Craig A Johnson, Ph.D.
Craig Johnson is a Research Geologist with the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center.
Craig attended Dartmouth (AB), Michigan (MS), and Yale (PhD). He held a NASA postdoc and a staff position at the American Museum of Natural History in New York prior to joining the USGS in 1992. Craig is responsible for a stable isotope laboratory in which isotopes of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur are measured in rocks, waters, gases, and biological materials. Craig studies ore genesis, environmental impacts of mining, the source and fate of solutes in natural waters and crustal fluids, the isotopic record of marine sulfate, and isotopic records of paleoenvironments.
Science and Products
Stable isotope composition of waters in the Great Basin, United States 1. Air-mass trajectories
Stable isotope compositions of waters in the Great Basin, United States 2. Modern precipitation
Stable isotope compositions of waters in the Great Basin, United States 3. Comparison of groundwaters with modern precipitation
Geochemical constraints on the origin of the Sterling Hill and Franklin zinc deposits, and the furnace magnetite bed, northwestern New Jersey
Field trip day four: Road log for the Sterling Hill and Franklin Zinc Mines, New Jersey
On-line sulfur isotope analysis of organic material by direct combustion: Preliminary results and potential applications
Use of 17O/16O to trace atmospherically-deposited sulfate in surface waters: A case study in alpine watersheds in the Rocky Mountains
Sources of salinity near a coal mine spoil pile, north-central Colorado
Mesoproterozoic graphite deposits, New Jersey Highlands: Geologic and stable isotopic evidence for possible algal origins
Sulfur-, oxygen-, and carbon-isotope studies of Ag-Pb-Zn vein-breccia occurrences, sulfide-bearing concretions, and barite deposits in the north-central Brooks Range, with comparisons to shale-hosted stratiform massive sulfide deposits: A section in Ge
Fate of process solution cyanide and nitrate at three Nevada gold mines inferred from stable carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements
Syngenetic Au on the Carlin trend: Implications for Carlin-type deposits
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Stable isotope composition of waters in the Great Basin, United States 1. Air-mass trajectories
Isentropic trajectories, calculated using the NOAA/Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory's isentropic transport model, were used to determine air-parcel origins and the influence of air mass trajectories on the isotopic composition of precipitation events that occurred between October 1991 and September 1993 at Cedar City, Utah, and Winnemucca, Nevada. Examination of trajectories that tracAuthorsI. Friedman, J.M. Harris, G.I. Smith, C.A. JohnsonStable isotope compositions of waters in the Great Basin, United States 2. Modern precipitation
Precipitation was collected between 1991 and 1997 at 41 locations within and adjacent to parts of the Great Basin lying in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Utah. These samples were analyzed for their deuterium (??D) and oxygen-18 (??18O) contents. Separate collections were made of summer and winter season precipitation at stations ranging in elevation from -65 m to 3246 m. The ??D per mil values ofAuthorsI. Friedman, G.I. Smith, C.A. Johnson, R.J. MoscatiStable isotope compositions of waters in the Great Basin, United States 3. Comparison of groundwaters with modern precipitation
Groundwater samples from wells and springs, scattered over most of the Great Basin province, were collected and analyzed for their isotopic makeup. They were augmented by previously published isotopic data on groundwaters from southeast California and by several hundred unpublished isotopic analyses. The ratio of 2H (deuterium, D) to 1H, in water samples from valleys in parts of California, Idaho,AuthorsG.I. Smith, I. Friedman, G. Veronda, C.A. JohnsonGeochemical constraints on the origin of the Sterling Hill and Franklin zinc deposits, and the furnace magnetite bed, northwestern New Jersey
The purpose of this chapter is to review two aspects of the geochemistry of the Sterling Hill and Franklin zinc-ironmanganese deposits and the Furnace magnetite bed that underlies the Franklin deposit. These are (1) oxidation and sulfidation states determined from heterogeneous phase equilibria, and (2) stable isotopic compositions determined from analyses of carbonate, silicate, oxide, and sulfidAuthorsCraig A. JohnsonField trip day four: Road log for the Sterling Hill and Franklin Zinc Mines, New Jersey
This portion of the field trip features visits to the world famous Sterling Hill and Franklin mines, in northwestern New Jersey, and their respective mining museums. Although both mines are no longer in operation, important geologic features can still be observed. At the Sterling Hill mine, we will have the opportunity to see zinc ore in place, both in an underground drift and in the Passaic openAuthorsRobert W. Metsger, Richard A. Volkert, Craig A. JohnsonOn-line sulfur isotope analysis of organic material by direct combustion: Preliminary results and potential applications
Sulfur isotopes have received little attention in ecology studies because plant and animal materials typically have low sulfur concentrations (< 1 wt.%) necessitating labor-intensive chemical extraction prior to analysis. To address the potential of direct combustion of organic material in an elemental analyzer coupled with a mass spectrometer, we compared results obtained by direct combustion toAuthorsC.L. Kester, R. O. Rye, C.A. Johnson, C.H. Schwartz, C.H. HolmesUse of 17O/16O to trace atmospherically-deposited sulfate in surface waters: A case study in alpine watersheds in the Rocky Mountains
Building on the discovery of excess 17O in atmospheric sulfate by Lee et al. (2001), we have carried out a case study to determine whether 17O might provide a new tool for quantifying the impact of atmospheric deposition on surface-water sulfate loads. In Rocky Mountain alpine regions, excess 17O was found to be characteristics of atmospheric sulfate deposited in snow. Excess 17O was also evidentAuthorsC.A. Johnson, M.A. Mast, C.L. KesterSources of salinity near a coal mine spoil pile, north-central Colorado
A small (1 km2) salt-affected stream drainage on the High Plains north of Denver, Colorado was sampled to determine the near-surface dispersion of soluble salts and metals from low-sulfur coal mining waste (spoil). Surface waters collected along the 0.8-km stream reach, and aqueous leachates of spoil and naturally saline local soil, were analyzed for chemical constituents and sulfur isotopes. In tAuthorsR. A. Zielinski, J. K. Otton, C.A. JohnsonMesoproterozoic graphite deposits, New Jersey Highlands: Geologic and stable isotopic evidence for possible algal origins
Graphite deposits of Mesoproterozoic age are locally abundant in the eastern New Jersey Highlands, where they are hosted by sulphidic biotite–quartz–feldspar gneiss, metaquartzite, and anatectic pegmatite. Gneiss and metaquartzite represent a shallow marine shelf sequence of locally organic-rich sand and mud. Graphite from massive deposits within metaquartzite yielded δ13C values of –26 ± 2‰ (1σ)AuthorsR. A. Volkert, Craig A. Johnson, Albert V. TamashauskySulfur-, oxygen-, and carbon-isotope studies of Ag-Pb-Zn vein-breccia occurrences, sulfide-bearing concretions, and barite deposits in the north-central Brooks Range, with comparisons to shale-hosted stratiform massive sulfide deposits: A section in Ge
Stratiform shale-hosted massive sulfide deposits, sulfidebearing concretions and vein breccias, and barite deposits are widespread in sedimentary rocks of Late Devonian to Permian age in the northern Brooks Range. All of the sulfide-bearing concretions and vein breccias are hosted in mixed continental-marine clastic rocks of the Upper Devonian to Lower Mississippian Endicott Group. The clastic rocAuthorsKaren D. Kelley, David L. Leach, Craig A. JohnsonFate of process solution cyanide and nitrate at three Nevada gold mines inferred from stable carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements
Stable isotope methods have been used to identify the mechanisms responsible for cyanide consumption at three heap-leach operations that process Carlin-type gold ores in Nevada, U.S.A. The reagent cyanide had δ15N values ranging from -5 to -2‰ and δ 13C values from -60 to -35‰. The wide δ13C range reflects the use by different suppliers of isotopically distinct natural-gas feedstocks and indicatesAuthorsC.A. Johnson, D. J. Grimes, R. O. RyeSyngenetic Au on the Carlin trend: Implications for Carlin-type deposits
A new type of gold occurrence recently discovered in the Carlin trend, north-central Nevada, is clearly distinct from classic Carlin-type gold ore. These occurrences are interpreted to be of sedimentary exhalative (sedex) origin because they are stratiform and predate compaction and lithification of their unaltered Devonian host rocks. They contain barite that exhibits δ34S and δ180 values identicAuthorsP. Emsbo, R.W. Hutchinson, A. H. Hofstra, J.A. Volk, K. H. Bettles, G.J. Baschuk, C.A. JohnsonNon-USGS Publications**
Riciputi, L.R., McSween, H.Y., Jr., Johnson, C.A., and Prinz, M., 1994, Minor and trace element concentrations in carbonates of carbonaceous chondrites, and implications for the compositions of coexisting fluids: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 58 (4), p. 1343–1351, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(94)90386-7.Johnson, C.A., and Prinz, M., 1993, Carbonate compositions in CM and CI chondrites, and implications for aqueous alteration: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 57 (12), p. 2843–2852, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(93)90393-B.Johnson, C.A., Cardellach, E., Tritlla, J., and Hanan, B.B., 1993, Origin of the Cierco Pb-Zn vein system (central Pyrenees, Spain): evidence from stable isotopes, Sr isotopes and fluid inclusions, in Fenoll Hach-Ali, P., Torrez-Ruiz, J., and Gervilla, F., eds., Current research in geology applied to ore deposits. Proceedings of the 2nd SGA Biennial Meeting, Granada, Spain, 9-11 September 1993, p. 135-138.Johnson, C.A., and Prinz, M., 1991, Chromite and olivine in type II chondrules in carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites: implications for thermal histories and group differences: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 55 (3), p. 893–904, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(91)90349-A.Johnson, C.A., Rye, D.M., and Skinner, B.J., 1990, Unusual oxygen isotopic compositions in and around the Sterling Hill and Franklin Furnace ore deposits, in Proceedings for conference on character and origin of the Franklin and Sterling Hill orebodies: Bethlehem, PA, Lehigh University, p. 63–76.Johnson, C.A., Rye, D.M., and Skinner, B.J., 1990, Petrology and stable isotope geochemistry of the metamorphosed zinc-iron-manganese deposit at Sterling Hill, New Jersey: Economic Geology, 85 (6), p. 1133–1161, https://doi.org/10.2113/gsecongeo.85.6.1133.Johnson, C.A., Prinz, M., Weisberg, M.K., Clayton, R.N., and Mayeda, T.K., 1990, Dark inclusions in Allende, Leoville and Vigarano: evidence for nebular oxidation of CV3 constituents: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 54 (3), p.819–830, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(90)90376-V.Skinner, B.J. and Johnson, C.A., 1987, Evidence for movement of ore materials during high grade metamorphism: Ore Geology Reviews, 2 (1-3), p. 191–204, https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-1368(87)90028-X.Johnson, C.A., Bohlen, S.R., and Essene, E.J., 1983, An evaluation of garnet-clinopyroxene geothermometry in granulites: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 84 (2-3), p. 191-198, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371285.Johnson, C.A., and Essene, E. J., 1982, The formation of garnet in olivine-bearing metagabbros in the Adirondack Mountains, New York: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 81 (3), p. 240-251, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371301.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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