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.
Technical note: Lessons from and best practices for the deployment of the SoilWater Isotope Storage System
Publication Date: 2023-08-10
Type: Journal Article
Invaluable insights into the dynamics and water-vapor isotopes of the planetary boundary layer above the Greenland Ice Sheet from fixed-wing uncrewed aircraft samplings.
Dietrich L; Rozmiarek K; Jones T; Morris V; Brashear C; Bennett H; Vaughn B; Town M; Werner M; Fettweis X...
- Dietrich L
- Rozmiarek K
- Jones T
- Morris V
- Brashear C
- Bennett H
- Vaughn B
- Town M
- Werner M
- Fettweis X
Type: Journal Article
Seasonal temperatures in West Antarctica during the Holocene
Jones TR; Cuffey KM; Roberts WHG; Markle BR; Steig EJ; Stevens CM; Valdes PJ; Fudge TJ; Sigl M; Hughes AG...
- Jones TR
- Cuffey KM
- Roberts WHG
- Markle BR
- Steig EJ
- Stevens CM
- Valdes PJ
- Fudge TJ
- Sigl M
- Hughes AG
Publication Date: 2023-01-12
Type: Journal Article
Lessons from and best practices for the deployment of the Soil Water Isotope Storage System
Type: Journal Article
Supplementary material to "Lessons from and best practices for the deployment of the Soil Water Isotope Storage System"
Type: Journal Article
Variational inverse modeling within the Community Inversion Framework v1.1 to assimilate delta C-13(CH4) and CH4: a case study with model LMDz-SACS
Publication Date: 2022-06-27
Type: Journal Article
An unmanned aerial vehicle sampling platform for atmospheric water vapor isotopes in polar environments
Rozmiarek KS; Vaughn BH; Jones TR; Morris V; Skorski WB; Hughes AG; Elston J; Wahl S; Faber A-K; Steen-Larsen HC...
- Rozmiarek KS
- Vaughn BH
- Jones TR
- Morris V
- Skorski WB
- Hughes AG
- Elston J
- Wahl S
- Faber A-K
- Steen-Larsen HC
Publication Date: 2021-11-11
Type: Journal Article
Reconstruction of Temperature, Accumulation Rate, and Layer Thinning From an Ice Core at South Pole, Using a Statistical Inverse Method
Kahle EC; Steig EJ; Jones TR; Fudge TJ; Koutnik MR; Morris VA; Vaughn BH; Schauer AJ; Stevens CM; Conway H...
- Kahle EC
- Steig EJ
- Jones TR
- Fudge TJ
- Koutnik MR
- Morris VA
- Vaughn BH
- Schauer AJ
- Stevens CM
- Conway H
Publication Date: 2021-07-08
Type: Journal Article
Reconstruction of temperature, accumulation rate, and layer thinning from an ice core at South Pole using a statistical inverse method
Kahle EC; Steig EJ; Jones TR; Fudge TJ; Koutnik MR; Morris V; Vaughn B; Schauer A; Stevens CM; Conway H...
- Kahle EC
- Steig EJ
- Jones TR
- Fudge TJ
- Koutnik MR
- Morris V
- Vaughn B
- Schauer A
- Stevens CM
- Conway H
Type: Journal Article
Reconstruction of temperature, accumulation rate, and layer thinning from an ice core at South Pole using a statistical inverse method
Kahle EC; Steig EJ; Jones TR; Fudge TJ; Koutnik MR; Morris V; Vaughn B; Schauer A; Stevens CM; Conway H...
- Kahle EC
- Steig EJ
- Jones TR
- Fudge TJ
- Koutnik MR
- Morris V
- Vaughn B
- Schauer A
- Stevens CM
- Conway H
Type: Journal Article
Improved Constraints on Global Methane Emissions and Sinks Using δ13C-CH4
Lan X; Basu S; Schwietzke S; Bruhwiler LMP; Dlugokencky EJ; Michel SE; Sherwood OA; Tans PP; Thoning K; Etiope G...
- Lan X
- Basu S
- Schwietzke S
- Bruhwiler LMP
- Dlugokencky EJ
- Michel SE
- Sherwood OA
- Tans PP
- Thoning K
- Etiope G
Publication Date: 2021-06-01
Type: Journal Article
Variational inverse modelling within the Community Inversion Framework to assimilate δ<sup>13</sup>C(CH<sub>4</sub>) and CH<sub>4</sub>: a case study with model LMDz-SACS
Type: Journal Article
Supplementary material to "Variational inverse modelling within the Community Inversion Framework to assimilate δ<sup>13</sup>C(CH<sub>4</sub>) and CH<sub>4</sub>: a case study with model LMDz-SACS"
Type: Journal Article
A 120,000-year long climate record from a NW-Greenland deep ice core at ultra-high resolution
Gkinis V; Vinther BM; Popp TJ; Quistgaard T; Faber A-K; Holme CT; Jensen C-M; Lanzky M; Luett A-M; Mandrakis V...
- Gkinis V
- Vinther BM
- Popp TJ
- Quistgaard T
- Faber A-K
- Holme CT
- Jensen C-M
- Lanzky M
- Luett A-M
- Mandrakis V
Publication Date: 2021-05-26
Type: Journal Article
An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Sampling Platform for Atmospheric Water Vapor Isotopes in Polar Environments
Rozmiarek KS; Vaughn BH; Jones TR; Morris V; Skorski WB; Hughes AG; Elston J; Wahl S; Faber A-K; Steen-Larsen HC...
- Rozmiarek KS
- Vaughn BH
- Jones TR
- Morris V
- Skorski WB
- Hughes AG
- Elston J
- Wahl S
- Faber A-K
- Steen-Larsen HC
Type: Journal Article
The anatomy of past abrupt warmings recorded in Greenland ice
Capron E; Rasmussen SO; Popp TJ; Erhardt T; Fischer H; Landais A; Pedro JB; Vettoretti G; Grinsted A; Gkinis V...
- Capron E
- Rasmussen SO
- Popp TJ
- Erhardt T
- Fischer H
- Landais A
- Pedro JB
- Vettoretti G
- Grinsted A
- Gkinis V
Publication Date: 2021-04-08
Type: Journal Article
Continuous-Flow Analysis of δ 17O, δ 18O, and δD of H2O on an Ice Core from the South Pole
Publication Date: 2021-03-24
Type: Journal Article
Post-depositional processes visible in the integration of EGRIP high-resolution water isotope record and visual stratigraphy
Morris V; Westhoff J; Vaughn B; Weikusat I; Jones T; Markle B; Hughes A; Skorski W; Brashear C; Gkinis V...
- Morris V
- Westhoff J
- Vaughn B
- Weikusat I
- Jones T
- Markle B
- Hughes A
- Skorski W
- Brashear C
- Gkinis V
Type: Journal Article
High-frequency climate variability in the Holocene from a coastal-dome ice core in east-central Greenland
Hughes AG; Jones TR; Vinther BM; Gkinis V; Stevens CM; Morris V; Vaughn BH; Holme C; Markle BR; White JWC...
- Hughes AG
- Jones TR
- Vinther BM
- Gkinis V
- Stevens CM
- Morris V
- Vaughn BH
- Holme C
- Markle BR
- White JWC
Publication Date: 2020-07-31
Type: Journal Article
The Soil Water Isotope Storage System (SWISS): An integrated soil water vapor sampling and multiport storage system for stable isotope geochemistry
Publication Date: 2020-06-30
Type: Journal Article
Reconstruction of temperature, accumulation rate, and layer thinning from an ice core at South Pole using a statistical inverse method
Kahle EC; Steig EJ; Jones TR; Fudge TJ; Koutnik MR; Morris V; Vaughn B; Schauer A; Stevens CM; Conway H...
- Kahle EC
- Steig EJ
- Jones TR
- Fudge TJ
- Koutnik MR
- Morris V
- Vaughn B
- Schauer A
- Stevens CM
- Conway H
Type: Journal Article
High-frequency climate oscillations in the Holocene from a coastal-dome ice core in east central Greenland
Hughes AG; Jones TR; Vinther BM; Gkinis V; Stevens CM; Morris V; Vaughn BH; Holme C; Markle BR; White JWC...
- Hughes AG
- Jones TR
- Vinther BM
- Gkinis V
- Stevens CM
- Morris V
- Vaughn BH
- Holme C
- Markle BR
- White JWC
Type: Journal Article
Investigating large methane enhancements in the US San Juan Basin
Petron G; Miller B; Vaughn B; Thorley E; Kofler J; Mielke-Maday I; Sherwood O; Dlugokencky E; Hall B; Schwietzke S...
- Petron G
- Miller B
- Vaughn B
- Thorley E
- Kofler J
- Mielke-Maday I
- Sherwood O
- Dlugokencky E
- Hall B
- Schwietzke S
Publication Date: 2020-01-01
Type: Journal Article
An improved estimate for the δ13C and δ18O signatures of carbon monoxide produced from atmospheric oxidation of volatile organic compounds
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
Publication Date: 2019-07-05
Type: Journal Article
Enhanced North American carbon uptake associated with El Nino
Hu L; Andrews AE; Thoning KW; Sweeney C; Miller JB; Michalak AM; Dlugokencky E; Tans PP; Shiga YP; Mountain M...
- Hu L
- Andrews AE
- Thoning KW
- Sweeney C
- Miller JB
- Michalak AM
- Dlugokencky E
- Tans PP
- Shiga YP
- Mountain M
Publication Date: 2019-06-01
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.