Kathleen Springer
I study geologic deposits associated with springs and desert wetlands and pluvial lakes to develop paleoclimate records for the American Southwest.
I specialize in deciphering complex stratigraphic sequences, reconstructing paleoenvironmental conditions, and studying how springs and other groundwater dependent ecosystems responded to climate change in the recent geologic past. My research takes me all over the deserts of the southwest to places like Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Death Valley National Park, White Sands National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and Channel Islands National Park.
Professional Experience
Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Education and Certifications
1989: M.S., Geological Sciences, University of California, Riverside
1985: B.S., Geological Sciences, University of California, Riverside
Science and Products
The geology and paleontology of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada
Examining the relationship between portable luminescence reader measurements and depositional ages of paleowetland sediments, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada
Desert wetlands record hydrologic variability within the Younger Dryas chronozone, Mojave Desert, USA
The Great Acceleration and the disappearing surficial geologic record
The Tule Springs local fauna: Rancholabrean vertebrates from the Las Vegas Formation, Nevada
Vertebrate paleontology, stratigraphy, and paleohydrology of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada (USA)
Geology and vertebrate paleontology of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada, USA
First records of Canis dirus and Smilodon fatalis from the late Pleistocene Tule Springs local fauna, upper Las Vegas Wash, Nevada
Desert wetlands—Archives of a wetter past
Dynamic response of desert wetlands to abrupt climate change
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.
Science and Products
The geology and paleontology of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada
Examining the relationship between portable luminescence reader measurements and depositional ages of paleowetland sediments, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada
Desert wetlands record hydrologic variability within the Younger Dryas chronozone, Mojave Desert, USA
The Great Acceleration and the disappearing surficial geologic record
The Tule Springs local fauna: Rancholabrean vertebrates from the Las Vegas Formation, Nevada
Vertebrate paleontology, stratigraphy, and paleohydrology of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada (USA)
Geology and vertebrate paleontology of Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Nevada, USA
First records of Canis dirus and Smilodon fatalis from the late Pleistocene Tule Springs local fauna, upper Las Vegas Wash, Nevada
Desert wetlands—Archives of a wetter past
Dynamic response of desert wetlands to abrupt climate change
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.