Richard L Reynolds
I investigate how climatic variability, weather, and land uses affect surfaces and ecosystems of deserts, with emphasis on sediment eroded, transported, and deposited by wind, mostly as atmospheric dust.
My studies probe the geologic, biologic, and human controls on dust generation as well as the mineralogic and geochemical properties of dust that in turn affect climate, weather, ecosystem health, water resources (effects of dust on melting of snow and ice), ocean fertility, and the health of a large proportion of earth’s people. I have also conducted research on:
- Hawaiian coral-reef health in settings of coastal erosion
- Quaternary climate and responses of landscapes to climatic change and human activities
- Iron-sulfur diagenesis and its effects on lake-sediment paleoenvironmental records
- Magnetic and chemical records of airborne pollution and environmental change
- Paleomagnetism of Tertiary and Quaternary sedimentary and igneous rocks
- Sources of magnetic anomalies in the shallow crust
- Field geology, Antarctica (1970-1971; 1978-1979)
Professional Experience
Research Geologist, USGS (periodic supervisory positions) 1975-2012
Acting Program Manager, Global Change Program USGS 2002
Senior Scientist, USGS 2012-2013 Emeritus since 2013
Adjunct Research Professor, Univ. of Minnesota
Affiliate, Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research Univ. of Colorado
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Univ. of Colorado, 1975
M.S., Univ. of Colorado, 1970
A.B., Princeton University, 1968
Affiliations and Memberships*
Geological Society of America; Fellow
American Geophysical Union. Assoc. Editor, Jour. Geophysical Res. 1992-1995
Yellowstone-Bighorn Research Assoc.
American Quaternary Assoc.
International Medical Geology Assoc.
International Society for Aeolian Research (guest editor, 2013-14; Board of Directors, 2014-2016)
Honors and Awards
2012 Elected Senior Scientist, USGS
2012-2014 Distinguished Visiting Scholar, School of Geography and the Environment, Univ. of Oxford
2011 Astor Visiting Lecturer for the Humanities, Univ. of Oxford
2007 Co-recipient, Kirk Bryan Award; best publication in Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology, Geological Society of America
Meritorious Service Award, Dept. of the Interior (1995)
1995 Best Paper Award, Jour. Great Lakes Res.
1994 Elected Fellow, Geological Society of America
1993 Visiting Fellow, Institute for Rock Magnetism, Univ. Minnesota
1992 Best Paper Award, Geophysics
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 170
Mineralogic Causes of Variations in Magnetic Susceptibility of Late Pleistocene and Holocene Sediment from Great Salt Lake, Utah Mineralogic Causes of Variations in Magnetic Susceptibility of Late Pleistocene and Holocene Sediment from Great Salt Lake, Utah
We describe here results of magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements and magnetic mineralogy of sediments sampled in three cores from the south basin of Great Salt Lake. The cores were obtained in 1996 with a Kullenburg-type piston corer at sites in close proximity: core 96-4 at 41 deg 01.00' N, 112 deg 28.00' W and cores 96-5 and 96-6 at 41 deg 00.09' N, 112 deg 23.05' W. Cores 96-5 (2...
Authors
Richard L. Reynolds, Joseph G. Rosenbaum, Robert S. Thompson
Increasing eolian dust deposition in the western United States linked to human activity Increasing eolian dust deposition in the western United States linked to human activity
Mineral aerosols from dust are an important influence on climate and on marine and terrestrial biogeochemical cycles. These aerosols are generated from wind erosion of surface soils. The amount of dust emission can therefore be affected by human activities that alter surface sediments. However, changes in regional- and global-scale dust fluxes following the rapid expansion of human...
Authors
J. C. Neff, A. P. Ballantyne, G. L. Farmer, N. M. Mahowald, C. C. Landry, J. T. Overpeck, T. H. Painter, C. R. Lawrence, Richard L. Reynolds
Compositional trends in aeolian dust along a transect across the southwestern United States Compositional trends in aeolian dust along a transect across the southwestern United States
Aeolian dust strongly influences ecology and landscape geochemistry over large areas that span several desert ecosystems of the southwestern United States. This study evaluates spatial and temporal variations and trends of the physical and chemical properties of dust in the southwestern United States by examining dust deposited in natural depressions on high isolated surfaces along a...
Authors
H.L. Goldstein, R. L. Reynolds, M.C. Reheis, J. C. Yount, J. C. Neff
Biogeochemical and ecological impacts of livestock grazing in semi-arid southeastern Utah, USA Biogeochemical and ecological impacts of livestock grazing in semi-arid southeastern Utah, USA
Relatively few studies have examined the ecological and biogeochemical effects of livestock grazing in southeastern Utah. In this study, we evaluated how grazing has affected soil organic carbon and nitrogen to a depth of 50 cm in grasslands located in relict and actively-grazed sites in the Canyonlands physiographic section of the Colorado Plateau. We also evaluated differences in plant...
Authors
D. P. Fernandez, J. C. Neff, R. L. Reynolds
Sedimentary properties of shallow marine cores collected in June and September 2006, Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i, Hawai'i Sedimentary properties of shallow marine cores collected in June and September 2006, Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i, Hawai'i
Sedimentary facies, short-lived isotopes 7Be, 137Cs, and 210Pb, and magnetic properties of sediment cores in Hanalei Bay, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, were used to assess sediment sources and patterns of deposition associated with seasonal flooding of the Hanalei River. Sediment cores were collected from the seafloor in June and September of 2006 to supplement similar data collected during the...
Authors
Amy E. Draut, Michael H. Bothner, Richard L. Reynolds, Olivia C. Buchan, Susan A. Cochran, Michael A. Casso, Sandra M. Baldwin, Harland L. Goldstein, Jiang Xiao, Michael E. Field, Joshua B. Logan
Physical and Chemical Data from Eolian Sediment Collected Along a Transect from the Mojave Desert to the Colorado Plateau Physical and Chemical Data from Eolian Sediment Collected Along a Transect from the Mojave Desert to the Colorado Plateau
This report presents data and describes the methodology for magnetic, geochemical, and textural measurements of sediment and bedrock samples collected along a transect across the Southwestern United States (fig. 1). The results presented here support a study that examines compositional variations of mineral dust deposited during the past few centuries in isolated natural traps spanning a...
Authors
Harland L. Goldstein, Richard L. Reynolds, Marith C. Reheis, James C. Yount, Paul J. Lamothe
Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert, USA Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert, USA
The interactions between playa hydrology and playa-surface sediments are important factors that control the type and amount of dust emitted from playas as a result of wind erosion. The production of evaporite minerals during evaporative loss of near-surface ground water results in both the creation and maintenance of several centimeters or more of loose sediment on and near the surfaces...
Authors
Richard L. Reynolds, James C. Yount, Marith C. Reheis, Harland L. Goldstein, Pat F. Chavez, Robert E. Fulton, John W. Whitney, Christopher C. Fuller, Richard M. Forester
Performance of Bromus tectorum L. in relation to soil properties, water additions, and chemical amendments in calcareous soils of southeastern Utah, USA Performance of Bromus tectorum L. in relation to soil properties, water additions, and chemical amendments in calcareous soils of southeastern Utah, USA
In drylands of southeastern Utah, USA, the invasive exotic grass Bromus tectorum L. occurs in distinct spatial patterns suggesting soil control of ecosystem susceptibility to invasion. To improve our understanding of these patterns, we examined performance of B. tectorum in relation to additions of water, KCl, MgO, and CaO at seventeen 1600 m2 sites distributed across a calcareous soil...
Authors
Mark E. Miller, Jayne Belnap, Susan W. Beatty, Richard L. Reynolds
Atmospheric dust in modern soil on aeolian sandstone, Colorado Plateau (USA): Variation with landscape position and contribution to potential plant nutrients Atmospheric dust in modern soil on aeolian sandstone, Colorado Plateau (USA): Variation with landscape position and contribution to potential plant nutrients
Rock-derived nutrients in soils originate from both local bedrock and atmospheric dust, including dust from far-distant sources. Distinction between fine particles derived from local bedrock and from dust provides better understanding of the landscape-scale distribution and abundance of soil nutrients. Sandy surficial deposits over dominantly sandstone substrates, covering vast upland...
Authors
Richard L. Reynolds, J. Neff, Marith C. Reheis, Paul J. Lamothe
Controls of bedrock geochemistry on soil and plant nutrients in Southeastern Utah Controls of bedrock geochemistry on soil and plant nutrients in Southeastern Utah
The cold deserts of the Colorado Plateau contain numerous geologically and geochemically distinct sedimentary bedrock types. In the area near Canyonlands National Park in Southeastern Utah, geochemical variation in geologic substrates is related to the depositional environment with higher concentrations of Fe, Al, P, K, and Mg in sediments deposited in alluvial or marine environments and...
Authors
J. C. Neff, Richard L. Reynolds, R.L. Sanford, D. Fernandez, Paul J. Lamothe
Soil respiration in the cold desert environment of the Colorado Plateau (USA): Abiotic regulators and thresholds Soil respiration in the cold desert environment of the Colorado Plateau (USA): Abiotic regulators and thresholds
Decomposition is central to understanding ecosystem carbon exchange and nutrient-release processes. Unlike mesic ecosystems, which have been extensively studied, xeric landscapes have received little attention; as a result, abiotic soil-respiration regulatory processes are poorly understood in xeric environments. To provide a more complete and quantitative understanding about how abiotic...
Authors
D. P. Fernandez, J. C. Neff, Jayne Belnap, Richard L. Reynolds
Composition of aeolian dust in natural traps on isolated surfaces of the central Mojave Desert - Insights to mixing, sources, and nutrient inputs Composition of aeolian dust in natural traps on isolated surfaces of the central Mojave Desert - Insights to mixing, sources, and nutrient inputs
The recognition and characterization of aeolian dust in soil contribute to a better understanding of landscape and ecosystem dynamics of drylands. Results of this study show that recently deposited dust, sampled in isolated, mostly high-ground settings, is chemically and mineralogically similar on varied geologic substrates over a large area (15 000 km2) in the Mojave Desert. The silt...
Authors
R. L. Reynolds, M. Reheis, J. Yount, P. Lamothe
Non-USGS Publications**
Larson, E.E., Reynolds, R.L., and others, 1975, Major element petrochemistry of some extrusive rocks from the volcanically active Mariana Islands: Bulletin Volcanologique, v. 39, p. 361-377.
Larson, E.E., Reynolds, R.L., and others, 1975, Paleomagnetism of Miocene volcanics of Guam and the curvature of the southern Mariana Island Arc: Geological Society America Bulletin, v. 86, p. 346‑350.
Levi, S., Merrill, R.T., Larson, E.E., Reynolds, R.L., and others, 1975, Paleosecular variation of lavas from the Marianas in the Western Pacific Ocean: Journal Geomagnetism and Geoelectricity, v. 27, p. 57-66.
Rowley, P.D., Williams, P.L., Schmidt, D.L., Reynolds, R.L., and others, 1975, Copper mineralization along the Lassiter Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula: Economic Geology, v. 70, p. 982‑992.
**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
Filter Total Items: 170
Mineralogic Causes of Variations in Magnetic Susceptibility of Late Pleistocene and Holocene Sediment from Great Salt Lake, Utah Mineralogic Causes of Variations in Magnetic Susceptibility of Late Pleistocene and Holocene Sediment from Great Salt Lake, Utah
We describe here results of magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements and magnetic mineralogy of sediments sampled in three cores from the south basin of Great Salt Lake. The cores were obtained in 1996 with a Kullenburg-type piston corer at sites in close proximity: core 96-4 at 41 deg 01.00' N, 112 deg 28.00' W and cores 96-5 and 96-6 at 41 deg 00.09' N, 112 deg 23.05' W. Cores 96-5 (2...
Authors
Richard L. Reynolds, Joseph G. Rosenbaum, Robert S. Thompson
Increasing eolian dust deposition in the western United States linked to human activity Increasing eolian dust deposition in the western United States linked to human activity
Mineral aerosols from dust are an important influence on climate and on marine and terrestrial biogeochemical cycles. These aerosols are generated from wind erosion of surface soils. The amount of dust emission can therefore be affected by human activities that alter surface sediments. However, changes in regional- and global-scale dust fluxes following the rapid expansion of human...
Authors
J. C. Neff, A. P. Ballantyne, G. L. Farmer, N. M. Mahowald, C. C. Landry, J. T. Overpeck, T. H. Painter, C. R. Lawrence, Richard L. Reynolds
Compositional trends in aeolian dust along a transect across the southwestern United States Compositional trends in aeolian dust along a transect across the southwestern United States
Aeolian dust strongly influences ecology and landscape geochemistry over large areas that span several desert ecosystems of the southwestern United States. This study evaluates spatial and temporal variations and trends of the physical and chemical properties of dust in the southwestern United States by examining dust deposited in natural depressions on high isolated surfaces along a...
Authors
H.L. Goldstein, R. L. Reynolds, M.C. Reheis, J. C. Yount, J. C. Neff
Biogeochemical and ecological impacts of livestock grazing in semi-arid southeastern Utah, USA Biogeochemical and ecological impacts of livestock grazing in semi-arid southeastern Utah, USA
Relatively few studies have examined the ecological and biogeochemical effects of livestock grazing in southeastern Utah. In this study, we evaluated how grazing has affected soil organic carbon and nitrogen to a depth of 50 cm in grasslands located in relict and actively-grazed sites in the Canyonlands physiographic section of the Colorado Plateau. We also evaluated differences in plant...
Authors
D. P. Fernandez, J. C. Neff, R. L. Reynolds
Sedimentary properties of shallow marine cores collected in June and September 2006, Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i, Hawai'i Sedimentary properties of shallow marine cores collected in June and September 2006, Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i, Hawai'i
Sedimentary facies, short-lived isotopes 7Be, 137Cs, and 210Pb, and magnetic properties of sediment cores in Hanalei Bay, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, were used to assess sediment sources and patterns of deposition associated with seasonal flooding of the Hanalei River. Sediment cores were collected from the seafloor in June and September of 2006 to supplement similar data collected during the...
Authors
Amy E. Draut, Michael H. Bothner, Richard L. Reynolds, Olivia C. Buchan, Susan A. Cochran, Michael A. Casso, Sandra M. Baldwin, Harland L. Goldstein, Jiang Xiao, Michael E. Field, Joshua B. Logan
Physical and Chemical Data from Eolian Sediment Collected Along a Transect from the Mojave Desert to the Colorado Plateau Physical and Chemical Data from Eolian Sediment Collected Along a Transect from the Mojave Desert to the Colorado Plateau
This report presents data and describes the methodology for magnetic, geochemical, and textural measurements of sediment and bedrock samples collected along a transect across the Southwestern United States (fig. 1). The results presented here support a study that examines compositional variations of mineral dust deposited during the past few centuries in isolated natural traps spanning a...
Authors
Harland L. Goldstein, Richard L. Reynolds, Marith C. Reheis, James C. Yount, Paul J. Lamothe
Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert, USA Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert, USA
The interactions between playa hydrology and playa-surface sediments are important factors that control the type and amount of dust emitted from playas as a result of wind erosion. The production of evaporite minerals during evaporative loss of near-surface ground water results in both the creation and maintenance of several centimeters or more of loose sediment on and near the surfaces...
Authors
Richard L. Reynolds, James C. Yount, Marith C. Reheis, Harland L. Goldstein, Pat F. Chavez, Robert E. Fulton, John W. Whitney, Christopher C. Fuller, Richard M. Forester
Performance of Bromus tectorum L. in relation to soil properties, water additions, and chemical amendments in calcareous soils of southeastern Utah, USA Performance of Bromus tectorum L. in relation to soil properties, water additions, and chemical amendments in calcareous soils of southeastern Utah, USA
In drylands of southeastern Utah, USA, the invasive exotic grass Bromus tectorum L. occurs in distinct spatial patterns suggesting soil control of ecosystem susceptibility to invasion. To improve our understanding of these patterns, we examined performance of B. tectorum in relation to additions of water, KCl, MgO, and CaO at seventeen 1600 m2 sites distributed across a calcareous soil...
Authors
Mark E. Miller, Jayne Belnap, Susan W. Beatty, Richard L. Reynolds
Atmospheric dust in modern soil on aeolian sandstone, Colorado Plateau (USA): Variation with landscape position and contribution to potential plant nutrients Atmospheric dust in modern soil on aeolian sandstone, Colorado Plateau (USA): Variation with landscape position and contribution to potential plant nutrients
Rock-derived nutrients in soils originate from both local bedrock and atmospheric dust, including dust from far-distant sources. Distinction between fine particles derived from local bedrock and from dust provides better understanding of the landscape-scale distribution and abundance of soil nutrients. Sandy surficial deposits over dominantly sandstone substrates, covering vast upland...
Authors
Richard L. Reynolds, J. Neff, Marith C. Reheis, Paul J. Lamothe
Controls of bedrock geochemistry on soil and plant nutrients in Southeastern Utah Controls of bedrock geochemistry on soil and plant nutrients in Southeastern Utah
The cold deserts of the Colorado Plateau contain numerous geologically and geochemically distinct sedimentary bedrock types. In the area near Canyonlands National Park in Southeastern Utah, geochemical variation in geologic substrates is related to the depositional environment with higher concentrations of Fe, Al, P, K, and Mg in sediments deposited in alluvial or marine environments and...
Authors
J. C. Neff, Richard L. Reynolds, R.L. Sanford, D. Fernandez, Paul J. Lamothe
Soil respiration in the cold desert environment of the Colorado Plateau (USA): Abiotic regulators and thresholds Soil respiration in the cold desert environment of the Colorado Plateau (USA): Abiotic regulators and thresholds
Decomposition is central to understanding ecosystem carbon exchange and nutrient-release processes. Unlike mesic ecosystems, which have been extensively studied, xeric landscapes have received little attention; as a result, abiotic soil-respiration regulatory processes are poorly understood in xeric environments. To provide a more complete and quantitative understanding about how abiotic...
Authors
D. P. Fernandez, J. C. Neff, Jayne Belnap, Richard L. Reynolds
Composition of aeolian dust in natural traps on isolated surfaces of the central Mojave Desert - Insights to mixing, sources, and nutrient inputs Composition of aeolian dust in natural traps on isolated surfaces of the central Mojave Desert - Insights to mixing, sources, and nutrient inputs
The recognition and characterization of aeolian dust in soil contribute to a better understanding of landscape and ecosystem dynamics of drylands. Results of this study show that recently deposited dust, sampled in isolated, mostly high-ground settings, is chemically and mineralogically similar on varied geologic substrates over a large area (15 000 km2) in the Mojave Desert. The silt...
Authors
R. L. Reynolds, M. Reheis, J. Yount, P. Lamothe
Non-USGS Publications**
Larson, E.E., Reynolds, R.L., and others, 1975, Major element petrochemistry of some extrusive rocks from the volcanically active Mariana Islands: Bulletin Volcanologique, v. 39, p. 361-377.
Larson, E.E., Reynolds, R.L., and others, 1975, Paleomagnetism of Miocene volcanics of Guam and the curvature of the southern Mariana Island Arc: Geological Society America Bulletin, v. 86, p. 346‑350.
Levi, S., Merrill, R.T., Larson, E.E., Reynolds, R.L., and others, 1975, Paleosecular variation of lavas from the Marianas in the Western Pacific Ocean: Journal Geomagnetism and Geoelectricity, v. 27, p. 57-66.
Rowley, P.D., Williams, P.L., Schmidt, D.L., Reynolds, R.L., and others, 1975, Copper mineralization along the Lassiter Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula: Economic Geology, v. 70, p. 982‑992.
**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.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government