concentrations and 87Sr/86Sr data used to evaluate primary seawater isotope compositions of marine invertebrate shell material used to estimate the Sr-chronostratigraphic age of sediments hosting early Miocene sirenian fossils on Santa Rosa Island of the Channel Island National Park, Ventura County, California
Sr-, U-, H- and O-isotope data used to evaluate water sources in the Potrero Creek Wetlands, Upper Santa Cruz Basin, southern Arizona, USA
This data release includes a table of 87Sr/86Sr, 234U/238U, δ2H, and δ18O isotope data used to evaluate groundwater- and surface-water-sources contributing to water in perennial wetlands near the mouth of Potrero Creek within the Upper Santa Cruz Basin near Nogales, AZ. Interpretations of those data are discussed in the pamphlet accompanying the USGS Scientific Investigations Map SIM...
Filter Total Items: 32
Radiogenic strontium- and uranium-isotope tracers of water-rock interactions and hydrothermal flow in the Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, USA
Natural radiogenic isotopes (primarily 87Sr/86Sr) from hot springs in the Upper Geyser Basin of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field and associated rocks were used to evaluate groundwater flow patterns, water-rock reactions, and the extent of mixing between various groundwater sources. Thermal waters have very low uranium concentrations and 234U/238U activity ratios near 1.0, which...
Authors
James B. Paces, Shaul Hurwitz, Lauren N Harrison, Jacob B. Lowenstern, R. Blaine McCleskey
Unified 200 kyr paleohydrologic history of the Southern Great Basin: Death Valley, Searles Valley, Owens Valley and the Devils Hole cave
We present a hydroclimate synthesis of the southern Great Basin over the last two glacial-interglacial cycles focused on paleolakes in Death Valley (core DV93-1), Searles Valley (core SLAPP-SRLS17), Owens Valley (core OL92), and the Devils Hole cave. There is close agreement between the occurrence of lakes in Death Valley and the height of the water table in the Devils Hole (50 km east...
Authors
Tim Lowenstein, Kristian Olson, Brian W. Stewart, David McGee, Justin Stroup, Adam M. Hudson, Kathleen Wendt, Mark Peaple, Sarah Feakins, Ronald Spencer, Tripti Bhattacharya, Steven P. Lundblad, Ronald Litwin
Clumped isotopes record a glacial-interglacial shift in seasonality of soil carbonate accumulation in the San Luis Valley, southern Rocky Mountains, USA
Clumped isotope paleothermometry using pedogenic carbonates is a powerful tool for investigating past climate changes. However, location-specific seasonal patterns of precipitation and soil moisture cause systematic biases in the temperatures they record, hampering comparison of data across large areas or differing climate states. To account for biases, more systematic studies of...
Authors
Adam M. Hudson, Julia R. Kelson, James B. Paces, Chester A. Ruleman, Katharine W. Huntington, Andrew J. Schauer
Travertine records climate-induced transformations of the Yellowstone hydrothermal system from the late Pleistocene to the present
Chemical changes in hot springs, as recorded by thermal waters and their deposits, provide a window into the evolution of the postglacial hydrothermal system of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field. Today, most hydrothermal travertine forms to the north and south of the ca. 631 ka Yellowstone caldera where groundwater flow through subsurface sedimentary rocks leads to calcite...
Authors
Lauren N. Harrison, Shaul Hurwitz, James B. Paces, Cathy Whitlock, Sara Peek, Joseph Licciardi
Insights into glendonite formation from the upper Oligocene Sagavanirktok Formation, North Slope, Alaska
The type locality for the upper Oligocene Nuwok Member of the Sagavanirktok Formation (Carter Creek, North Slope, Alaska, USA) contains abundant occurrence of glendonite, a pseudomorph after the calcium carbonate mineral ikaite, which typically forms in the shallow subsurface of cold marine sediments. The region during the time of Nuwok Member deposition was located at a high latitude...
Authors
John W. Counts, Madeleine Vickers, Martha (Rebecca) Stokes, Whittney Spivey, Kristina Frank Gardner, Jean Self-Trail, Jared T. Gooley, Ryan J. McAleer, Aaron M. Jubb, David W. Houseknecht, Richard O. Lease, Neil Patrick Griffis, Martin S. Vickers, Kasia Śliwińska, Hannah Gail Dooley Tompkins, Adam M. Hudson
Paleohydrologic history of pluvial lake San Agustin, New Mexico: Tracking changing effective moisture in southwest North America through the last glacial transition
Paleoclimate records across the Intermountain West region of North America show significant regional variation in timing and magnitude of wet conditions that accompanied the last glacial-interglacial transition. To understand the climate controls on paleohydrologic change, well-dated records are needed across the region. The Plains of San Agustin (New Mexico, USA) is a closed-basin...
Authors
Adam M. Hudson, Jay Quade, Vance T. Holliday, Brendan Fenerty, Jordon Bright, Harrison J. Gray, Shannon A. Mahan
Strontium isotope chronostratigraphic age of a sirenian fossil site on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California
Fossils in the order Sirenia (family Dugongidae) from Santa Rosa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park in southern California, provide rare temporal and spatial links between earlier and later evolutionary forms of dugongids, and add information about their dispersal into the northeastern Pacific region. Marine sedimentary rocks containing these fossils have characteristics of...
Authors
James B. Paces, Scott A. Minor, Kevin M. Schmidt, Jonathan Hoffman
Central Andean (28–34°S) flood record 0–25 ka from Salinas del Bebedero, Argentina
The Salinas del Bebedero occupies an isolated basin in the foreland of central Argentina at 33°S and was flooded repeatedly over past 25 ka. Isotopic evidence demonstrates that this flooding was due to overflow of the nearby Río Desaguadero with waters derived from the distant (≥300 km) central Andes between 28–34°S. Stratigraphic and shoreline evidence shows that floods occurred most...
Authors
Jay Quade, Elad Dente, Allison Cartwright, Adam M. Hudson, Sebastian Jimenez, David McGee
Evidence for humans in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum
Archaeologists and researchers in allied fields have long sought to understand human colonization of North America. When, how, and from where did people migrate, and what were the consequences of their arrival for the established fauna and landscape are enduring questions. Here, we present evidence from excavated surfaces of in situ human footprints from White Sands National Park (New...
Authors
Matthew R. Bennett, David Bustos, Jeffrey S. Pigati, Kathleen B. Springer, Thomas. M. Urban, Vance T. Holliday, Sally C. Reynolds, Marcin Budka, Jeffrey S. Honke, Adam M. Hudson, Brendan Fenerty, Clare Connelly, Patrick J. Martinez, Vincent L. Santucci, Daniel Odess
Geomorphic history of Lake Manix, Mojave Desert, California: Evolution of a complex terminal lake basin
The US Environmental Protection Agency's short-term freshwater effluent test methods include a fish (Pimephales promelas), a cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia), and a green alga (Raphidocelis subcapitata). There is a recognized need for additional taxa to accompany the three standard species for effluent testing. An appropriate additional taxon is unionid mussels because mussels are widely...
Authors
Marith C. Reheis, David M. Miller, James B. Paces, Charles G. Oviatt, Joanna R. Redwine, Darrell Kaufman, Jordon Bright, Elmira Wan
Reconstructing paleohydrology in the northwest Great Basin since the last deglaciation using Paisley Caves fish remains (Oregon, U.S.A.)
The arid northwest Great Basin underwent substantial hydroclimate changes in the past 15,000 years, greatly affecting its desert ecosystems and prehistoric people. There are conflicting interpretations of the timing of hydrologic changes in this region, requiring more records to resolve the dominant climatic drivers. The Paisley Caves archaeological site, located near former pluvial Lake...
Authors
Adam M. Hudson, Meaghan M Emery-Wetherell, Patrick M Lubinski, Virginia L. Butler, Deanna N Grimstead, Dennis L Jenkins
Dating silica sinter (geyserite): A cautionary tale
We describe a new effort to date hydrothermal silica sinter deposits (geyserite) from the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park using 14C of co-deposited organic matter, U-series and cosmogenic 10Be methods. A majority of the samples were collected from stratigraphic sections, mainly at Riverside, Giant, and Castle Geysers. Ages obtained from 41 14C analyses range from modern...
Authors
Dakota M. Churchill, Michael Manga, Shaul Hurwitz, Sara Peek, Joseph Licciardi, James B. Paces
Related
Filter Total Items: 23
Isotopic, geochronologic and soil temperature data for Holocene and late Pleistocene soil carbonates of the San Luis Valley, Colorado and New Mexico, USA
This data release contains radiocarbon dates and clumped isotope ratios for soil carbonates as well as observed soil temperatures for study sites in the San Luis Valley, Colorado and New Mexico, USA. The companion publication can be found at https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GC011221.
Geochemical data for post-fire surface water, streambed sediment, and soils from areas affected by the 2018 Camp Fire, Butte County, California
During November 2018, the Camp Fire burned more than 150,000 acres in Butte County, California. The fire was the deadliest and most destructive in California history, destroying more than 18,000 structures and causing at least 85 fatalities. The U.S. Geological Survey sampled surface water in areas affected by the Camp Fire, plus an unburned control site, during two post-fire sampling...
Geochemical and isotopic data from glendonites and surrounding sediment, Carter Creek, North Slope Alaska
The dataset consists of geochemical and isotopic data from fine-grained sediments and glendonite crystals collected at Carter Creek on the North Slope of Alaska. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) values in the measured section were found to range between 0.5 and 3.5%, with a shift towards lower values in the uppermost 5 m of the section. Stable isotopes (13C) in organic matter were relatively...
Isotope analyses (234U/238U, 87Sr/86Sr, δ13C, and δ18O) and U-series disequilibrium ages for speleothem, water, and rock samples associated with Fitton Cave, Buffalo National River, Arkansas, USA
This data release contains tabular data (comma-separated-value files) of natural radiogenic isotopes of strontium, uranium, and thorium for samples of modern water, speleothems, associated with Fitton Cave, north central Arkansas, as well as rock that host the cave deposits. In addition, U-series ages (230Th/U dates and model 234U/238U dates) are calculated from those data for subsamples...
Geochronologic and isotopic data for Paleohydrologic history of Pluvial Lake San Agustin, New Mexico
This dataset includes tables of radiocarbon, uranium thorium series, and luminescence geochronologic ages and stable carbon and oxygen isotope compositions for sedimentary and organic samples.
Mineralogy, strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (18O/16O) and carbon (13C/12C) isotope composition, elemental concentrations, and U-Th disequilibrium ages for travertine deposits from various locations in Yellowstone National Park, USA
Chemical changes in hot springs, as recorded by thermal waters and their mineral deposits, provide a window into the evolution of Yellowstone’s postglacial hydrothermal system. Travertine precipitated from thermal waters provide a record of chemical changes through time because they can be dated using U-series disequilibrium geochronology. These temporal data, along with measured...
Quetrupillán Volcanic Complex, southern Chile: Argon age data and Pb, Sr, and Nd isotopic data
This dataset accompanies planned publication 'Lava-ice interactions at late Pleistocene trachyte-basaltic andesite fissure eruptions, Quetrupillán Volcanic Complex (39°30′ S, 71°43′ W), southern Chile', as well as planned future publications on this volcanic complex. The Ar/Ar data and the Pb, Sr, and Nd data are for basalt and trachyte lava flows at Quetrupillán volcano. The Ar...
Elemental and Strontium Isotopic Composition of Select Central Plateau and Upper Basin Member Rhyolites, Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field
The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic field consists of lavas from the last two million years. The most recent volcanic units are the Central Plateau Member and the older Upper Basin Member rhyolites (Christiansen, 2001). Investigations into the elemental and isotopic composition of these lavas can provide insight into the recent volcanic history of the different eruptive episodes and provide...
Sr and U concentrations and radiogenic isotope compositions (87Sr/86Sr, 234U/238U) of thermal waters, streamflow, travertine, and rock samples along with U-Th disequilibrium ages for travertine deposits from various locations in Yellowstone National Park,
This data provides locations and technical specifications of legacy and current versions of the United States Wind Turbines database. Almost all of which are utility-scale. Utility-scale turbines are ones that generate power and feed it into the grid, supplying a utility with energy. They are usually much larger than turbines that would feed a homeowner or business. Each release...
Strontium and uranium isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr and 234U/238U) of mid- to late-Holocene lacustrine sediments from Lower Pahranagat Lake, Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Lincoln County, Nevada
This data release includes a table of concentrations (Sr, U) and radiogenic-isotope compositions (87Sr/86Sr, 234U/238U) for samples of modern lake water as well as a table of isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr and 234U/238U) for carbonate-rich samples from a 12.4-m-long composite core of lacustrine sediment from Lower Pahranagat Lake in southeastern Nevada, USA. Stratigraphic and...
Sr concentrations and 87Sr/86Sr data used to determine the Sr-chronostratigraphic age of sirenian fossils on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California, USA
This data release includes a table of Sr concentrations and 87Sr/86Sr data used to evaluate primary seawater isotope compositions of marine invertebrate shell material used to estimate the Sr-chronostratigraphic age of sediments hosting early Miocene sirenian fossils on Santa Rosa Island of the Channel Island National Park, Ventura County, California
Sr-, U-, H- and O-isotope data used to evaluate water sources in the Potrero Creek Wetlands, Upper Santa Cruz Basin, southern Arizona, USA
This data release includes a table of 87Sr/86Sr, 234U/238U, δ2H, and δ18O isotope data used to evaluate groundwater- and surface-water-sources contributing to water in perennial wetlands near the mouth of Potrero Creek within the Upper Santa Cruz Basin near Nogales, AZ. Interpretations of those data are discussed in the pamphlet accompanying the USGS Scientific Investigations Map SIM...
Filter Total Items: 32
Radiogenic strontium- and uranium-isotope tracers of water-rock interactions and hydrothermal flow in the Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, USA
Natural radiogenic isotopes (primarily 87Sr/86Sr) from hot springs in the Upper Geyser Basin of the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field and associated rocks were used to evaluate groundwater flow patterns, water-rock reactions, and the extent of mixing between various groundwater sources. Thermal waters have very low uranium concentrations and 234U/238U activity ratios near 1.0, which...
Authors
James B. Paces, Shaul Hurwitz, Lauren N Harrison, Jacob B. Lowenstern, R. Blaine McCleskey
Unified 200 kyr paleohydrologic history of the Southern Great Basin: Death Valley, Searles Valley, Owens Valley and the Devils Hole cave
We present a hydroclimate synthesis of the southern Great Basin over the last two glacial-interglacial cycles focused on paleolakes in Death Valley (core DV93-1), Searles Valley (core SLAPP-SRLS17), Owens Valley (core OL92), and the Devils Hole cave. There is close agreement between the occurrence of lakes in Death Valley and the height of the water table in the Devils Hole (50 km east...
Authors
Tim Lowenstein, Kristian Olson, Brian W. Stewart, David McGee, Justin Stroup, Adam M. Hudson, Kathleen Wendt, Mark Peaple, Sarah Feakins, Ronald Spencer, Tripti Bhattacharya, Steven P. Lundblad, Ronald Litwin
Clumped isotopes record a glacial-interglacial shift in seasonality of soil carbonate accumulation in the San Luis Valley, southern Rocky Mountains, USA
Clumped isotope paleothermometry using pedogenic carbonates is a powerful tool for investigating past climate changes. However, location-specific seasonal patterns of precipitation and soil moisture cause systematic biases in the temperatures they record, hampering comparison of data across large areas or differing climate states. To account for biases, more systematic studies of...
Authors
Adam M. Hudson, Julia R. Kelson, James B. Paces, Chester A. Ruleman, Katharine W. Huntington, Andrew J. Schauer
Travertine records climate-induced transformations of the Yellowstone hydrothermal system from the late Pleistocene to the present
Chemical changes in hot springs, as recorded by thermal waters and their deposits, provide a window into the evolution of the postglacial hydrothermal system of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field. Today, most hydrothermal travertine forms to the north and south of the ca. 631 ka Yellowstone caldera where groundwater flow through subsurface sedimentary rocks leads to calcite...
Authors
Lauren N. Harrison, Shaul Hurwitz, James B. Paces, Cathy Whitlock, Sara Peek, Joseph Licciardi
Insights into glendonite formation from the upper Oligocene Sagavanirktok Formation, North Slope, Alaska
The type locality for the upper Oligocene Nuwok Member of the Sagavanirktok Formation (Carter Creek, North Slope, Alaska, USA) contains abundant occurrence of glendonite, a pseudomorph after the calcium carbonate mineral ikaite, which typically forms in the shallow subsurface of cold marine sediments. The region during the time of Nuwok Member deposition was located at a high latitude...
Authors
John W. Counts, Madeleine Vickers, Martha (Rebecca) Stokes, Whittney Spivey, Kristina Frank Gardner, Jean Self-Trail, Jared T. Gooley, Ryan J. McAleer, Aaron M. Jubb, David W. Houseknecht, Richard O. Lease, Neil Patrick Griffis, Martin S. Vickers, Kasia Śliwińska, Hannah Gail Dooley Tompkins, Adam M. Hudson
Paleohydrologic history of pluvial lake San Agustin, New Mexico: Tracking changing effective moisture in southwest North America through the last glacial transition
Paleoclimate records across the Intermountain West region of North America show significant regional variation in timing and magnitude of wet conditions that accompanied the last glacial-interglacial transition. To understand the climate controls on paleohydrologic change, well-dated records are needed across the region. The Plains of San Agustin (New Mexico, USA) is a closed-basin...
Authors
Adam M. Hudson, Jay Quade, Vance T. Holliday, Brendan Fenerty, Jordon Bright, Harrison J. Gray, Shannon A. Mahan
Strontium isotope chronostratigraphic age of a sirenian fossil site on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California
Fossils in the order Sirenia (family Dugongidae) from Santa Rosa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park in southern California, provide rare temporal and spatial links between earlier and later evolutionary forms of dugongids, and add information about their dispersal into the northeastern Pacific region. Marine sedimentary rocks containing these fossils have characteristics of...
Authors
James B. Paces, Scott A. Minor, Kevin M. Schmidt, Jonathan Hoffman
Central Andean (28–34°S) flood record 0–25 ka from Salinas del Bebedero, Argentina
The Salinas del Bebedero occupies an isolated basin in the foreland of central Argentina at 33°S and was flooded repeatedly over past 25 ka. Isotopic evidence demonstrates that this flooding was due to overflow of the nearby Río Desaguadero with waters derived from the distant (≥300 km) central Andes between 28–34°S. Stratigraphic and shoreline evidence shows that floods occurred most...
Authors
Jay Quade, Elad Dente, Allison Cartwright, Adam M. Hudson, Sebastian Jimenez, David McGee
Evidence for humans in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum
Archaeologists and researchers in allied fields have long sought to understand human colonization of North America. When, how, and from where did people migrate, and what were the consequences of their arrival for the established fauna and landscape are enduring questions. Here, we present evidence from excavated surfaces of in situ human footprints from White Sands National Park (New...
Authors
Matthew R. Bennett, David Bustos, Jeffrey S. Pigati, Kathleen B. Springer, Thomas. M. Urban, Vance T. Holliday, Sally C. Reynolds, Marcin Budka, Jeffrey S. Honke, Adam M. Hudson, Brendan Fenerty, Clare Connelly, Patrick J. Martinez, Vincent L. Santucci, Daniel Odess
Geomorphic history of Lake Manix, Mojave Desert, California: Evolution of a complex terminal lake basin
The US Environmental Protection Agency's short-term freshwater effluent test methods include a fish (Pimephales promelas), a cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia), and a green alga (Raphidocelis subcapitata). There is a recognized need for additional taxa to accompany the three standard species for effluent testing. An appropriate additional taxon is unionid mussels because mussels are widely...
Authors
Marith C. Reheis, David M. Miller, James B. Paces, Charles G. Oviatt, Joanna R. Redwine, Darrell Kaufman, Jordon Bright, Elmira Wan
Reconstructing paleohydrology in the northwest Great Basin since the last deglaciation using Paisley Caves fish remains (Oregon, U.S.A.)
The arid northwest Great Basin underwent substantial hydroclimate changes in the past 15,000 years, greatly affecting its desert ecosystems and prehistoric people. There are conflicting interpretations of the timing of hydrologic changes in this region, requiring more records to resolve the dominant climatic drivers. The Paisley Caves archaeological site, located near former pluvial Lake...
Authors
Adam M. Hudson, Meaghan M Emery-Wetherell, Patrick M Lubinski, Virginia L. Butler, Deanna N Grimstead, Dennis L Jenkins
Dating silica sinter (geyserite): A cautionary tale
We describe a new effort to date hydrothermal silica sinter deposits (geyserite) from the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park using 14C of co-deposited organic matter, U-series and cosmogenic 10Be methods. A majority of the samples were collected from stratigraphic sections, mainly at Riverside, Giant, and Castle Geysers. Ages obtained from 41 14C analyses range from modern...
Authors
Dakota M. Churchill, Michael Manga, Shaul Hurwitz, Sara Peek, Joseph Licciardi, James B. Paces