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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Table of standard atomic weights 2013 Table of standard atomic weights 2013
IUPAC Commission on Istopic Abundances and Atomic Weights' spreadsheet of Standard Atomic Weights.
Authors
Tyler Coplen, Willi A. Brand, Juris Meija, Manfred Gröning, Norman Holden, Michael Berglund, Paul De Bievre, Robert Loss, Thomas Prohaska, Thomas Walczyk
Stable isotope deltas: Tiny, yet robust signatures in nature Stable isotope deltas: Tiny, yet robust signatures in nature
Although most of them are relatively small, stable isotope deltas of naturally occurring substances are robust and enable workers in anthropology, atmospheric sciences, biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, food and drug authentication, forensic science, geochemistry, geology, oceanography, and paleoclimatology to study a variety of topics. Two fundamental processes explain the...
Authors
Willi A. Brand, Tyler Coplen
Determination of the δ2H and δ18O of soil water and water in plant matter; RSIL lab code 1700 Determination of the δ2H and δ18O of soil water and water in plant matter; RSIL lab code 1700
The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory lab code 1700 is to determine the δ2H/1H), abbreviated as δ2H, and the δ18O/16O), abbreviated as δ18O, of soil water and water in plant matter. This method is based on the observation that water and toluene form an azeotropic mixture at 84.1 °C. This temperature is substantially lower than the boiling points of water (100 °C) and...
Authors
Kinga Revesz, Bryan Buck, Tyler Coplen
Determination of the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon in water; RSIL lab code 1710 Determination of the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon in water; RSIL lab code 1710
The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 1710 is to present a method to determine the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of water. The DIC of water is precipitated using ammoniacal strontium chloride (SrCl2) solution to form strontium carbonate (SrCO3). The δ13C is analyzed by reacting SrCO3 with 100-percent phosphoric acid (H3PO4) to liberate carbon...
Authors
Glenda Singleton, Kinga Revesz, Tyler Coplen
USGS42 and USGS43: Human-hair stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials and analytical methods for forensic science and implications for published measurement results USGS42 and USGS43: Human-hair stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials and analytical methods for forensic science and implications for published measurement results
Because there are no internationally distributed stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials of human hair, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has prepared two such materials, USGS42 and USGS43. These reference materials span values commonly encountered in human hair stable isotope analysis and are isotopically homogeneous at sample sizes larger than 0.2 mg. USGS42 and USGS43...
Authors
T.B. Coplen, H. Qi
Improved online δ18O measurements of nitrogen‐ and sulfur‐bearing organic materials and a proposed analytical protocol Improved online δ18O measurements of nitrogen‐ and sulfur‐bearing organic materials and a proposed analytical protocol
It is well known that N2 in the ion source of a mass spectrometer interferes with the CO background during the δ18O measurement of carbon monoxide. A similar problem arises with the high‐temperature conversion (HTC) analysis of nitrogenous O‐bearing samples (e.g. nitrates and keratins) to CO for δ18O measurement, where the sample introduces a significant N2 peak before the CO peak...
Authors
Haiping Qi, Tyler Coplen, Leonard Wassenaar
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 153
Table of standard atomic weights 2013 Table of standard atomic weights 2013
IUPAC Commission on Istopic Abundances and Atomic Weights' spreadsheet of Standard Atomic Weights.
Authors
Tyler Coplen, Willi A. Brand, Juris Meija, Manfred Gröning, Norman Holden, Michael Berglund, Paul De Bievre, Robert Loss, Thomas Prohaska, Thomas Walczyk
Stable isotope deltas: Tiny, yet robust signatures in nature Stable isotope deltas: Tiny, yet robust signatures in nature
Although most of them are relatively small, stable isotope deltas of naturally occurring substances are robust and enable workers in anthropology, atmospheric sciences, biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, food and drug authentication, forensic science, geochemistry, geology, oceanography, and paleoclimatology to study a variety of topics. Two fundamental processes explain the...
Authors
Willi A. Brand, Tyler Coplen
Determination of the δ2H and δ18O of soil water and water in plant matter; RSIL lab code 1700 Determination of the δ2H and δ18O of soil water and water in plant matter; RSIL lab code 1700
The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory lab code 1700 is to determine the δ2H/1H), abbreviated as δ2H, and the δ18O/16O), abbreviated as δ18O, of soil water and water in plant matter. This method is based on the observation that water and toluene form an azeotropic mixture at 84.1 °C. This temperature is substantially lower than the boiling points of water (100 °C) and...
Authors
Kinga Revesz, Bryan Buck, Tyler Coplen
Determination of the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon in water; RSIL lab code 1710 Determination of the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon in water; RSIL lab code 1710
The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 1710 is to present a method to determine the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of water. The DIC of water is precipitated using ammoniacal strontium chloride (SrCl2) solution to form strontium carbonate (SrCO3). The δ13C is analyzed by reacting SrCO3 with 100-percent phosphoric acid (H3PO4) to liberate carbon...
Authors
Glenda Singleton, Kinga Revesz, Tyler Coplen
USGS42 and USGS43: Human-hair stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials and analytical methods for forensic science and implications for published measurement results USGS42 and USGS43: Human-hair stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials and analytical methods for forensic science and implications for published measurement results
Because there are no internationally distributed stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials of human hair, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has prepared two such materials, USGS42 and USGS43. These reference materials span values commonly encountered in human hair stable isotope analysis and are isotopically homogeneous at sample sizes larger than 0.2 mg. USGS42 and USGS43...
Authors
T.B. Coplen, H. Qi
Improved online δ18O measurements of nitrogen‐ and sulfur‐bearing organic materials and a proposed analytical protocol Improved online δ18O measurements of nitrogen‐ and sulfur‐bearing organic materials and a proposed analytical protocol
It is well known that N2 in the ion source of a mass spectrometer interferes with the CO background during the δ18O measurement of carbon monoxide. A similar problem arises with the high‐temperature conversion (HTC) analysis of nitrogenous O‐bearing samples (e.g. nitrates and keratins) to CO for δ18O measurement, where the sample introduces a significant N2 peak before the CO peak...
Authors
Haiping Qi, Tyler Coplen, Leonard Wassenaar
*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