Interface of Paleoclimatology and Aquifer Geochemistry

Reconstructions of continental paleoclimates of the Pleistocene Epoch have relied almost exclusively on packrat midden, lacustrine, and speleothem records. The isotopic (deuterium, oxygen-18, carbon-13) record of calcitic veins marking the sites of fossil ground-water discharge, have not been utilized. Preliminary work indicates that such veins contain continuous dateable records of Pleistocene paleoclimate and paleohydrology. The paleohydrologic interpretations should also be pertinent to selection of sites for the disposal and long term isolation of toxic wastes. Project objectives are: (1) infer paleoclimate and paleohydrology of selected regions based on variations in isotopic content of calcitic veins of ground water origin; (2) attempt correlation of inferred local variations in continental paleoclimate with global variations deduced from marine sediment and polar ice core studies; (3) differentiate between, and determine relative magnitude of, summer and winter recharge to major uplands. For a related web page, see A Devils Hole Primer

REPORTS PUBLISHED 1999-2005

Winograd, I.J. and Roseboom Jr., E.H., 2008, Yucca Mountain revisited: Science Magazine, v. 320, p. 1426-1427.

Winograd, I. J., Landwehr, J. M., Coplen, T.B., Sharp, W.D., Riggs, A.C., Ludwig, K.R., and Kolesar, P.T., 2006, Devils Hole, Nevada, δ¹⁸O Record Extended to the Mid-Holocene: Quaternary Research, v. 66, p. 202-212. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Winograd, I.J., Fridrich, C.J., Sweetkind, D., Belcher, W.R., and Thomas, J.M., 2005, Comment on "Testing the Interbasin Flow Hypothesis of Death Valley, California": EOS Transactions Americal Geophysical Union, v. 86, no. 2, p. 295-296.

Kolesar, P.T., and Riggs, A.C., 2004, Influence of depositional environment on Devils Hole calcite morphology and petrology, in Sasowsky, I.D., and Mylroie, J., eds., Studies of Cave Sediments -- Physical and Chemical Records of Paleoclimate: New York, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, p. 227-241.

Kukla, G.J., Bender, M.L., de Beaulieu, J.-L., Bond, G.C., Broecker, W.S., Cleveringa, P., Gavin, J.E., Herbert, T.D., Imbrie, J., Jouzel, J., Keigwin, L.D., Knudsen, K.-L., McManus, J.F., Merkt, J., Muhs, D.R., Mueller, H., Poore, R.Z., Porter, S.C., Seret, G., Shackleton, N.J., Turner, C., Tzedakis, P.C., and Winograd, I.J., 2002, Last interglacial climates: Quaternary Research, v. 58, no. 1, p. 2-13. (on-line abstract)

Winograd, I.J., 2002, Evidence from uranium-series-dated speleothems for the timing of the penultimate deglaciation of northwestern Europe: Quaternary Research, v. 58, no. 1, p. 60-61.

Winograd, I.J., T.D. Herbert, J.D., Schuffert, D. Andreasen, L. Heusser, M. Lyle, A. Mix, A.C. Ravelo, L.D. Stott, and J.C. Herguera, 2002, The California Current, Devils Hole, and Pleistocene Climate: Science, v. 296, p. 7a. (on-line discussion)

Landwehr, J.M., and Winograd, I.J., 2001, Dating the Vostok Ice Core Record by Importing the Devils Hole Chronology, Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 106, no D23, p. 31,853-31,862. (on-line abstract)

Winograd, I.J., 2001, The magnitude and proximate cause of ice-sheet growth since 35,000 yr B.P.: Quaternary Research, v. 56, p. 299-307. (on-line abstract)

Winograd, I.J., 2001, Interbasin groundwater flow in South Central Nevada: A further comment on the discussion between Davisson et al. (1999a, 1999b) and Thomas (1999): Water Resources Research, v. 37, no. 2, p. 431-433.

Plummer, L.N., Busenberg, E., and Riggs, A.C., 2000, In-situ growth of calcite at Devils Hole, Nevada: comparison of field and laboratory rates to a 500,000 year record of near-equilibrium calcite growth: Aquatic Geochemistry, v. 6, p. 257-274. (on-line abstract)

Hanks, T.C, Winograd, I.J., Anderson, R.E., Reilly, T.E., and Weeks, E.P., 1999, Yucca Mountain as a radioactive waste repository: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1184, 19 p. (on-line abstract or on-line circular in pdf format - 23MB)

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PROJECT, CONTACT:
Isaac J. Winograd
U.S. Geological Survey, 432 National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192
Email: ijwinogr@usgs.gov
Telephone: 703-648-5849

For information on additional projects in the National Research Program, see Indexes to NRP projects and bibliographies