Tyler B. Coplen, Ph.D.
Dr. Tyler Coplen is the Director of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory of the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Tyler B. Coplen is an ST scientist in geochemistry. His research focuses on isotope hydrology, development of innovative analytical techniques for isotopic analysis of light elements, provides forensic-quality analytical services to USGS programs, and creates isotopic reference materials for calibration of mass spectrometers and laser absorption spectrometers in isotope laboratories worldwide. In 1974, he joined the U.S. Geological Survey, and in 1978, he set up the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory, please visit the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory website. He set up and led the Subcommittee on Natural Isotopic Fractionation (1985–2002) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) that resulted in a dozen elements being assigned standard atomic-weight values that are intervals, instead of single values, to indicate that atomic-weight values of many elements are not constants of nature.
Professional Experience
Assistant Research Geochemist, University of California, Riverside 1970–1974
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 1970, University of Chicago, Department of Geophysical Sciences, Advisor: Prof. Robert N. Clayton
M.S. 1968, University of Chicago, Department of Geophysical Sciences
B.S. 1966, Pacific Lutheran University, Major: Physics
Affiliations and Memberships*
Honorary Member, Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
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Comprehensive inter-laboratory calibration of reference materials for δ18O versus VSMOW using various on-line high-temperature conversion techniques Comprehensive inter-laboratory calibration of reference materials for δ18O versus VSMOW using various on-line high-temperature conversion techniques
Internationally distributed organic and inorganic oxygen isotopic reference materials have been calibrated by six laboratories carrying out more than 5300 measurements using a variety of high-temperature conversion techniques (HTC) in an evaluation sponsored by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). To aid in the calibration of these reference materials, which...
Authors
Willi A. Brand, Tyler Coplen, Anita Aerts-Bijma, John Karl Bohlke, Matthias Gehre, Heike Geilmann, Manfred Groning, Henk Jansen, Harro Meijer, Stanley Mroczkowski, Haiping Qi, Karin Soergel, Hilary Stuart-Williams, Stephan Weise, Roland Werner
The stable isotope amount effect: New insights from NEXRAD echo tops, Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico The stable isotope amount effect: New insights from NEXRAD echo tops, Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico
The stable isotope amount effect has often been invoked to explain patterns of isotopic composition of rainfall in the tropics. This paper describes a new approach, correlating the isotopic composition of precipitation with cloud height and atmospheric temperature using NEXRAD radar echo tops, which are a measure of the maximum altitude of rainfall within the clouds. The seasonal...
Authors
Martha Scholl, James Shanley, Jan Zegarra, Tyler Coplen
Quality assurance and quality control in light stable isotope laboratories: A case study of Rio Grande, Texas, water samples Quality assurance and quality control in light stable isotope laboratories: A case study of Rio Grande, Texas, water samples
New isotope laboratories can achieve the goal of reporting the same isotopic composition within analytical uncertainty for the same material analysed decades apart by (1) writing their own acceptance testing procedures and putting them into their mass spectrometric or laser-based isotope-ratio equipment procurement contract, (2) requiring a manufacturer to demonstrate acceptable...
Authors
T.B. Coplen, H. Qi
Determination of the delta(18O/16O)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 489 Determination of the delta(18O/16O)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 489
The purpose of the technique described by the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 489 is to present a method to determine the delta(180/160), abbreviated as delta-180, of water. This delta-18O measurement of water also is a component of National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL in USGS) schedules 1142 and 1172. Water samples are loaded into glass sample containers on a vacuum...
Authors
Kinga Revesz, Tyler Coplen
Determination of the delta(2H/1H)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 1574 Determination of the delta(2H/1H)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 1574
Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 1574 describes a method used to determine the relative hydrogen isotope-ratio delta(2H,1H), abbreviated hereafter as d2H of water. The d2H measurement of water also is a component of the National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) schedules 1142 and 1172. The water is collected unfiltered in a 60-mL glass bottle and capped with a Polyseal cap...
Authors
Kinga Revesz, Tyler Coplen
Extreme changes in stable hydrogen isotopes and precipitation characteristics in a landfalling Pacific storm Extreme changes in stable hydrogen isotopes and precipitation characteristics in a landfalling Pacific storm
With a new automated precipitation collector we measured a remarkable decrease of 51??? in the hydrogen isotope ratio (?? 2H) of precipitation over a 60-minute period during the landfall of an extratropical cyclone along the California coast on 21 March 2005. The rapid drop in ??2H occurred as precipitation generation transitioned from a shallow to a much deeper cloud layer, in accord...
Authors
T.B. Coplen, P.J. Neiman, A.B. White, J.M. Landwehr, F.M. Ralph, M. Dettinger
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 153
Comprehensive inter-laboratory calibration of reference materials for δ18O versus VSMOW using various on-line high-temperature conversion techniques Comprehensive inter-laboratory calibration of reference materials for δ18O versus VSMOW using various on-line high-temperature conversion techniques
Internationally distributed organic and inorganic oxygen isotopic reference materials have been calibrated by six laboratories carrying out more than 5300 measurements using a variety of high-temperature conversion techniques (HTC) in an evaluation sponsored by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). To aid in the calibration of these reference materials, which...
Authors
Willi A. Brand, Tyler Coplen, Anita Aerts-Bijma, John Karl Bohlke, Matthias Gehre, Heike Geilmann, Manfred Groning, Henk Jansen, Harro Meijer, Stanley Mroczkowski, Haiping Qi, Karin Soergel, Hilary Stuart-Williams, Stephan Weise, Roland Werner
The stable isotope amount effect: New insights from NEXRAD echo tops, Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico The stable isotope amount effect: New insights from NEXRAD echo tops, Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico
The stable isotope amount effect has often been invoked to explain patterns of isotopic composition of rainfall in the tropics. This paper describes a new approach, correlating the isotopic composition of precipitation with cloud height and atmospheric temperature using NEXRAD radar echo tops, which are a measure of the maximum altitude of rainfall within the clouds. The seasonal...
Authors
Martha Scholl, James Shanley, Jan Zegarra, Tyler Coplen
Quality assurance and quality control in light stable isotope laboratories: A case study of Rio Grande, Texas, water samples Quality assurance and quality control in light stable isotope laboratories: A case study of Rio Grande, Texas, water samples
New isotope laboratories can achieve the goal of reporting the same isotopic composition within analytical uncertainty for the same material analysed decades apart by (1) writing their own acceptance testing procedures and putting them into their mass spectrometric or laser-based isotope-ratio equipment procurement contract, (2) requiring a manufacturer to demonstrate acceptable...
Authors
T.B. Coplen, H. Qi
Determination of the delta(18O/16O)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 489 Determination of the delta(18O/16O)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 489
The purpose of the technique described by the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 489 is to present a method to determine the delta(180/160), abbreviated as delta-180, of water. This delta-18O measurement of water also is a component of National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL in USGS) schedules 1142 and 1172. Water samples are loaded into glass sample containers on a vacuum...
Authors
Kinga Revesz, Tyler Coplen
Determination of the delta(2H/1H)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 1574 Determination of the delta(2H/1H)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 1574
Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 1574 describes a method used to determine the relative hydrogen isotope-ratio delta(2H,1H), abbreviated hereafter as d2H of water. The d2H measurement of water also is a component of the National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) schedules 1142 and 1172. The water is collected unfiltered in a 60-mL glass bottle and capped with a Polyseal cap...
Authors
Kinga Revesz, Tyler Coplen
Extreme changes in stable hydrogen isotopes and precipitation characteristics in a landfalling Pacific storm Extreme changes in stable hydrogen isotopes and precipitation characteristics in a landfalling Pacific storm
With a new automated precipitation collector we measured a remarkable decrease of 51??? in the hydrogen isotope ratio (?? 2H) of precipitation over a 60-minute period during the landfall of an extratropical cyclone along the California coast on 21 March 2005. The rapid drop in ??2H occurred as precipitation generation transitioned from a shallow to a much deeper cloud layer, in accord...
Authors
T.B. Coplen, P.J. Neiman, A.B. White, J.M. Landwehr, F.M. Ralph, M. Dettinger
*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