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Kathleen Springer

I study geologic deposits associated with desert wetlands, pluvial lakes, and anything else I can get my hands on to query the paleoclimate record of the American Southwest.

I was trained as a geologist and paleontologist, with B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geological Sciences from the University of California, Riverside, and spent the first part of my career at the San Bernardino County Museum where I was the Senior Curator of Geological Sciences. Now with the USGS, my research focuses on deciphering paleo-depositional environments of Quaternary localities (paleowetlands and pluvial lakes) throughout the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin, stressing the application of detailed stratigraphic and chronologic controls. I also use detailed geologic mapping to understand how hydrologic systems in the desert responded to past episodes of climate change and tectonic activity. In addition, I am a lifelong geoscience educator and communicator, specializing in earthquake science messaging by raising awareness of earthquake hazards and risk and promoting natural disaster preparedness. 

 

 

 

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scientists near Saratoga Springs, Death Valley

Quaternary Hydroclimate Records of Spring Ecosystems

Desert springs and wetlands are among the most biologically productive, diverse, and fragile ecosystems on Earth. They are home to thousands of rare, endemic, and endangered plants and animals and reflect the availability and health of emergent groundwater. Despite the ecological importance of these wetlands, our knowledge of how they might respond to predicted future climate change is limited...
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Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
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Quaternary Hydroclimate Records of Spring Ecosystems

Desert springs and wetlands are among the most biologically productive, diverse, and fragile ecosystems on Earth. They are home to thousands of rare, endemic, and endangered plants and animals and reflect the availability and health of emergent groundwater. Despite the ecological importance of these wetlands, our knowledge of how they might respond to predicted future climate change is limited...
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Desert wetland at Point of Rocks Spring

Paleohydrology of Desert Wetlands

Springs and wetlands are among the most highly threatened ecosystems on Earth. Although geographically limited, they support more than 20% of all the threatened and endangered species in the United States. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey are examining the rock record to determine how springs and wetlands responded to abrupt climate change during prehistoric times and the recent geologic...
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Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
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Paleohydrology of Desert Wetlands

Springs and wetlands are among the most highly threatened ecosystems on Earth. Although geographically limited, they support more than 20% of all the threatened and endangered species in the United States. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey are examining the rock record to determine how springs and wetlands responded to abrupt climate change during prehistoric times and the recent geologic...
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Data release for Seasonality of precipitation in the southwestern United States during the late Pleistocene inferred from stable isotopes in herbivore tooth enamel

The late Pleistocene was a climatically dynamic period, with abrupt shifts between cool-wet and warm-dry conditions. Increased effective precipitation supported large pluvial lakes and long-lived spring ecosystems in valleys and basins throughout the western and southwestern U.S., but the source and seasonality of the precipitation are debated. Here we present stable carbon and oxygen isotope data
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Data release for Hydroclimate response of spring ecosystems to a two-stage Younger Dryas event in western North America

The Younger Dryas (YD) climate event is the preeminent example of abrupt climate change in the recent geologic past. Climate conditions during the YD were spatially complex, and high-resolution sediment cores in the North Atlantic, western Europe, and East Asia have revealed it unfolded in two distinct stages, including an initial stable climatic period between ~12.9 and 12.2 ka associated with a
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Data release for Evidence of 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. Questions remain about when and how people migrated, where they originated, and how their arrival affected the established fauna and landscape. Here, we present evidence from excavated surfaces in White Sands National Park (New Mexico, United States), where multiple in situ human foo
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Radiocarbon dating of an alluvial deposit with associated faunal remains

We assessed a construction site in the northern Las Vegas Valley that was initially reported as an "ice age" deposit. Alluvial deposits exposed at the site were inset into the Las Vegas Formation and contained semi-articulated Equus remains. Calibrated radiocarbon dates on two different materials associated with the remains centered on 1957, thus rendering the horse bones as modern.
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Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Data release for Oxygen isotopes in terrestrial gastropod shells track Quaternary climate change in the American Southwest

Recent studies have shown the oxygen isotopic composition (delta18O) of modern terrestrial gastropod shells is determined largely by the delta18O of precipitation. This implies that fossil shells could be used to reconstruct the delta18O of paleo-precipitation as long as the hydrologic pathways of the local watershed and the shell isotope systematics are well understood. In this study, we measured
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Data release for Climatically driven displacement on the Eglington fault, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

The Eglington fault is one of several intrabasinal faults in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, USA, and is the only one recognized as a source for significant earthquakes. Its broad warp displaces Late Pleistocene spring deposits of the Las Vegas Formation, which record hydrologic fluctuations that occurred in response to millennial- and submillennial-scale climate oscillations throughout the late Qua
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Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Filter Total Items: 20

Seasonality of precipitation in the southwestern United States during the late Pleistocene inferred from stable isotopes in herbivore tooth enamel

The late Pleistocene was a climatically dynamic period, with abrupt shifts between cool-wet and warm-dry conditions. Increased effective precipitation supported large pluvial lakes and long-lived spring ecosystems in valleys and basins throughout the western and southwestern U.S., but the source and seasonality of the increased precipitation are debated. Increases in the proportions of C4/(C4+ C3)
By
Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Hydroclimate response of spring ecosystems to a two-stage Younger Dryas event in western North America

The Younger Dryas (YD) climate event is the preeminent example of abrupt climate change in the recent geologic past. Climate conditions during the YD were spatially complex, and high-resolution sediment cores in the North Atlantic, western Europe, and East Asia have revealed it unfolded in two distinct stages, including an initial stable climatic period between ~ 12.9 and 12.2 ka associated with a
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Reply to “Evidence for humans at White Sands National Park during the Last Glacial Maximum could actually be for Clovis people ~13,000 years ago” by C. Vance Haynes, Jr.

Bennett et al. (2021, Science 373, 1528–1531) reported that ancient human footprints discovered in White Sands National Park, New Mexico date to between ∼23,000 and 21,000 years ago. Haynes (2022, PaleoAmerica, this issue) proposes two alternate hypotheses to explain the antiquity of the footprints. One is that they were made by humans crossing over older sediments sometime during the Holocene. Th
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Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Response to comment on “Evidence of humans in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum”

Madsen et al. question the reliability of calibrated radiocarbon ages associated with human footprints discovered recently in White Sands National Park, New Mexico, USA. On the basis of the geologic, hydrologic, stratigraphic, and chronologic evidence, we maintain that the ages are robust and conclude that the footprints date to between ~23,000 and 21,000 years ago.Madsen et al. (1) question the v
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Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

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 Mexico, USA)
By
Climate Research and Development Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Aeolian sediments in paleowetland deposits of the Las Vegas Formation

The Las Vegas Formation (LVF) is a well-characterized sequence of groundwater discharge (GWD) deposits exposed in and around the Las Vegas Valley in southern Nevada. Nearly monolithologic bedrock surrounds the valley, which provides an excellent opportunity to test the hypothesis that GWD deposits include an aeolian component. Mineralogical data indicate that the LVF sediments are dominated by car
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Oxygen isotopes in terrestrial gastropod shells track Quaternary climate change in the American Southwest

Recent studies have shown the oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O) of modern terrestrial gastropod shells is determined largely by the δ18O of precipitation. This implies that fossil shells could be used to reconstruct the δ18O of paleo-precipitation as long as the isotopic system, including the hydrologic pathways of the local watershed and the gastropod systematics, is well understood. In this stu
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Climatically driven displacement on the Eglington fault, Las Vegas, Nevada

The Eglington fault is one of several intrabasinal faults in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada and is the only one recognized as a source for significant earthquakes. Its broad warp displaces late Pleistocene paleo-spring deposits of the Las Vegas Formation, which record hydrologic fluctuations that occurred in response to millennial and submillennial-scale climate oscillations throughout the late Quat
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Mammut pacificus sp. nov., a newly recognized species of mastodon from the Pleistocene of western North America

A new species of mastodon from the Pleistocene of western North America, Mammut pacificus sp. nov. is herein recognized, with specimens identified throughout California and from two localities in southern Idaho. This new taxon differs from the contemporaneous M. americanum in having narrower teeth, most prominently in M3/m3, as well as six sacral vertebrae, femur with a proportionally greater mid-
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Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

The Las Vegas Formation

The Las Vegas Formation was established in 1965 to designate the distinctive light-colored, fine-grained, fossil-bearing sedimentary deposits exposed in and around the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada. In a coeval designation, the sediments were subdivided into informal units with stratigraphic and chronologic frameworks that have persisted in the literature. Use of the Las Vegas Formation name over the p
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

The geology and paleontology of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada

On December 19, 2014, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, located in the Las Vegas Valley of southern Nevada, was established by Congress as the 405th unit of the National Park Service to “conserve, protect, interpret, and enhance for the benefit of present and future generations the unique and nationally important paleontological, scientific, educational, and recreational resources and va
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Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Examining the relationship between portable luminescence reader measurements and depositional ages of paleowetland sediments, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada

Portable luminescence readers are exciting new tools that have the potential to rapidly determine the age structure of late Quaternary stratigraphic columns. This is important because high-resolution age profiling can reveal details about the temporal dynamics of climate cause and ecosystem effect, often while researchers are still in the field. In this paper, we compare new portable luminescence
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Ramelli, R.A., Page, R.W., Manker, C.R., Springer, K.B., 2012, Preliminary geologic map of the Corn Creek Springs, NW quadrangle, Clark County, Nevada: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 175, scale 1:24,000.
Ramelli, Alan R.; Page, William R.; Manker, Craig R.; Springer, Kathleen B., 2011, Geologic map of the Gass Peak SW quadrangle, Clark County, Nevada; 2011; Other Government Series; 175.
Springer, K.B., Scott, E., Manker C.R., Rowland, S., 2011, Vertebrate paleontology of Pleistocene lakes and groundwater discharge deposits of the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin: Nevada State Museum Paleontological Papers no. 1, 168-243.
Springer, K.B., Scott, Eric, Sagabiel, J.C., and Murray, L.K., 2010, Late Pleistocene large mammal faunal dynamics from inland southern California: The Diamond Valley Lake local fauna: Quaternary International, v. 217, iss. 1-2, p. 256-265.
Springer, K.B., Scott, E., Sagebiel, J.C., Murray, L.K., 2009, The Diamond Valley Lake local fauna: late Pleistocene vertebrates from inland southern California: Papers on Geology, Vertebrate Paleontology and Biostratigraphy in Honor of Michael O. Woodburne (L.B. Albright III, ed). Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin 65, 217-235.
Scott, E., Springer, K.B., Sagebiel, J.C., Manker, C.R., 2006, Planning for the future: preserving and interpreting paleontology and geology in Joshua Tree National Park. America’s Antiquities: 100 Years of Managing Fossils on Federal Lands (Lucas, S.G., Spielmann, J.A., Hester, P.M., Kenworthy, J.P., Santucci, V.L., eds). New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 34, 159-164.
Scott, E., Springer, K.B., and Sagebiel, J.C., 2004, Vertebrate paleontology in the Mojave Desert: the continuing importance of “follow-through” in preserving paleontologic resources. The Human Journey and Ancient Life in California’s Deserts: Proceedings from the 2001 Millennium Conference (Allen, M.W., Reed, J., eds.). Maturango Museum Publication no. 15, 65-70.
Scott, E., and Springer, K.B., 2003, CEQA and fossil preservation in southern California: The Environmental Monitor 17, 4-10.
Anderson, R., Power, M., Smith, S., Springer, K., and Scott, E., 2002, Paleoecology of a Middle Wisconsin Deposit from Southern California: Quaternary Research, 58(3), 310-317. doi:10.1006/qres.2002.2388
Campbell, Kenneth, Scott, Eric, and Springer, Kathleen, 1999, A New Genus for the Incredible Teratorn (Aves: Teratornithidae): Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. 89.
Springer, K.B. and Murphy, Michael, 1994, Punctuated stasis and collateral evolution in the Devonian lineage of Monograptus hercynicus: Lethaia. 27. 119-128.
Woodburne, M.O., Case, J.A., Springer, M.S., Woodburne, J., Springer, K.B., and Power, J.D., 1993, Biostratigraphy and paleontology of the Etadunna Formation, South Australia: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 13(4), 483-515.
Murphy, M., & Springer, K., 1989, Morphometric study of the platform elements of Amydrotaxis praejohnsoni n. sp. (Lower Devonian, conodonts, Nevada): Journal of Paleontology, 63(3), 349-355. doi:10.1017/S002233600001951X

**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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