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Richard J Moscati

Rick Moscati currently works in the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry (G3) Science Center conducting research in geochronology and isotope geochemistry.

Rick Moscati began his career in Chicago as a geologist for the USEPA in 1990.  In 1991 he was hired by the USGS, Branch of Isotope Geology in Denver, and then transferred to the Yucca Mountain Project Branch (YMPB) where he conducted research from 1992 to 2010 in stable isotope and fluid inclusion studies on the history of secondary mineral deposition (largely calcite and silica) in soil and unsaturated-zone settings and as PI of the Isotope and Chemical Monitoring of Precipitation study.  Since 2010 Rick has focused on geochemical studies involving radiogenic isotopes (U, Pb, Sr, and Nd) using TIMS techniques, trace element geochemistry, and in situ (SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb analyses of minerals for geochronology studies.  Among the many projects he was/is involved in, a few standout: zircon geochronology of the Proterozoic Colorado Province, the Afghanistan geochronology project, Angel Lake (Nevada), Chalk River (Ontario), the Mountain Pass REE deposit (California), and the U-Pb dating of cassiterite from many locations and geologic environments around the world including the Sullivan SedEx deposit (British Columbia), Cornwall (England), Abu Dabbab (Egypt), and Yazov (Russia).  In 2018 Rick expanded his research and joined the 40Ar/39Ar geochronology lab where he assists in method development and providing a variety of USGS and outside projects with 40Ar/39Ar age data of volcanic rocks. 

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large piece of equipment for argon extraction system and mass spectrometer

Argon Geochronology

This project supports the USGS argon geochronology laboratory in Denver. The USGS 40Ar/39Ar geochronology laboratory is a state-of-the-art research facility for determining absolute ages of minerals and rocks. The 40Ar/39Ar laboratory contributes critical geochronology to individual USGS research projects and to partners in academia and other Federal agencies. This laboratory develops methodology...
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
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Argon Geochronology

This project supports the USGS argon geochronology laboratory in Denver. The USGS 40Ar/39Ar geochronology laboratory is a state-of-the-art research facility for determining absolute ages of minerals and rocks. The 40Ar/39Ar laboratory contributes critical geochronology to individual USGS research projects and to partners in academia and other Federal agencies. This laboratory develops methodology...
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Filter Total Items: 13

Quetrupillán Volcanic Complex, southern Chile: Argon age data and Pb, Sr, and Nd isotopic data

This dataset accompanies planned publication 'Lava-ice interactions at late Pleistocene trachyte-basaltic andesite fissure eruptions, Quetrupillán Volcanic Complex (39°30′ S, 71°43′ W), southern Chile', as well as planned future publications on this volcanic complex. The Ar/Ar data and the Pb, Sr, and Nd data are for basalt and trachyte lava flows at Quetrupillán volcano. The Ar geochronology and
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U-Pb and Ar-Ar age data and whole rock geochemistry data of igneous and metasedimentary rocks of northeast Afghanistan

This dataset accompanies the proposed publication, 'Geochronology and geochemistry of igneous and metasedimentary rocks of northeast Afghanistan: A refinement of the timing and origin of crustal terranes', which focuses on refining the geochronology and geochemistry of these rocks during multiple time periods of accretion, regional metamorphism, and magmatic activity. The analyses were performed f
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Pb-Pb and U-Pb data of Proterozoic to Phanerozoic cassiterite deposits in Russia

Cassiterite (SnO2), a main ore mineral in tin deposits, was collected by multiple Russian geologists or obtained from museum collections in both the USA and Russia and dated at the U.S. Geological Survey. The dated samples represent four different mining districts spanning the entire country from the village of Pitkaranta in the west (31 degrees E Longitude) to the Merekskoe Deposit in the Russian
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

In situ U-Pb dating of apatite and rutile from St. Francois Mountains IOA and IOCG deposits, southeast Missouri

Apatite (Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)) and rutile (TiO2) samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from the iron oxide-apatite-rare earth element (IOA-REE) and iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits hosted by the Mesoproterozoic, St. Francois Mountains terrane, southeast Missouri. Samples were prepared and analyzed for direct age dating on a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass s
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U-Pb data for the Coles Hill uranium deposit, Virginia

Apatite [Ca5(PO4)3F], titanite [CaTiSiO5], and rutile [TiO2] samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from the Coles Hill uranium deposit, Virginia. The samples (in the form of polished thin sections) were prepared and analyzed for direct age dating on a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICPMS) system at the USGS in Denver, Colorado from August 2017
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U-Pb data for inherited cassiterite in "Tin Granites", an example from the Yazov Granite, Eastern Siberia

Zircon (ZrSiO4) and cassiterite (SnO2) samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from the Yazov Granite, Transbaikalia region, Eastern Siberia, Russia. Samples (in the form of mounted loose grains) were prepared and analyzed for direct age dating on a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA?ICPMS) system at the USGS in Denver, Colorado from February 2017 t
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U-Pb data for Origin of Tin Mineralization in the Sullivan Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit, British Columbia: Constraints from Textures, Geochemistry, and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb Geochronology of Cassiterite

Cassiterite (SnO2) samples were collected throughout the underground Sullivan Mine near Kimberley, British Columbia. Samples (in the form of mounted loose grains, polished thin sections, and rock mounts) were prepared and analyzed for direct age dating on a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICPMS) system at the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver, Colorado in February an
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U-Pb data for: Monazite and cassiterite U-Pb dating of the Abu Dabbab rare-metal granite, Egypt: Late Cryogenian metalliferous granite magmatism in the Arabian-Nubian Shield

Cassiterite (SnO2) samples were collected from alluvial ore concentrate from the Abu Dabbab Granite in eastern Egypt. Samples (in the form of mounted loose grains) were prepared and analyzed for direct age dating on a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICPMS) system at the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver, Colorado in February 2019. This data release accompanies the pu
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U-Pb data for: U-Pb geochronology of tin deposits associated with the Cornubian Batholith of southwest England: Direct dating of cassiterite by in situ LA-ICPMS

Cassiterite (SnO2) samples were collected throughout Devon and Cornwall Counties in southwest England, United Kingdom. Samples were prepared and analyzed for direct age dating on a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICPMS) system at the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver, Colorado in February and April 2018. This data release accompanies the publication, 'U-Pb geochronol
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U-Pb SHRIMP zircon isotopic data for ages used on the Poncha Pass map

U-Pb isotopic data from zircon measured using the SHRIMP-RG ion microprobe at Stanford University, CA. These data are used to calculate absolute ages of the samples from which the zircons were extracted. These samples are shown on the Poncha Pass map being submitted for publication (Minor, et al., in prep)
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Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Isotope and chemical data for: Sulfur isotopes of host strata for Howards Pass (Yukon-Northwest Territories) Zn-Pb deposits implicate anaerobic oxidation of methane not basin stagnation

These data consist of sulfur and carbon isotope compositions, concentrations of selected elements, and concentrations of pyrite sulfur and organic carbon in mudstone samples collected from five cores drilled in the Howards Pass district, Yukon-Northwest Territories, Canada. The cores were drilled between 2006 and 2014, site visits and core sampling took place between 2009 and 2016, and laboratory
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U-Pb data for: In situ LA-ICPMS U-Pb dating of cassiterite without a known-age matrix-matched reference material: Examples from worldwide tin deposits spanning the Proterozoic to Tertiary

This dataset accompanies the publication, 'In situ LA-ICPMS U-Pb dating of cassiterite without a known-age matrix-matched reference material: Examples from worldwide tin deposits spanning the Proterozoic to Tertiary', published in Chemical Geology (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.03.008), which reports a LA-ICPMS analytical procedure for dating cassiterite, a main ore mineral in tin deposit
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Geologic map of the upper Arkansas River valley region, north-central Colorado

This 1:50,000-scale U.S. Geological Survey geologic map represents a compilation of the most recent geologic studies of the upper Arkansas River valley between Leadville and Salida, Colorado. The valley is structurally controlled by an extensional fault system that forms part of the prominent northern Rio Grande rift, an intra-continental region of crustal extension. This report also incorporates
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Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
A group photo of the 13 members of the Cataract Canyon segment of the SCREE
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The black silhouettes of the SCREE flotilla drifts in the shadow of rock walls within Narrow Canyon of the Colorado River.
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The rather public exposure of the groover is shown at the Ledge Camp of Mile 178
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The SCREE boats are tied off at a rock ledge camp along the Colorado River at Mile 178.
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Paper Powell is posed in the bow of a boat relaxing upon calm waters and in the morning shade within the canyon.
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The SCREE team gathered around John Weisheit overlooking Rapid 15
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Tess & Rick at Cataract Canyon "Danger" sign
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SCREE flotilla in calm waters of Stillwater Canyon
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Sunset view, looking east, at Turks Head campsite
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Sunset view, looking west, at Turks Head campsite
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A raft, filled with A/V equipment and the two SCREE film makers, floating by Organ Rock Shale
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Taken from the saddle, a panoramic view of the Bowknot Bend
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Three SCREE hikers traversing a thin hiking trail
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A view from in my tent looking out at the rocks
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Dellenbaugh Butte along Green River
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SCREE boat passing under I-70 at Green River, UT
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Colorful mineral deposits at Crystal Geyser
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Filter Total Items: 20

Pb-Pb and U-Pb dating of cassiterite by in situ LA-ICPMS: Examples spanning ~1.85 Ga to ~100 Ma in Russia and implications for dating Proterozoic to Phanerozoic tin deposits.

This paper investigates applicability of cassiterite to dating ore deposits in a wide age range. We report in situ LA-ICPMS U-Pb and Pb-Pb dating results (n = 15) of cassiterite from six ore deposits in Russia ranging in age from ~1.85 Ga to 93 Ma. The two oldest deposits dated at ~1.83–1.86 Ga are rare metal Vishnyakovskoe located in the East Sayan pegmatite belt and tin deposits within the Tuyuk
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Leonid A. Neymark, Anatoly M. Larin, Richard J. Moscati
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

LA-ICPMS U-Pb dating reveals cassiterite inheritance in the Yazov granite, Eastern Siberia: Implications for tin mineralization

U-Pb dating of cassiterite and zircon from the Yazov granite (Transbaikalia region, Eastern Siberia, Russia) and cassiterite from spatially associated tin mineralization in the Tuyukan ore district in the Tonod uplift was conducted using in situ laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These analyses allow comparison of isotopic systematics for both minerals, especially related
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Leonid A. Neymark, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma, Anatoly Larin, Richard J. Moscati, Yulia Plotkina
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Monazite and cassiterite Usingle bondPb dating of the Abu Dabbab rare-metal granite, Egypt: Late Cryogenian metalliferous granite magmatism in the Arabian-Nubian Shield

The Abu Dabbab rare-metal granite in the Eastern Desert of Egypt is a highly-evolved alkali-feldspar granite with transitional magmatic-hydrothermal features. Extreme geochemical fractionation and the associated significant TaSn resource make the Abu Dabbab intrusion an important feature in the metallogenic evolution of the Arabian-Nubian Shield. UPb dating by laser ablation sector field (SF)-ICPM
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Bernd Lehmann, Basem Zoheir, Leonid A. Neymark, Armin Zeh, Ashraf Emam, Abdelhady Radwan, Rongqing Zhang, Richard J. Moscati
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U-Pb geochronology of tin deposits associated with the Cornubian Batholith of southwest England: Direct dating of cassiterite by in situ LA-ICPMS

The Cornwall and Devon vein- and greisen-type copper and tin deposits of southwest England are spatially and genetically related to shallow-seated granitic intrusions. These late Variscan intrusions, collectively known as the Cornubian Batholith, extend over 200 km and form a continuous granitic spine from the Isles of Scilly Granite in the west to the Dartmoor Granite in the east. The granitic pl
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Richard J. Moscati, Leonid A. Neymark
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Igneous and detrital zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf geochronology of the late Meso- to Neoproterozoic northwest Botswana rift: Maximum depositional age and provenance of the Ghanzi Group, Kalahari Copperbelt, Botswana and Namibia

New igneous and detrital zircon laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) U-Pb geochronology and Lu-Hf isotopic data are presented for the Mesoproterozoic Kgwebe Formation and the unconformably overlying Ghanzi Group in northwestern Botswana. The Makgabana Hills porphyritic rhyolite flow from the Ghanzi area yielded a U-Pb concordia age of 1085.5 ± 4.5 Ma and provides
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Wesley S Hall, Murray Hitzman, Yvette D. Kuiper, Andrew R C Kylander-Clark, Christopher Holm-Denoma, Richard J. Moscati, Piret Plink-Bjorklund, Stephen M Enders
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

In situ LA-ICPMS U–Pb dating of cassiterite without a known-age matrix-matched reference material: Examples from worldwide tin deposits spanning the Proterozoic to the Tertiary

Cassiterite (SnO2), a main ore mineral in tin deposits, is suitable for U–Pb isotopic dating because of its relatively high U/Pb ratios and typically low common Pb. We report a LA-ICPMS analytical procedure for U–Pb dating of this mineral with no need for an independently dated matrix-matched cassiterite standard. LA-ICPMS U-Th-Pb data were acquired while using NIST 612 glass as a primary non-matr
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Leonid A. Neymark, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma, Richard J. Moscati
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U-Pb ages and geochemistry of zircon from Proterozoic plutons of the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges, Colorado, U.S.A.: Implications for crustal growth of the central Colorado province

A broad study of zircons from plutonic rocks of the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges of west-central Colorado (U.S.A.) was undertaken to significantly refine the magmatic chronology and chemistry of this under-studied region of the Colorado province. This region was chosen because it lies just to the north of the suspected arc-related Gunnison-Salida volcano-plutonic terrane, which has been the subject
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Richard J. Moscati, Wayne R. Premo, Ed Dewitt, Joseph L. Wooden
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

High spatial resolution U-Pb geochronology and Pb isotope geochemistry of magnetite-apatite ore from the Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite deposit, St. Francois Mountains, southeast Missouri, USA

The Pea Ridge iron oxide-apatite (IOA) deposit is one of the major rhyolite-hosted magnetite deposits of the St. Francois Mountains terrane, which is located within the Mesoproterozoic (1.5–1.3 Ga) Granite-Rhyolite province in the U.S. Midcontinent. Precise and accurate determination of the timing and duration of oreforming processes in this deposit is crucial for understanding its origin and plac
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Leonid A. Neymark, Christopher S. Holm-Denoma, Aaron Pietruszka, John N. Aleinikoff, C. Mark Fanning, Renee M. Pillers, Richard J. Moscati
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Major element and oxygen isotope geochemistry of vapour-phase garnet from the Topopah Spring Tuff at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

Twenty vapour-phase garnets were studied in two samples of the Topopah Spring Tuff of the Paintbrush Group from Yucca Mountain, in southern Nevada. The Miocene-age Topopah Spring Tuff is a 350 m thick, devitrified, moderately to densely welded ash-flow tuff that is zoned compositionally from high-silica rhyolite to latite. During cooling of the tuff, escaping vapour produced lithophysae (former ga
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Richard J. Moscati, Craig A. Johnson
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

U–Pb, Rb–Sr, and U-series isotope geochemistry of rocks and fracture minerals from the Chalk River Laboratories site, Grenville Province, Ontario, Canada

As part of the Geologic Waste Management Facility feasibility study, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL) is evaluating the suitability of the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) site in Ontario, situated in crystalline rock of the southwestern Grenville Province, for the possible development of an underground repository for low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste. This paper presents petrographic and
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Leonid A. Neymark, Zell E. Peterman, Richard J. Moscati, R. H. Thivierge
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Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Mass fractionation of noble gases in synthetic methane hydrate: Implications for naturally occurring gas hydrate dissociation

As a consequence of contemporary or longer term (since 15 ka) climate warming, gas hydrates in some settings may presently be dissociating and releasing methane and other gases to the ocean-atmosphere system. A key challenge in assessing the impact of dissociating gas hydrates on global atmospheric methane is the lack of a technique able to distinguish between methane recently released from gas hy
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Andrew G. Hunt, Laura Stern, John W. Pohlman, Carolyn Ruppel, Richard J. Moscati, Gary P. Landis
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Fluid geochemistry of Yucca Mountain and vicinity

Yucca Mountain, a site in southwest Nevada, has been proposed for a deep underground radioactive waste repository. An extensive database of geochemical and isotopic characteristics has been established for pore waters and gases from the unsaturated zone, perched water, and saturated zone waters in the Yucca Mountain area. The development of this database has been driven by diverse needs of the Yuc
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Brian D. Marshall, Richard J. Moscati, Gary L. Patterson
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

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