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
Tables and charts for isotope-abundance variations and atomic weights of selected elements: 2016 Tables and charts for isotope-abundance variations and atomic weights of selected elements: 2016
There are 63 chemical elements that have two or more isotopes that are used to determine their standard atomic weights. The isotopic abundances and atomic weights of these elements can vary in normal materials due to physical and chemical fractionation processes (not due to radioactive decay). These variations are well known for 12 elements (hydrogen, lithium, boron, carbon, nitrogen...
A multi-year record of chemical and isotopic composition of water from springs of the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia A multi-year record of chemical and isotopic composition of water from springs of the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
From 1994 through 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service, Luray, Virginia Station collected and analyzed samples of selected springs, air and unsaturated-zone gases in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. These data include field measurements of water temperature, specific conductance, concentrations of dissolved oxygen (O2), and pH. Laboratory...
Table of standard atomic weights of the elements 2015 Table of standard atomic weights of the elements 2015
Since 1985, the Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has disseminated value pairs of standard atomic weight and an associated uncertainty for elements, such that it can claim at a high level of confidence that any element in question in all known normal materials will have an atomic weight that will not...
Tables supporting improved EA-Cr_HTC hydrogen-isotope technique for halogen- and S-bearing organic compounds Tables supporting improved EA-Cr_HTC hydrogen-isotope technique for halogen- and S-bearing organic compounds
Accurate hydrogen isotopic analysis of halogen- and sulfur-bearing organics has not been possible with traditional high-temperature conversion (HTC) because the formation of hydrogen-bearing reaction products other than molecular hydrogen (H2) is responsible for non-quantitative H2-yields and possible hydrogen isotopic fractionation. The elemental analyzerchromium/high temperature...
Standard and conventional atomic weights 2016 abridged to four significant digits Standard and conventional atomic weights 2016 abridged to four significant digits
To indicate that atomic weights of many elements are not constants of nature, in 2009 and 2011 the Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) replaced single-value standard atomic weight values with atomic weight intervals for 12 elements (hydrogen, lithium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, magnesium...
Four-place table of standard atomic weight values of hydrogen through uranium compared since 1961 Four-place table of standard atomic weight values of hydrogen through uranium compared since 1961
Four-figure standard atomic weights of the chemical elements are shown for 1961, 1975, 1983, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and the current value for 2016. Values between 1975 and 2015 are only shown when there is a change in value with respect to the previous column.
Filter Total Items: 153
Dual clumped isotope thermometry resolves kinetic biases in carbonate formation temperatures Dual clumped isotope thermometry resolves kinetic biases in carbonate formation temperatures
Surface temperature is a fundamental parameter of Earth’s climate. Its evolution through time is commonly reconstructed using the oxygen isotope and the clumped isotope compositions of carbonate archives. However, reaction kinetics involved in the precipitation of carbonates can introduce inaccuracies in the derived temperatures. Here, we show that dual clumped isotope analyses, i.e...
Authors
David Bajnai, Weifu Guo, Christoph Spotl, Tyler Coplen, Katharina Methner, Niklas Loffler, Emilija Krsnik, Eberhard Gischler, Maximilian Hansen, Daniela Henkel, Gregory Price, Jacek Raddatz, Denis Scholz, Jens Fiebig
Investigation of recent decadal-scale cyclical fluctuations in salinity in the lower Colorado river Investigation of recent decadal-scale cyclical fluctuations in salinity in the lower Colorado river
Beginning in the late 1970s, 10- to 15-year cyclical oscillations in salinity were observed at lower Colorado River monitoring sites, moving upstream from the international border with Mexico, above Imperial Dam, below Hoover Dam, and at Lees Ferry. The cause of these cyclical trends in salinity was unknown. These salinity cycles complicate the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation)
Authors
Fred Tillman, Alissa Coes, David W. Anning, Jon Mason, Tyler Coplen
Most Earth-surface calcites precipitate out of isotopic equilibrium Most Earth-surface calcites precipitate out of isotopic equilibrium
Oxygen-isotope thermometry played a critical role in the rise of modern geochemistry and remains extensively used in (bio-)geoscience. Its theoretical foundations rest on the assumption that 18O/16O partitioning among water and carbonate minerals primarily reflects thermodynamic equilibrium. However, after decades of research, there is no consensus on the true equilibrium 18O/16O...
Authors
Mathieu Daeron, Russell Drysdale, Marion Peral, Damien Huyghe, Dominique Blamart, Tyler Coplen, Franck Lartaud, Giovanni Zanchetta
Erratum to: Isotope-abundance variations and atomic weights of selected elements: 2016 (IUPAC Technical Report) Erratum to: Isotope-abundance variations and atomic weights of selected elements: 2016 (IUPAC Technical Report)
No abstract available.
Authors
Tyler Coplen, Yesha Shrestha
Isotopes matter Isotopes matter
Two years ago, the King’s Centre for Visualization in Science (KCVS) at The King’s University, Edmonton released a new digital interactive version of the IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes with accompanying educational resources at an International Conference on Chemistry Education. It can be found at www.isotopesmatter.com. The effort was part of an IUPAC project. The...
Authors
Norman Holden, Tyler Coplen, Peter Mahaffy
IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) for the education community (IUPAC Technical Report) IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) for the education community (IUPAC Technical Report)
The IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) was created to familiarize students, teachers, and non-professionals with the existence and importance of isotopes of the chemical elements. The IPTEI is modeled on the familiar Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements. The IPTEI is intended to hang on the walls of chemistry
Authors
Norman Holden, Tyler Coplen, J.K. Bohlke, Lauren Tarbox, Jacqueline Benefield, John de Laeter, Peter Mahaffy, Glenda O’Connor nee Singleton, Etienne Roth, Dorothy Tepper, Thomas Walczyk, Michael Wieser, Shigekazu Yoneda
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
Tables and charts for isotope-abundance variations and atomic weights of selected elements: 2016 Tables and charts for isotope-abundance variations and atomic weights of selected elements: 2016
There are 63 chemical elements that have two or more isotopes that are used to determine their standard atomic weights. The isotopic abundances and atomic weights of these elements can vary in normal materials due to physical and chemical fractionation processes (not due to radioactive decay). These variations are well known for 12 elements (hydrogen, lithium, boron, carbon, nitrogen...
A multi-year record of chemical and isotopic composition of water from springs of the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia A multi-year record of chemical and isotopic composition of water from springs of the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
From 1994 through 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service, Luray, Virginia Station collected and analyzed samples of selected springs, air and unsaturated-zone gases in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. These data include field measurements of water temperature, specific conductance, concentrations of dissolved oxygen (O2), and pH. Laboratory...
Table of standard atomic weights of the elements 2015 Table of standard atomic weights of the elements 2015
Since 1985, the Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has disseminated value pairs of standard atomic weight and an associated uncertainty for elements, such that it can claim at a high level of confidence that any element in question in all known normal materials will have an atomic weight that will not...
Tables supporting improved EA-Cr_HTC hydrogen-isotope technique for halogen- and S-bearing organic compounds Tables supporting improved EA-Cr_HTC hydrogen-isotope technique for halogen- and S-bearing organic compounds
Accurate hydrogen isotopic analysis of halogen- and sulfur-bearing organics has not been possible with traditional high-temperature conversion (HTC) because the formation of hydrogen-bearing reaction products other than molecular hydrogen (H2) is responsible for non-quantitative H2-yields and possible hydrogen isotopic fractionation. The elemental analyzerchromium/high temperature...
Standard and conventional atomic weights 2016 abridged to four significant digits Standard and conventional atomic weights 2016 abridged to four significant digits
To indicate that atomic weights of many elements are not constants of nature, in 2009 and 2011 the Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) replaced single-value standard atomic weight values with atomic weight intervals for 12 elements (hydrogen, lithium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, magnesium...
Four-place table of standard atomic weight values of hydrogen through uranium compared since 1961 Four-place table of standard atomic weight values of hydrogen through uranium compared since 1961
Four-figure standard atomic weights of the chemical elements are shown for 1961, 1975, 1983, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and the current value for 2016. Values between 1975 and 2015 are only shown when there is a change in value with respect to the previous column.
Filter Total Items: 153
Dual clumped isotope thermometry resolves kinetic biases in carbonate formation temperatures Dual clumped isotope thermometry resolves kinetic biases in carbonate formation temperatures
Surface temperature is a fundamental parameter of Earth’s climate. Its evolution through time is commonly reconstructed using the oxygen isotope and the clumped isotope compositions of carbonate archives. However, reaction kinetics involved in the precipitation of carbonates can introduce inaccuracies in the derived temperatures. Here, we show that dual clumped isotope analyses, i.e...
Authors
David Bajnai, Weifu Guo, Christoph Spotl, Tyler Coplen, Katharina Methner, Niklas Loffler, Emilija Krsnik, Eberhard Gischler, Maximilian Hansen, Daniela Henkel, Gregory Price, Jacek Raddatz, Denis Scholz, Jens Fiebig
Investigation of recent decadal-scale cyclical fluctuations in salinity in the lower Colorado river Investigation of recent decadal-scale cyclical fluctuations in salinity in the lower Colorado river
Beginning in the late 1970s, 10- to 15-year cyclical oscillations in salinity were observed at lower Colorado River monitoring sites, moving upstream from the international border with Mexico, above Imperial Dam, below Hoover Dam, and at Lees Ferry. The cause of these cyclical trends in salinity was unknown. These salinity cycles complicate the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation)
Authors
Fred Tillman, Alissa Coes, David W. Anning, Jon Mason, Tyler Coplen
Most Earth-surface calcites precipitate out of isotopic equilibrium Most Earth-surface calcites precipitate out of isotopic equilibrium
Oxygen-isotope thermometry played a critical role in the rise of modern geochemistry and remains extensively used in (bio-)geoscience. Its theoretical foundations rest on the assumption that 18O/16O partitioning among water and carbonate minerals primarily reflects thermodynamic equilibrium. However, after decades of research, there is no consensus on the true equilibrium 18O/16O...
Authors
Mathieu Daeron, Russell Drysdale, Marion Peral, Damien Huyghe, Dominique Blamart, Tyler Coplen, Franck Lartaud, Giovanni Zanchetta
Erratum to: Isotope-abundance variations and atomic weights of selected elements: 2016 (IUPAC Technical Report) Erratum to: Isotope-abundance variations and atomic weights of selected elements: 2016 (IUPAC Technical Report)
No abstract available.
Authors
Tyler Coplen, Yesha Shrestha
Isotopes matter Isotopes matter
Two years ago, the King’s Centre for Visualization in Science (KCVS) at The King’s University, Edmonton released a new digital interactive version of the IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes with accompanying educational resources at an International Conference on Chemistry Education. It can be found at www.isotopesmatter.com. The effort was part of an IUPAC project. The...
Authors
Norman Holden, Tyler Coplen, Peter Mahaffy
IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) for the education community (IUPAC Technical Report) IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) for the education community (IUPAC Technical Report)
The IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) was created to familiarize students, teachers, and non-professionals with the existence and importance of isotopes of the chemical elements. The IPTEI is modeled on the familiar Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements. The IPTEI is intended to hang on the walls of chemistry
Authors
Norman Holden, Tyler Coplen, J.K. Bohlke, Lauren Tarbox, Jacqueline Benefield, John de Laeter, Peter Mahaffy, Glenda O’Connor nee Singleton, Etienne Roth, Dorothy Tepper, Thomas Walczyk, Michael Wieser, Shigekazu Yoneda
*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