I am currently the lab manager of the Multi-collector ICP-MS facility in the USGS Minerals high resolution lab. The general focus of the lab is to research stable and radiogenic isotopes with an emphasis in collaborative research projects.
Science and Products
Source, transport and deposition of critical minerals using trace metal and isotope systematics: Denver High Resolution Laboratory
The project objective is to develop and apply solution and in situ isotopic and trace element methods to emerging research opportunities to gain a better understanding of the processes controlling critical mineral deposits, metal mobility, and other geological inquiries.
Trace Metal Mobility in the Yellow Pine Mining District, Idaho
The study objective is to conduct an integrated, interdisciplinary study on source areas, biogeochemical transformations, and physical and biological pathways for trace metal transport in a tributary of the Snake River watershed, focusing on the Sugar Creek watershed. The historical Cinnabar mercury mine site is at the headwaters of Cinnabar Creek, a tributary to Sugar Creek. This integrated...
Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development
The Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development Project (MMAMD) provides access to the expertise of highly experienced research scientists and state of the art analytical instrumentation to develop new and unique analytical capabilities to solve complex problems beyond routine analysis.
Strontium isotopic data from the Mount Emmons-Redwell area, Crested Butte, Colorado
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data release contains strontium isotopic data from water and rock samples collected between 2000 and 2019 from the Mount Emmons area, central Colorado. The data include strontium isotopic compositions, 87Sr/86Sr, for surface- and groundwater samples collected from streams, springs, draining mines, piezometers, and drill holes and for leachates of rock samples col
Mercury concentrations, isotopic composition, biomass, and taxonomy of stream and riparian organisms in the vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2015-2016.
This data release includes sampling location data; field-collected stream attribute data; laboratory-analyzed chemistry concentrations (total mercury, methyl mercury) and isotopic composition (total mercury, carbon, and nitrogen) for stream biota (seston, periphyton, benthic insects, emerging adult insects, riparian spiders, and fish); density, body length, and taxonomic information for benthic in
Hg Concentrations of Fish Tissue Samples in the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho
The USGS examined mercury (Hg) concentrations in fish populations inhabiting impacted and reference streams as part of an investigation into the transport of trace metals in a watershed impacted by legacy mercury mining downstream from the Cinnabar mine site, Valley County, ID. Fish were sampled through an electrofishing survey utilizing a two-pass quantitative depletion approach where possible. F
Water, Soil, Rock, and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2015-2017
Water and sediment samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at or near baseflow conditions from 2015-2017 in the East Fork South Fork Salmon River watershed near Yellow Pine, Valley County, Idaho. Soil, rock and tailings samples were collected in June 2015. Sampling focused on Cinnabar Creek, which flows through the Cinnabar
In situ geochemical data related to the gold-quartz veins of Grass Valley, California, 2014-2015
In situ geochemical data were obtained for pyrite crystals and native gold from two distinct vein sets in the Grass Valley gold district, California. Samples of the N-S veins were collected underground at the Empire Mine State Historic Park and samples of the E-W veins were collected from drill core provided by the Idaho-Maryland Mining Corporation in 2008. These geochemical data were analyzed to
Pb isotope measurements of road dusts and background geologic materials in the Viburnum Trend resource extraction area of southeast Missouri (2011)
The isotopic composition of Pb in fugitive dust suspended by a vehicle from 13 unsurfaced roads in Missouri was measured to identify the source of Pb within an established long-term mining area. A three end member model using 207Pb/206Pb and concentration as tracers resulted in fugitive dust samples plotting in the mixing field of well characterized heterogeneous end members. End members selected
Water and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2014-2015
Samples were collected at or near baseflow conditions. Water pH and specific conductance were measured in the field, with specific conductance also measured in the laboratory and calculated based on the ionic strength of samples based on laboratory analyses. Water samples were collected for laboratory analyses using a peristaltic pump with silicon tubing. Samples were filtered through a reusabl
Filter Total Items: 13
Increased mercury and reduced insect diversity in linked stream-riparian food webs downstream of a historical mercury mine
Historical mining left a legacy of abandoned mines and waste rock in remote headwaters of major river systems in the western United States. Understanding the influence of these legacy mines on culturally and ecological important downstream ecosystems is not always straight-forward because of elevated natural levels of mineralization in mining-impacted watersheds. To test the ecological effects of
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, JoAnn Holloway, Michael Pribil, Ben N. Mcgee, Craig A. Stricker, Danny Rutherford, Andrew S. Todd
Nanoscale isotopic evidence resolves origins of giant Carlin-type ore deposits
The western North American Great Basin's Carlin-type deposits represent the largest accumulation of gold in the Northern Hemisphere. The controversy over their origins echoes the debate between Neptunists and Plutonists at the birth of modern geology: were the causative processes meteoric or magmatic? Sulfur isotopes have long been considered key to decoding metal cycling in the Earth's crust, but
Authors
Elizabeth A. Holley, Alexandria M Fulton, C Jilly-Rehak, Craig A. Johnson, Michael Pribil
Occurrence and sources of lead in private wells, Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Lead (Pb) occurrence and sources and aqueous geochemistry were assessed in private wellhead and tap water at a targeted area of concern for possible exceedances and at a control area in the same geologic formation, and in wells at a nearby landfill in south-central Massachusetts (MA). Total Pb concentrations were below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Action Level of 15 μg/L in all
Authors
Leah M. Santangelo, Craig J. Brown, James B. Shanley, Michael Pribil, Danny Rutherford
Lead speciation, bioaccessibility and source attribution in Missouri's Big River watershed
The Southeast Missouri Lead District is among the most productive lead deposits exploited in modern times. Intensive mining conducted prior to regulations resulted in a legacy of lead contaminated soil, large piles of mine tailings and elevated childhood blood lead levels. This study seeks to identify the source of the lead contamination in the Big River and inform risk to the public. Isotopic ana
Authors
Matthew Noerpel, Michael Pribil, Danny Rutherford, Preston Law, Karen Bradham, Clay Nelson, Rob Weber, Gene Gunn, Kirk G. Scheckel
Assessing mercury distribution using isotopic fractionation of mercury processes and sources adjacent and downstream of a legacy mine district in Tuscany, Italy
Mercury (Hg) concentrations and isotopic compositions in a range of sample types collected from the legacy Abbadia San Salvatore Mine (ASSM) area were used to evaluate the distribution of Hg in the region. The district generated more than 100,000 metric tons of Hg releasing extensive amounts of gaseous Hg emissions and producing large amounts of mine waste calcine from which Hg can be mobilized i
Authors
Michael Pribil, Valentina Rimondi, Pilario Costagliola, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Danny Rutherford
Magmatic-hydrothermal gold mineralization at the Lone Tree Mine, Battle Mountain district, Nevada
The Lone Tree deposit is located in the northern Battle Mountain mining district, Nevada. Prior to mine closure in 2006, Santa Fe Pacific Gold and Newmont produced 4.2 Moz of gold at an average grade of 2.06 g/t at Lone Tree, primarily from the N-S– to NNW-SSE–striking Wayne zone. The ore is located between the Roberts Mountain and Golconda thrusts in siliciclastic rocks of the Ordovician Valmy Fo
Authors
Elizabeth A. Holley, Justin Lowe, Craig A. Johnson, Michael Pribil
Iron isotope systematics of shale-derived soils as potentially influenced by small mineral particle loss
Loss of small mineral particles from soil has been suggested as a process that can produce net isotopic fractionation in the remaining soil. We extracted water dispersible colloids (WDCs) from bulk soil collected at the Susquehanna/Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SSHO) and measured their Fe isotopic composition for comparison to published data from the site. The goal was to explain soil δ56
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Tiffany Yesavage, Michael Pribil
Mobilization of mercury and arsenic from a carbonate-hosted ore deposit, central Idaho, U.S.A.
The Cinnabar and Fern mine sites in central Idaho are primary source areas for elevated mercury and arsenic entering the South
Fork of the Salmon River, which provides critical spawning habitat for bull trout and Chinook salmon. Mercury mineralization is
hosted by carbonate rocks, which generate waters dominated by Ca2+ and HCO3
- at pH 7 to 9. A synoptic sampling was
conducted on headwater tribut
Authors
JoAnn M. Holloway, Michael Pribil, R. Blaine McCleskey, Alexandra B. Etheridge, David P. Krabbenhoft, George R. Aiken
Isotopically constrained lead sources in fugitive dust from unsurfaced roads in the southeast Missouri mining district
The isotopic composition of lead (Pb) in fugitive dust suspended by a vehicle from 13 unsurfaced roads in Missouri was measured to identify the source of Pb within an established long-term mining area. A three end-member model using 207Pb/206Pb and concentration as tracers resulted in fugitive dust samples plotting in the mixing field of well characterized heterogeneous end members. End members se
Authors
Emitt C. Witt, Michael Pribil, John P. Hogan, David Wronkiewicz
Measurement of in situ sulfur isotopes by laser ablation multi-collector ICPMS: opening Pandora’s Box
Laser ablation multi-collector ICPMS is a modern tool for in situ measurement of S isotopes. Advantages of the technique are speed of analysis and relatively minor matrix effects combined with spatial resolution sufficient for many applications. The main disadvantage is a more destructive sampling mechanism relative to the ion microprobe technique. Recent advances in instrumentation allow precise
Authors
William I. Ridley, Michael Pribil, Alan E. Koenig, John F. Slack
Sulfate and sulfide sulfur isotopes (δ34S and δ33S) measured by solution and laser ablation MC-ICP-MS: An enhanced approach using external correction
Isotope ratio measurements using a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) commonly use standard-sample bracketing with a single isotope standard for mass bias correction for elements with narrow-range isotope systems measured by MC-ICP-MS, e.g. Cu, Fe, Zn, and Hg. However, sulfur (S) isotopic composition (δ34S) in nature can range from at least − 40 to + 40‰, pote
Authors
Michael Pribil, William I. Ridley, Poul Emsbo
Isotopic geochemistry of Panama rivers
River water samples collected from 78 watersheds rivers along a 500-km transect across a Late Cretaceous-Tertiary andesitic volcanic arc terrane in west-central Panama provide a synoptic overview of riverine geochemistry, chemical denudation, and CO2 consumption in the tropics. D/H and 18O/16O relationships indicate that bedrock dissolution of andesitic arc crust in Panama is driven by water-rock
Authors
Russell S. Harmon, Gerhard Worner, Michael Pribil, Zoltan Kern, Istvan Forizs, W. Berry Lyons, Christopher B. Gardner, Steven T. Goldsmith
Science and Products
- Science
Source, transport and deposition of critical minerals using trace metal and isotope systematics: Denver High Resolution Laboratory
The project objective is to develop and apply solution and in situ isotopic and trace element methods to emerging research opportunities to gain a better understanding of the processes controlling critical mineral deposits, metal mobility, and other geological inquiries.Trace Metal Mobility in the Yellow Pine Mining District, Idaho
The study objective is to conduct an integrated, interdisciplinary study on source areas, biogeochemical transformations, and physical and biological pathways for trace metal transport in a tributary of the Snake River watershed, focusing on the Sugar Creek watershed. The historical Cinnabar mercury mine site is at the headwaters of Cinnabar Creek, a tributary to Sugar Creek. This integrated...Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development
The Macro and Micro Analytical Methods Development Project (MMAMD) provides access to the expertise of highly experienced research scientists and state of the art analytical instrumentation to develop new and unique analytical capabilities to solve complex problems beyond routine analysis. - Data
Strontium isotopic data from the Mount Emmons-Redwell area, Crested Butte, Colorado
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data release contains strontium isotopic data from water and rock samples collected between 2000 and 2019 from the Mount Emmons area, central Colorado. The data include strontium isotopic compositions, 87Sr/86Sr, for surface- and groundwater samples collected from streams, springs, draining mines, piezometers, and drill holes and for leachates of rock samples colMercury concentrations, isotopic composition, biomass, and taxonomy of stream and riparian organisms in the vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2015-2016.
This data release includes sampling location data; field-collected stream attribute data; laboratory-analyzed chemistry concentrations (total mercury, methyl mercury) and isotopic composition (total mercury, carbon, and nitrogen) for stream biota (seston, periphyton, benthic insects, emerging adult insects, riparian spiders, and fish); density, body length, and taxonomic information for benthic inHg Concentrations of Fish Tissue Samples in the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho
The USGS examined mercury (Hg) concentrations in fish populations inhabiting impacted and reference streams as part of an investigation into the transport of trace metals in a watershed impacted by legacy mercury mining downstream from the Cinnabar mine site, Valley County, ID. Fish were sampled through an electrofishing survey utilizing a two-pass quantitative depletion approach where possible. FWater, Soil, Rock, and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2015-2017
Water and sediment samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at or near baseflow conditions from 2015-2017 in the East Fork South Fork Salmon River watershed near Yellow Pine, Valley County, Idaho. Soil, rock and tailings samples were collected in June 2015. Sampling focused on Cinnabar Creek, which flows through the CinnabarIn situ geochemical data related to the gold-quartz veins of Grass Valley, California, 2014-2015
In situ geochemical data were obtained for pyrite crystals and native gold from two distinct vein sets in the Grass Valley gold district, California. Samples of the N-S veins were collected underground at the Empire Mine State Historic Park and samples of the E-W veins were collected from drill core provided by the Idaho-Maryland Mining Corporation in 2008. These geochemical data were analyzed toPb isotope measurements of road dusts and background geologic materials in the Viburnum Trend resource extraction area of southeast Missouri (2011)
The isotopic composition of Pb in fugitive dust suspended by a vehicle from 13 unsurfaced roads in Missouri was measured to identify the source of Pb within an established long-term mining area. A three end member model using 207Pb/206Pb and concentration as tracers resulted in fugitive dust samples plotting in the mixing field of well characterized heterogeneous end members. End members selectedWater and Sediment Geochemistry Data from the Vicinity of Yellow Pine, Idaho, 2014-2015
Samples were collected at or near baseflow conditions. Water pH and specific conductance were measured in the field, with specific conductance also measured in the laboratory and calculated based on the ionic strength of samples based on laboratory analyses. Water samples were collected for laboratory analyses using a peristaltic pump with silicon tubing. Samples were filtered through a reusabl - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 13
Increased mercury and reduced insect diversity in linked stream-riparian food webs downstream of a historical mercury mine
Historical mining left a legacy of abandoned mines and waste rock in remote headwaters of major river systems in the western United States. Understanding the influence of these legacy mines on culturally and ecological important downstream ecosystems is not always straight-forward because of elevated natural levels of mineralization in mining-impacted watersheds. To test the ecological effects ofAuthorsJohanna M. Kraus, JoAnn Holloway, Michael Pribil, Ben N. Mcgee, Craig A. Stricker, Danny Rutherford, Andrew S. ToddNanoscale isotopic evidence resolves origins of giant Carlin-type ore deposits
The western North American Great Basin's Carlin-type deposits represent the largest accumulation of gold in the Northern Hemisphere. The controversy over their origins echoes the debate between Neptunists and Plutonists at the birth of modern geology: were the causative processes meteoric or magmatic? Sulfur isotopes have long been considered key to decoding metal cycling in the Earth's crust, butAuthorsElizabeth A. Holley, Alexandria M Fulton, C Jilly-Rehak, Craig A. Johnson, Michael PribilOccurrence and sources of lead in private wells, Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Lead (Pb) occurrence and sources and aqueous geochemistry were assessed in private wellhead and tap water at a targeted area of concern for possible exceedances and at a control area in the same geologic formation, and in wells at a nearby landfill in south-central Massachusetts (MA). Total Pb concentrations were below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Action Level of 15 μg/L in allAuthorsLeah M. Santangelo, Craig J. Brown, James B. Shanley, Michael Pribil, Danny RutherfordLead speciation, bioaccessibility and source attribution in Missouri's Big River watershed
The Southeast Missouri Lead District is among the most productive lead deposits exploited in modern times. Intensive mining conducted prior to regulations resulted in a legacy of lead contaminated soil, large piles of mine tailings and elevated childhood blood lead levels. This study seeks to identify the source of the lead contamination in the Big River and inform risk to the public. Isotopic anaAuthorsMatthew Noerpel, Michael Pribil, Danny Rutherford, Preston Law, Karen Bradham, Clay Nelson, Rob Weber, Gene Gunn, Kirk G. ScheckelAssessing mercury distribution using isotopic fractionation of mercury processes and sources adjacent and downstream of a legacy mine district in Tuscany, Italy
Mercury (Hg) concentrations and isotopic compositions in a range of sample types collected from the legacy Abbadia San Salvatore Mine (ASSM) area were used to evaluate the distribution of Hg in the region. The district generated more than 100,000 metric tons of Hg releasing extensive amounts of gaseous Hg emissions and producing large amounts of mine waste calcine from which Hg can be mobilized iAuthorsMichael Pribil, Valentina Rimondi, Pilario Costagliola, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Danny RutherfordMagmatic-hydrothermal gold mineralization at the Lone Tree Mine, Battle Mountain district, Nevada
The Lone Tree deposit is located in the northern Battle Mountain mining district, Nevada. Prior to mine closure in 2006, Santa Fe Pacific Gold and Newmont produced 4.2 Moz of gold at an average grade of 2.06 g/t at Lone Tree, primarily from the N-S– to NNW-SSE–striking Wayne zone. The ore is located between the Roberts Mountain and Golconda thrusts in siliciclastic rocks of the Ordovician Valmy FoAuthorsElizabeth A. Holley, Justin Lowe, Craig A. Johnson, Michael PribilIron isotope systematics of shale-derived soils as potentially influenced by small mineral particle loss
Loss of small mineral particles from soil has been suggested as a process that can produce net isotopic fractionation in the remaining soil. We extracted water dispersible colloids (WDCs) from bulk soil collected at the Susquehanna/Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SSHO) and measured their Fe isotopic composition for comparison to published data from the site. The goal was to explain soil δ56AuthorsCarleton R. Bern, Tiffany Yesavage, Michael PribilMobilization of mercury and arsenic from a carbonate-hosted ore deposit, central Idaho, U.S.A.
The Cinnabar and Fern mine sites in central Idaho are primary source areas for elevated mercury and arsenic entering the South Fork of the Salmon River, which provides critical spawning habitat for bull trout and Chinook salmon. Mercury mineralization is hosted by carbonate rocks, which generate waters dominated by Ca2+ and HCO3 - at pH 7 to 9. A synoptic sampling was conducted on headwater tributAuthorsJoAnn M. Holloway, Michael Pribil, R. Blaine McCleskey, Alexandra B. Etheridge, David P. Krabbenhoft, George R. AikenIsotopically constrained lead sources in fugitive dust from unsurfaced roads in the southeast Missouri mining district
The isotopic composition of lead (Pb) in fugitive dust suspended by a vehicle from 13 unsurfaced roads in Missouri was measured to identify the source of Pb within an established long-term mining area. A three end-member model using 207Pb/206Pb and concentration as tracers resulted in fugitive dust samples plotting in the mixing field of well characterized heterogeneous end members. End members seAuthorsEmitt C. Witt, Michael Pribil, John P. Hogan, David WronkiewiczMeasurement of in situ sulfur isotopes by laser ablation multi-collector ICPMS: opening Pandora’s Box
Laser ablation multi-collector ICPMS is a modern tool for in situ measurement of S isotopes. Advantages of the technique are speed of analysis and relatively minor matrix effects combined with spatial resolution sufficient for many applications. The main disadvantage is a more destructive sampling mechanism relative to the ion microprobe technique. Recent advances in instrumentation allow preciseAuthorsWilliam I. Ridley, Michael Pribil, Alan E. Koenig, John F. SlackSulfate and sulfide sulfur isotopes (δ34S and δ33S) measured by solution and laser ablation MC-ICP-MS: An enhanced approach using external correction
Isotope ratio measurements using a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) commonly use standard-sample bracketing with a single isotope standard for mass bias correction for elements with narrow-range isotope systems measured by MC-ICP-MS, e.g. Cu, Fe, Zn, and Hg. However, sulfur (S) isotopic composition (δ34S) in nature can range from at least − 40 to + 40‰, poteAuthorsMichael Pribil, William I. Ridley, Poul EmsboIsotopic geochemistry of Panama rivers
River water samples collected from 78 watersheds rivers along a 500-km transect across a Late Cretaceous-Tertiary andesitic volcanic arc terrane in west-central Panama provide a synoptic overview of riverine geochemistry, chemical denudation, and CO2 consumption in the tropics. D/H and 18O/16O relationships indicate that bedrock dissolution of andesitic arc crust in Panama is driven by water-rockAuthorsRussell S. Harmon, Gerhard Worner, Michael Pribil, Zoltan Kern, Istvan Forizs, W. Berry Lyons, Christopher B. Gardner, Steven T. Goldsmith