Breadcrumb
Lab phone: 303 492-5495
Other phone: 303 249-2698
Bio
Carbon cycle; paleoclimate records in ice cores; atmosphere-ice sheet interactions; water vapor isotopes in the atmosphere.
Bruce manages the INSTAAR Stable Isotope lab and uses stable isotopes to study biogeochemical processes that control environmental change on human timescales. The lab collaborates with the NOAA Global Monitoring Division and measures stable isotopes of bi-weekly atmospheric trace gas samples from over 50 sites, adding to a 20+ year global database. The lab also creates extremely high-resolution paleoclimate records from stable isotopes of polar ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica. With a fleet of 8 mass spectrometers and a growing number of laser-based spectroscopy instruments, the lab continues to pioneer new methods and techniques using stable isotopes for a variety of applications.
Jim White and Bruce Vaughn began the Stable Isotope Lab at INSTAAR in 1989 with 2 mass spectrometers, focusing on ice cores and developing methods for measuring isotopes in atmospheric CO2. The lab has now grown to include multiple instruments and multiple projects. Bruce manages the lab with its current staff of five, plus graduate students, and collaborates with many researchers on a variety of projects. Prior to INSTAAR, Bruce was with the Water Resources Division of the USGS, Project office Glaciology. His passion for Earth science has always included an important role for field work. Sites over the years have included Greenland, Antarctica, Ecuador, Alaska, the Central Pacific islands, Grand Canyon, and the North Cascades.
Current efforts include a pioneering effort into the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's, or drones) for making measurements of atmospheric water vapor and stable isotopes. The findings will inform a better understanding of ice sheet-atmosphere interactions and implications for quantifying direct sublimation, which impact surface mass balance, and by extension, sea level rise. This deeper understanding of water vapor and post-depositional changes in isotopes of surface snow will also further illuminate our interpretation of isotopic signatures in ice cores.
Education
- MS: University of Colorado, 1994
Research
In addition to carbon cycle relevant measurements of atmospheric greenhouse gases, my field research is closely linked to the laboratory analysis of stable isotopes in ice cores from polar regions. More recently we have been investigating the role of water vapor isotopes in the atmosphere above the Greenland Ice Sheet. This is important because not only does the atmosphere transfer climate information to the ice sheet via precipitation that eventually makes up the ice core record, but the ice sheet exchanges water vapor with the atmosphere between snow storms, and possibly during them.
To do this we have employed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's) or drones to collect air samples that we analyze. In 2018 we deployed a multi-rotor drone to prove the concept of remote sampling capability to ~500 meters above the ice sheet at the EGRIP Ice Core site in NE Greenland. In 2019 we used a fixed wing (3 meter wing span) UAV to collect samples 1,500 meters above the ice sheet, well into the planetary boundary layer. Results from these studies will deepen our understanding of the ice core record as well as shed light on direct sublimation of the ice sheet and the surface mass balance of Greenland.
Publications
For additional publications, see Bruce's ResearchID profile.
Stable isotope measurements confirm volatile organic compound oxidation as a ; major urban summertime source of carbon monoxide in Indianapolis, USA
Vimont IJ; Turnbull JC; Petrenko VV; Place PF; Sweeney C; Miles N; Richardson S; Vaughn BH; White JWC...
- Vimont IJ
- Turnbull JC
- Petrenko VV
- Place PF
- Sweeney C
- Miles N
- Richardson S
- Vaughn BH
- White JWC
Type: Journal Article
Interlaboratory comparison of δ13C and δD measurements of atmospheric CH4 for combined use of data sets from different laboratories
Umezawa T; Brenninkmeijer CAM; Rockmann T; van der Veen C; Tyler SC; Fujita R; Morimoto S; Aoki S; Sowers T; Schmitt J...
- Umezawa T
- Brenninkmeijer CAM
- Rockmann T
- van der Veen C
- Tyler SC
- Fujita R
- Morimoto S
- Aoki S
- Sowers T
- Schmitt J
Publication Date: 2018-03-02
Type: Journal Article
The CarbonTracker Data Assimilation System for CO2 and delta C-13 (CTDAS-C13 v1.0): retrieving information on land-atmosphere exchange processes
Publication Date: 2018-01-22
Type: Journal Article
Compiled records of carbon isotopes in atmospheric CO2 for historical simulations in CMIP6
Graven H; Allison CE; Etheridge DM; Hammer S; Keeling RF; Levin I; Meijer HAJ; Rubino M; Tans PP; Trudinger CM...
- Graven H
- Allison CE
- Etheridge DM
- Hammer S
- Keeling RF
- Levin I
- Meijer HAJ
- Rubino M
- Tans PP
- Trudinger CM
Publication Date: 2017-12-05
Type: Journal Article
Carbon monoxide isotopic measurements in Indianapolis constrain urban source isotopic signatures and support mobile fossil fuel emissions as the dominant wintertime CO source
Vimont IJ; Turnbull JC; Petrenko VV; Place PF; Karion A; Miles NL; Richardson SJ; Gurney K; Patarasuk R; Sweeney C...
- Vimont IJ
- Turnbull JC
- Petrenko VV
- Place PF
- Karion A
- Miles NL
- Richardson SJ
- Gurney K
- Patarasuk R
- Sweeney C
Publication Date: 2017-11-07
Type: Journal Article
Envisioning and Sustaining Science at Summit Station, Greenland
Publication Date: 2017-09-18
Type: Conference Proceeding
Does vapor pressure deficit drive the seasonality of delta C-13 of the net land-atmosphere CO2 exchange across the United States?
Raczka B; Biraud SC; Ehleringer JR; Lai C-T; Miller JB; Pataki DE; Saleska SR; Torn MS; Vaughn BH; Wehr R...
- Raczka B
- Biraud SC
- Ehleringer JR
- Lai C-T
- Miller JB
- Pataki DE
- Saleska SR
- Torn MS
- Vaughn BH
- Wehr R
Publication Date: 2017-08-01
Type: Journal Article
Supplementary material to "A multi-species data assimilation system to retrieve information on land-atmosphere exchange processes"
Type: Journal Article
A multi-species data assimilation system to retrieve information on land-atmosphere exchange processes
Type: Journal Article
Upward revision of global fossil fuel methane emissions based on isotope database (vol 538, pg 88, 2016)
Schwietzke S; Sherwood OA; Bruhwiler LMP; Miller JB; Etiope G; Dlugokencky EJ; Michel SE; Arling VA; Vaughn BH; White JW...
- Schwietzke S
- Sherwood OA
- Bruhwiler LMP
- Miller JB
- Etiope G
- Dlugokencky EJ
- Michel SE
- Arling VA
- Vaughn BH
- White JWC
Publication Date: 2017-03-16
Type: Journal Article
Improved methodologies for continuous-flow analysis of stable water isotopes in ice cores
Publication Date: 2017-02-27
Type: Journal Article
Improved Methodologies for Continuous Flow Analysis of Stable; Water Isotopes in Ice Cores
Type: Journal Article
Using δ<sup>13</sup>C-CH<sub>4</sub> and δD-CH<sub>4</sub> to constrain Arctic methane emissions
Warwick NJ; Cain ML; Fisher R; France JL; Lowry D; Michel SE; Nisbet EG; Vaughn BH; White JWC; Pyle JA...
- Warwick NJ
- Cain ML
- Fisher R
- France JL
- Lowry D
- Michel SE
- Nisbet EG
- Vaughn BH
- White JWC
- Pyle JA
Type: Journal Article
Supplementary material to "Using δ<sup>13</sup>C-CH<sub>4</sub> and δD-CH<sub>4</sub> to constrain Arctic methane emissions"
Warwick NJ; Cain ML; Fisher R; France JL; Lowry D; Michel SE; Nisbet EG; Vaughn BH; White JWC; Pyle JA...
- Warwick NJ
- Cain ML
- Fisher R
- France JL
- Lowry D
- Michel SE
- Nisbet EG
- Vaughn BH
- White JWC
- Pyle JA
Type: Journal Article
Background variations of atmospheric CO2 and carbon-stable isotopes at Waliguan and Shangdianzi stations in China
Publication Date: 2014-05-19
Type: Journal Article
Ecological processes dominate the C-13 land disequilibrium in a Rocky Mountain subalpine forest
Publication Date: 2014-04-01
Type: Journal Article
Core handling and processing for the WAIS Divide ice-core project
Souney JM; Twickler MS; Hargreaves GM; Bencivengo BM; Kippenhan MJ; Johnson JA; Cravens ED; Neff PD; Nunn RM; Orsi AJ...
- Souney JM
- Twickler MS
- Hargreaves GM
- Bencivengo BM
- Kippenhan MJ
- Johnson JA
- Cravens ED
- Neff PD
- Nunn RM
- Orsi AJ
Publication Date: 2014-01-01
Type: Journal Article
No inter-hemispheric delta(CH4)-C-13 trend observed
Publication Date: 2012-06-28
Type: Journal Article
Interpreting methane variations in the past two decades using measurements of CH4 mixing ratio and isotopic composition
Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Monthly precipitation isoscapes (δ18O) of the United States: Connections with surface temperatures, moisture source conditions, and air mass trajectories
Publication Date: 2010-11-12
Type: Journal Article
Moisture source temperatures and precipitation δ18O-temperature relationships across the United States
Publication Date: 2010-07-20
Type: Journal Article
Global Network Measurements of Atmospheric Trace Gas Isotopes
Type: Chapter
Demonstration of high-precision continuous measurements of water vapor isotopologues in laboratory and remote field deployments using wavelength-scanned cavity ring-down spectroscopy (WS-CRDS) technology
Publication Date: 2009-08-01
Type: Journal Article
A new laser-based, field-deployable analyzer for laboratory-class stable isotope measurements in water
Publication Date: 2009-06-01
Type: Journal Article
Isoscapes to Address Large‐Scale Earth Science Challenges
Bowen GJ; West JB; Vaughn BH; Dawson TE; Ehleringer JR; Fogel ML; Hobson K; Hoogewerff J; Kendall C; Lai C...
- Bowen GJ
- West JB
- Vaughn BH
- Dawson TE
- Ehleringer JR
- Fogel ML
- Hobson K
- Hoogewerff J
- Kendall C
- Lai C
Publication Date: 2009-03-31
Type: Journal Article
Pages
Outreach
Faces of the Front Range: Scientists Bruce Vaughn and Bradley Markle look to save the world by understanding it. Story in the Denver Post about the work of the Stable Isotope Lab.
Bruce Vaughn, who runs our Stable Isotope Lab at INSTAAR, is also a volunteer firefighter with the Four Mile Fire Protection District. Twitter takeover from October 23, 2020.