I study past climates and environments using sediments from lakes, wetlands, and permafrost with an emphasis on water isotope tracers. The continuous records that I develop extend from the present through past decades, centuries, millennia, and previous glaciations and reflect hydroclimatic processes on global, regional, and local scales.
My main study areas are the North America cordilleran west, from Alaska to the southern Rockies. My main interests are to discover water isotope data which documents how and why changes in climate have affected alpine and arctic landscapes across space and through time. In addition to paleoclimatology and geochronological methods, my research also includes multiple perspectives from aspects of paleolimnology (lake sedimentology, geochemistry, hydrology), geomorphology, and the modern climatology of North Pacific ocean-atmosphere interactions.
Professional Experience
2005 – present, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey Geoscience and Environmental Change Science Center
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Geosciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2005)
M.Sc., Geology, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2000)
B.Sc., Chemistry, University of Utah (1985)
Science and Products
Past Perspectives of Water in the West
Holocene Hydroclimate of Western North America
Tree-ring widths of Picea engelmannii at Andrews Meadow, Rocky Mountain National Park
Data Release for Holocene Paleohydrology from alpine lake sediment, Emerald Lake, Wasatch Plateau of central Utah, USA
Data Release for "Holocene thermokarst lake dynamics in northern Interior Alaska: the interplay of climate, fire, and subsurface hydrology"
Data release for Lake levels in a discontinuous permafrost landscape: Late Holocene variations inferred from sediment oxygen isotopes, Yukon Flats, Alaska
A stable isotope record of late Quaternary hydrologic change in the northwestern Brooks Range, Alaska (eastern Beringia)
Holocene hydroclimatic reorganizations in northwest Canada inferred from lacustrine carbonate oxygen isotopes
USGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources
Persistence and plasticity in conifer water-use strategies
Holocene thermokarst lake dynamics in northern Interior Alaska: The interplay of climate, fire, and subsurface hydrology
An assessment of plant species differences on cellulose oxygen isotopes from two Kenai Peninsula, Alaska peatlands: Implications for hydroclimatic reconstructions
Fish Lake limnology and watershed aqueous geochemistry, Fish Lake Plateau, Utah
Lake levels in a discontinuous permafrost landscape: Late Holocene variations inferred from sediment oxygen isotopes, Yukon Flats, Alaska
A North American Hydroclimate Synthesis (NAHS) of the Common Era
High sensitivity of gross primary production in the Rocky Mountains to summer rain
A synthesis of thermokarst lake water balance in high-latitude regions of North America from isotope tracers
Lake oxygen isotopes as recorders of North American Rocky Mountain hydroclimate: Holocene patterns and variability at multi-decadal to millennial time scales
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
- Science
Past Perspectives of Water in the West
In the intermountain west, seasonal precipitation extremes, combined with population growth, are creating new challenges for the management of water resources, ecosystems, and geologic hazards. This research contributes a comprehensive long-term context for a deeper understanding of past hydrologic variability, including the magnitude and frequency of drought and flood extremes and ecosystem...Holocene Hydroclimate of Western North America
The objectives of this project are to reconstruct detailed histories of Holocene hydroclimate and corresponding environmental change from geological archives such as lake sediment, peat, and wood to more fully understand past, ongoing, and future change and its impacts. - Data
Tree-ring widths of Picea engelmannii at Andrews Meadow, Rocky Mountain National Park
Andrews Meadow in the Loch Vale watershed, Rocky Mountain National Park. Sample Collection: Englemann spruce (Picea engelmannii) living on slopes surrounding and at the edge of Andrews meadow (Latitude 40˚ 17’ 24” N, Longitude 105˚ 40’ 01” W NAD83). At the time of collection, the climate-sensitive upland P. engelmannii trees were growing on well-drained slopes above the meadow. Seventeen trees, twData Release for Holocene Paleohydrology from alpine lake sediment, Emerald Lake, Wasatch Plateau of central Utah, USA
Holocene sediments at Emerald Lake in central Utah (3090 m a.s.l), document the paleohydroclimatic history of the western Upper Colorado River headwater region. Multi-proxy analyses of sediment composition, mineralogy, and stable isotopes of carbonate (d18O and d13C) show changes in effective moisture for the past ca. 10,000 years at millennial to decadal timescales. Emerald Lake originated as a sData Release for "Holocene thermokarst lake dynamics in northern Interior Alaska: the interplay of climate, fire, and subsurface hydrology"
The current state of permafrost in Alaska and meaningful expectations for its future evolution are informed by long-term perspectives on previous permafrost degradation. Thermokarst processes in permafrost landscapes often lead to widespread lake formation and the spatial and temporal evolution of thermokarst lake landscapes reflects the combined effects of climate, ground conditions, vegetation,Data release for Lake levels in a discontinuous permafrost landscape: Late Holocene variations inferred from sediment oxygen isotopes, Yukon Flats, Alaska
During recent decades, lake levels in the Yukon Flats region of interior Alaska have fluctuated dramatically. However, prior to recorded observations, no data are available to indicate if similar or more extreme variations occurred during past centuries and millennia. This study explores the history of Yukon Flats lake origins and lake levels for the past approximately 5,500 years from sediment an - Publications
Filter Total Items: 22
A stable isotope record of late Quaternary hydrologic change in the northwestern Brooks Range, Alaska (eastern Beringia)
A submillennial-resolution record of lake water oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) from chironomid head capsules is presented from Burial Lake, northwest Alaska. The record spans the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ~20–16k cal a bp) to the present and shows a series of large lake δ18O shifts (~5‰). Relatively low δ18O values occurred during a period covering the LGM, when the lake was a shallow, closed-AuthorsAmanda L. King, Lesleigh Anderson, Mark B. Abbott, Mary Edwards, Matthew S. Finkenbinder, Bruce P. Finney, Matthew WoollerHolocene hydroclimatic reorganizations in northwest Canada inferred from lacustrine carbonate oxygen isotopes
Sub-centennial oxygen (δ18O) isotopes of ostracod and authigenic calcite from Squanga Lake provides evidence of hydroclimatic extremes and a series of post-glacial climate system reorganizations for the interior region of northwest Canada. Authigenic calcite δ18O values range from −16‰ to −21‰ and are presently similar to modern lake water and annual precipitation values. Ostracod δ18O record nearAuthorsG. Everett Lasher, Mark B. Abbott, Lesleigh Anderson, Lindsey Yasarer, Michael Rosenheimer, Bruce P. FinneyUSGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with university, Federal, Tribal, and independent partners, conducts fundamental research on the distribution, vulnerability, and importance of permafrost in arctic and boreal ecosystems. Scientists, land managers, and policy makers use USGS data to help make decisions for development, wildlife habitat, and other needs. Native villages and citiesAuthorsMark P. Waldrop, Lesleigh Anderson, Mark Dornblaser, Li H. Erikson, Ann E. Gibbs, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Stephanie R. James, Miriam C. Jones, Joshua C. Koch, Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Kristen L. Manies, Burke J. Minsley, Neal J. Pastick, Vijay Patil, Frank Urban, Michelle A. Walvoord, Kimberly P. Wickland, Christian ZimmermanByNatural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Land Change Science Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Volcano Science CenterPersistence and plasticity in conifer water-use strategies
The selective use of seasonal precipitation by vegetation is critical to understanding the residence time and flow path of water in watersheds, yet there are limited datasets to test how climate alters these dynamics. Here, we use measurements of the seasonal cycle of tree ring 18O for two widespread conifer species in the Rocky Mountains of North America to provide a multi-decadal depiction of thAuthorsMax Berkelhammer, Chris Still, Francois Ritter, Matthew Winnik, Lesleigh Anderson, Rosemary Carroll, Mariah Carbone, Kenneth WilliamsHolocene thermokarst lake dynamics in northern Interior Alaska: The interplay of climate, fire, and subsurface hydrology
The current state of permafrost in Alaska and meaningful expectations for its future evolution are informed by long-term perspectives of previous permafrost degradation. Thermokarst processes in permafrost landscapes often lead to widespread lake formation and the spatial and temporal evolution of thermokarst lake landscapes reflects the combined effects of climate, ground conditions, vegetation,AuthorsLesleigh Anderson, Mary E. Edwards, Mark D. Shapley, Bruce P. Finney, Catherine LangdonAn assessment of plant species differences on cellulose oxygen isotopes from two Kenai Peninsula, Alaska peatlands: Implications for hydroclimatic reconstructions
Peat cores are valuable archives of past environmental change because they accumulate plant organic matter over millennia. While studies have primarily focused on physical, ecological, and some biogeochemical proxies, cores from peatlands have increasingly been used to interpret hydroclimatic change using stable isotope analyses of cellulose preserved in plant remains. Previous studies indicate thAuthorsMiriam Jones, Lesleigh Anderson, Katherine Keller, Bailey Nash, Virginia Littell, Matthew J. Wooller, Chelsea JolleyFish Lake limnology and watershed aqueous geochemistry, Fish Lake Plateau, Utah
Fish Lake is located at 2696 m elevation on the Fish Lake Plateau with a bedrock geology of Oligocene to Pliocene age volcanics and Cretaceous to Eocene age sedimentary rocks. Lake bathymetry indicates a maximum depth of ~27 m and volume of 2.31 x 108 m3. The lake is dimictic with summer water column temperature declines of 13˚C between 7 to 15 m depth, whereas in spring and fall water column is iAuthorsDavid Marchetti, Lesleigh Anderson, Joseph J. Donovan, M. Scott Harris, Tyler HuthLake levels in a discontinuous permafrost landscape: Late Holocene variations inferred from sediment oxygen isotopes, Yukon Flats, Alaska
During recent decades, lake levels in the Yukon Flats region of interior Alaska have fluctuated dramatically. However, prior to recorded observations, no data are available to indicate if similar or more extreme variations occurred during past centuries and millennia. This study explores the history of Yukon Flats lake origins and lake levels for the past approximately 5,500 years from sediment anAuthorsLesleigh Anderson, Bruce P. Finney, Mark D. ShapleyA 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 CenterHigh sensitivity of gross primary production in the Rocky Mountains to summer rain
In the catchments of the Rocky Mountains, peak snowpack is declining in response to warmer spring temperatures. To understand how this will influence terrestrial gross primary production (GPP), we compared precipitation data across the intermountain west with satellite retrievals of solar-induced fluorescence (SIF), a proxy for GPP. Annual precipitation patterns explained most of the spatial and tAuthorsM. Berkelhammer, I.C. Stefanescu, J. Joiner, Lesleigh AndersonA synthesis of thermokarst lake water balance in high-latitude regions of North America from isotope tracers
Numerous studies utilizing remote sensing imagery and other methods have documented that thermokarst lakes are undergoing varied hydrological transitions in response to recent climate changes, from surface area expansion to drainage and evaporative desiccation. Here, we provide a synthesis of hydrological conditions for 376 lakes of mainly thermokarst origin across high-latitude North America. WeAuthorsLauren A. MacDonald, Brent B. Wolfe, Kevin W. Turner, Lesleigh Anderson, Christopher D. Arp, Jean Birks, Frédéric Bouchard, Thomas W.D. Edwards, Nicole Farquharson, Roland I. Hall, Ian McDonald, Biljana Narancic, Chantal Ouimet, Reinhard Pienitz, Jana Tondu, Hilary WhiteLake oxygen isotopes as recorders of North American Rocky Mountain hydroclimate: Holocene patterns and variability at multi-decadal to millennial time scales
Lake sediment oxygen isotope records (calcium carbonate-δ18O) in the western North American Cordillera developed during the past decade provide substantial evidence of Pacific ocean–atmosphere forcing of hydroclimatic variability during the Holocene. Here we present an overview of 18 lake sediment δ18O records along with a new compilation of lake water δ18O and δ2H that are used to characterize laAuthorsLesleigh Anderson, Max Berkelhammer, John A. Barron, Byron A. Steinman, Bruce P. Finney, Mark B. AbbottNon-USGS Publications**
Abbott M.B., Anderson, L., 2009, Lake-Level Fluctuations, in, Gornitz, V., ed., Encyclopedia of Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments: Springer-Verlag.Anderson, L., Abbott, M.B., Finney, B.P. and Burns, S.J., 2007, Late Holocene moisture balance variability in the southwest Yukon Territory, Canada: Quaternary Science Reviews, 26: 130-141.Anderson, L., Abbott, M.B., Finney, B.P. and Burns, S.J., 2005, Regional atmospheric circulation change in the North Pacific during the Holocene inferred from lacustrine carbonate oxygen isotopes, Yukon Territory, Canada: Quaternary Research 64: 21-35. Erratum 65: 350-351.Anderson, L., Abbott, M.B., Finney, B.P. and Edwards, M.E., 2005, Paleohydrology of the southwest Yukon Territory, Canada, based on multi-proxy lake sediment core analyses from a depth transect: The Holocene 15(8): 1172-1183.Pilcher, J., Bradley, R.S. Francus, P. and Anderson, L., 2005, A Holocene tephra record from the Lofoten Islands, Arctic Norway: Boreas 34: 136-156.Fisher, D.A., Wake, C., Kreutz, K., Yalcin, K., Steig, E., Mayewski, P., Anderson, L., Zheng, J., Rupper, S., Zdanowicz, C., Demuth, M., Waskiewicz, M., Dahl-Jensen, D., Goto-Azuma, K., Bourgeois, J.B., Koerner, R.M., Sekerka, J., Osterberg, E., Abbott, M.B., Finney, B.P., Burns, S.J., 2004, Stable Isotope records from Mount Logan, Eclipse ice cores and nearby Jellybean Lake. Water cycle of the North Pacific over 2000 years and over five vertical kilometers: sudden shifts and tropical connections: Géographie physique et Quaternaire 58: 337-352.Anderson, L., Abbott, M.B., and Finney, B.P., 2001, Holocene Climate from Oxygen Isotope Ratios in Lake Sediments, Central Brooks Range, Alaska: Quaternary Research 55: 313-321.**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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