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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Filter Total Items: 153
Lake Louise Water (USGS47): A new isotopic reference water for stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope measurements Lake Louise Water (USGS47): A new isotopic reference water for stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope measurements
"RATIONALE: Because of the paucity of isotopic reference waters for daily use, a new secondary isotopic reference material has been prepared from Lake Louise water from Alberta, Canada for international distribution. MOTHODS: This water was filtered, homogenized, loaded into glass ampoules, sealed with a torch, autoclaved to eliminate biological activity, and measured by dual-inlet...
Authors
Haiping Qi, Jennifer Lorenz, Tyler Coplen, Lauren Tarbox, Bernhard Mayer, Steve Taylor
USGS48 Puerto Rico precipitation - A new isotopic reference material for δ2H and δ18O measurements of water USGS48 Puerto Rico precipitation - A new isotopic reference material for δ2H and δ18O measurements of water
A new secondary isotopic reference material has been prepared from Puerto Rico precipitation, which was filtered, homogenised, loaded into glass ampoules, sealed with a torch, autoclaved to eliminate biological activity, and calibrated by dual-inlet isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. This isotopic reference material, designated as USGS48, is intended to be one of two isotopic reference...
Authors
Haiping Qi, Tyler Coplen, Lauren Tarbox, Jennifer Lorenz, Martha Scholl
Evidence for high salinity of Early Cretaceous sea water from the Chesapeake Bay crater Evidence for high salinity of Early Cretaceous sea water from the Chesapeake Bay crater
High salinity groundwater more than 1000 metres deep in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the United States has been documented in several locations1,2, most recently within the 35 million-year-old Chesapeake Bay impact crater3,4,5. Suggestions for the origin of increased salinity in the crater have included evaporite dissolution6, osmosis6, and evaporation from heating7 associated with the...
Authors
Ward Sanford, Michael Doughten, Tyler Coplen, Andrew Hunt, Thomas Bullen
Spatial, seasonal, and source variability in the stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of tap waters throughout the USA Spatial, seasonal, and source variability in the stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of tap waters throughout the USA
To assess spatial, seasonal, and source variability in stable isotopic composition of human drinking waters throughout the entire USA, we have constructed a database of δ18O and δ2H of US tap waters. An additional purpose was to create a publicly available dataset useful for evaluating the forensic applicability of these isotopes for human tissue source geolocation. Samples were obtained...
Authors
Jurate Landwehr, Tyler Coplen, David Stewart
The δ2H and δ18O of tap water from 349 sites in the United States and selected territories The δ2H and δ18O of tap water from 349 sites in the United States and selected territories
Because the stable isotopic compositions of hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O) of animal (including human) tissues, such as hair, nail, and urine, reflect the δ2H and δ18O of water and food ingested by an animal or a human and because the δ2H and δ18O of environmental waters vary geographically, δ2H and δ18O values of tap water samples collected in 2007-2008 from 349 sites in the United...
Authors
Tyler Coplen, Jurate Landwehr, Haiping Qi, Jennifer Lorenz
Atomic weights of the elements 2011 (IUPAC Technical Report) Atomic weights of the elements 2011 (IUPAC Technical Report)
The biennial review of atomic-weight determinations and other cognate data has resulted in changes for the standard atomic weights of five elements. The atomic weight of bromine has changed from 79.904(1) to the interval [79.901, 79.907], germanium from 72.63(1) to 72.630(8), indium from 114.818(3) to 114.818(1), magnesium from 24.3050(6) to the interval [24.304, 24.307], and mercury...
Authors
Michael E. Wieser, Norman Holden, Tyler Coplen, John Bohlke, Michael Berglund, Willi A. Brand, Paul De Bievre, Manfred Gröning, Robert Loss, Juris Meija, Takafumi Hirata, Thomas Prohaska, Ronny Schoenberg, Glenda O’Connor, Thomas Walczyk, Shige Yoneda, Xiang-Kun Zhu
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 153
Lake Louise Water (USGS47): A new isotopic reference water for stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope measurements Lake Louise Water (USGS47): A new isotopic reference water for stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope measurements
"RATIONALE: Because of the paucity of isotopic reference waters for daily use, a new secondary isotopic reference material has been prepared from Lake Louise water from Alberta, Canada for international distribution. MOTHODS: This water was filtered, homogenized, loaded into glass ampoules, sealed with a torch, autoclaved to eliminate biological activity, and measured by dual-inlet...
Authors
Haiping Qi, Jennifer Lorenz, Tyler Coplen, Lauren Tarbox, Bernhard Mayer, Steve Taylor
USGS48 Puerto Rico precipitation - A new isotopic reference material for δ2H and δ18O measurements of water USGS48 Puerto Rico precipitation - A new isotopic reference material for δ2H and δ18O measurements of water
A new secondary isotopic reference material has been prepared from Puerto Rico precipitation, which was filtered, homogenised, loaded into glass ampoules, sealed with a torch, autoclaved to eliminate biological activity, and calibrated by dual-inlet isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. This isotopic reference material, designated as USGS48, is intended to be one of two isotopic reference...
Authors
Haiping Qi, Tyler Coplen, Lauren Tarbox, Jennifer Lorenz, Martha Scholl
Evidence for high salinity of Early Cretaceous sea water from the Chesapeake Bay crater Evidence for high salinity of Early Cretaceous sea water from the Chesapeake Bay crater
High salinity groundwater more than 1000 metres deep in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the United States has been documented in several locations1,2, most recently within the 35 million-year-old Chesapeake Bay impact crater3,4,5. Suggestions for the origin of increased salinity in the crater have included evaporite dissolution6, osmosis6, and evaporation from heating7 associated with the...
Authors
Ward Sanford, Michael Doughten, Tyler Coplen, Andrew Hunt, Thomas Bullen
Spatial, seasonal, and source variability in the stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of tap waters throughout the USA Spatial, seasonal, and source variability in the stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of tap waters throughout the USA
To assess spatial, seasonal, and source variability in stable isotopic composition of human drinking waters throughout the entire USA, we have constructed a database of δ18O and δ2H of US tap waters. An additional purpose was to create a publicly available dataset useful for evaluating the forensic applicability of these isotopes for human tissue source geolocation. Samples were obtained...
Authors
Jurate Landwehr, Tyler Coplen, David Stewart
The δ2H and δ18O of tap water from 349 sites in the United States and selected territories The δ2H and δ18O of tap water from 349 sites in the United States and selected territories
Because the stable isotopic compositions of hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O) of animal (including human) tissues, such as hair, nail, and urine, reflect the δ2H and δ18O of water and food ingested by an animal or a human and because the δ2H and δ18O of environmental waters vary geographically, δ2H and δ18O values of tap water samples collected in 2007-2008 from 349 sites in the United...
Authors
Tyler Coplen, Jurate Landwehr, Haiping Qi, Jennifer Lorenz
Atomic weights of the elements 2011 (IUPAC Technical Report) Atomic weights of the elements 2011 (IUPAC Technical Report)
The biennial review of atomic-weight determinations and other cognate data has resulted in changes for the standard atomic weights of five elements. The atomic weight of bromine has changed from 79.904(1) to the interval [79.901, 79.907], germanium from 72.63(1) to 72.630(8), indium from 114.818(3) to 114.818(1), magnesium from 24.3050(6) to the interval [24.304, 24.307], and mercury...
Authors
Michael E. Wieser, Norman Holden, Tyler Coplen, John Bohlke, Michael Berglund, Willi A. Brand, Paul De Bievre, Manfred Gröning, Robert Loss, Juris Meija, Takafumi Hirata, Thomas Prohaska, Ronny Schoenberg, Glenda O’Connor, Thomas Walczyk, Shige Yoneda, Xiang-Kun Zhu
*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