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 M. Lorenz, Tyler B. Coplen, Lauren V. 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 B. Coplen, Lauren V. Tarbox, Jennifer M. Lorenz, Martha A. 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 E. Sanford, Michael W. Doughten, Tyler B. Coplen, Andrew G. Hunt, Thomas D. 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 M. Landwehr, Tyler B. Coplen, David W. 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 B. Coplen, Jurate M. Landwehr, Haiping Qi, Jennifer M. 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 B. Coplen, John K. Bohlke, Michael Berglund, Willi A. Brand, Paul De Bievre, Manfred Gröning, Robert D. Loss, Juris Meija, Takafumi Hirata, Thomas Prohaska, Ronny Schoenberg, Glenda O’Connor, Thomas Walczyk, Shige Yoneda, Xiang-Kun Zhu
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 B. Coplen, Willi A. Brand, Juris Meija, Manfred Gröning, Norman E. Holden, Michael Berglund, Paul De Bievre, Robert D. 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 B. 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 M. Revesz, Bryan Buck, Tyler B. 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 L. Singleton, Kinga Revesz, Tyler B. 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 B. Coplen, Leonard I Wassenaar
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 M. Lorenz, Tyler B. Coplen, Lauren V. 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 B. Coplen, Lauren V. Tarbox, Jennifer M. Lorenz, Martha A. 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 E. Sanford, Michael W. Doughten, Tyler B. Coplen, Andrew G. Hunt, Thomas D. 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 M. Landwehr, Tyler B. Coplen, David W. 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 B. Coplen, Jurate M. Landwehr, Haiping Qi, Jennifer M. 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 B. Coplen, John K. Bohlke, Michael Berglund, Willi A. Brand, Paul De Bievre, Manfred Gröning, Robert D. Loss, Juris Meija, Takafumi Hirata, Thomas Prohaska, Ronny Schoenberg, Glenda O’Connor, Thomas Walczyk, Shige Yoneda, Xiang-Kun Zhu
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 B. Coplen, Willi A. Brand, Juris Meija, Manfred Gröning, Norman E. Holden, Michael Berglund, Paul De Bievre, Robert D. 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 B. 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 M. Revesz, Bryan Buck, Tyler B. 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 L. Singleton, Kinga Revesz, Tyler B. 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 B. Coplen, Leonard I 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