Research in IPL focuses on using isotopologue* distributions, mostly involving carbon or oxygen, to understand Earth system processes. Much of our current research revolves around measurements of clumped isotope distributions in carbonates and triple oxygen isotope distributions in waters and common Earth surface materials (e.g. carbonates, bioapatites). Ongoing projects include studies of paleoclimate in the Western United States, eastern Africa, the Peruvian Andes and anywhere else with good problems that we can tackle. 

*What are isotopologues? They’re molecules that differ from each other in their distribution of isotopes.

The best way to get a sense for our current research activity is to check out the abstracts of presentations by members of our group and/or with data from the lab – see below for listing and links.

For published papers check out the IPL Publications or the pages of IPL group members.

For sporadic updates on IPL activities, check out the lab instagram and twitter accounts.

IPL Presentations 
IPL members highlighted in bold

2023

Hong J, Huth ET, Parmenter D, Edwards RL, Katz SA, Levin NE, Wang X, Auler AS, Cruz FW, Passey BH. Dual clumped and triple oxygen isotope measurements of speleothems from Paraíso Cave, Eastern Amazon lowlands, and their bearing on interpretations of existing δ¹⁸O records. American Geophysical Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, December 11-15, 2023. PDF of abstract.

Mengesha MA, Bedaso ZK, Beverly EJ, Cerling TE, Henkes G, Quade J, Rogers MJ, Saslaw M, Semaw S, Levin NE. Assessing water stress using triple oxygen isotopes in soil carbonates in the Awash and Turkana regions of eastern Africa during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylviania, October 15-18, 2023. PDF of abstract. http://sites.lsa.umich.edu/isopaleolab/wp-content/uploads/sites/794/2023/12/Mengeshaal2023_GSA_Abstract_D17O_SoilCarbTurkanaAwash.pdf

Katz SA, Levin NE, Abbott M, Rodbell D, Passey BH. Large swings in tropical water balance during a ‘weak’ interglacial (MIS 1) suggest a link to precession-induced monsoon variability. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylviania, October 15-18, 2023. PDF of abstract. http://sites.lsa.umich.edu/isopaleolab/wp-content/uploads/sites/794/2023/12/Katzal2023_GSA_Abstract_JuninMIS15.pdf

Kelson JR,  Huth TE, Levin NE, Cerling TE, Bartleson M, Salinas M. The origin and dynamics of soil inorganic carbon in galcial drift in southern Michigan, USA. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylviania, October 15-18, 2023. PDF of abstract. http://sites.lsa.umich.edu/isopaleolab/wp-content/uploads/sites/794/2023/12/Kelsonal2023_GSA_Abstract_ESGRsoil_carb.pdf

2022

Ellis NE, Passey B, High-precision triple oxygen isotope analysis of diverse materials using high temperature conversion–methanation–fluorination isotope ratio mass spectrometry, Session V35A American Geophysical Fall Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, December 12-16, 2022. PDF of abstract

Kelson JR,  Levin NE,  Amundson R, Andrews K, Bartleson M, Finney B, Gardea M,  Gutiérrez-Jurado H.A., Huber D, Jin L, LaCoursiere K, Leach C, Lohse KA,  Maurer G, Monger HC,  Pierce JL, Seyfried MS,  Robbins S, Thompson D. Triple Oxygen Isotopes of Pedogenic Carbonates Reveal the Varied Role of Evaporation in Western US Drylands. Session H12R American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, 12-16 Dec 2022. PDF of abstract

2021

Huth T, Liang Y, Parmenter D, Passey B, Edwards RL, Li X, Zhao K, Wang Y, Kong X, Wang X, Cruz FW, Auler AS, Triple oxygen isotopes of speleothems in the Amazon and southern China provide independent support for prior δ¹⁸O-based interpretations, Session PP15B-0917 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 13-17, 2021. PDF of abstract.

Langston J, Levin N, Bedaso Z, Quade J, Haile-Selassie Y, Rogers M, Saylor B, Semaw S, Carbonate paragenesis in the Afar rift system, Ethiopia: insights from clumped isotope thermometry, Session PP31A-06 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 13-17, 2021. link to talk, PDF of abstract.

Katz S, Levin N, DeLuca N, Passey B, Rodbell D, Abbott M. Holocene Temperature and water budget records from the tropical-latitude Andes (11°S) using clumped isotope (Δ₄₇) and triple oxygen isotope (Δ′¹⁷O) measurements of Lake Carbonates from Lake Junín and Laguna Pumacocha, Peru, GC55C-0430 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, virtual, December 13-17, 2021. PDF of abstract.

Passey BH, Packard NR, Kelson JR, Sheldon N, Niemi N, Rhodes RL, Hyland EG, Carroll A, Triple oxygen isotope paleohydrology of early Eocene Paleolake Gosiute (Wyoming, USA). Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, virtual, October 2021. PDF of abstract.

Kelson J, Huth T, Passey B, Levin N, Using Triple Oxygen Isotopes of Pedogenic Carbonate to Identify Ancient Evaporation: First Steps from Modern Soils, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-1311, link to abstract, PDF of abstract.

2020

Huth TE, Passey BH, Cole JE, Lachniet MS, Levin NE, Using triple oxygen isotopes to constrain speleothem paleorecord interpretation in western USA cave systems.  Session PP048, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (Virtual), December 1–17, 2020.  link to talk, PDF of abstract.

Kelson J, Petersen SV, Niemi NA, Passey B, Deltas in an estuary: clumped and triple oxygen isotope analyses reveal isotopically depleted headwaters in the early Eocene of Southern CA.  Session PP024, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (Virtual), December 1–17, 2020. link to talk, PDF of abstract.

Katz SA, Levin NE, Rodbell DT, Gillikin DP, Passey B, Reconstructing precipitation δ¹⁸O from lacustrine carbonates using δ¹⁸O, Δ₄₇, and Δ’¹⁷O: a modern case study from Junin, Peru, with implications for paleoclimate.  Session PP048, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (Virtual), December 1–17, 2020.  link to talk, PDF of abstract

Levin NE, Saylor BZ, Gibert L, Deino A, Alene, M, Melillo SM, Peaple MD, Feakins SJ, Bourel B, Barboni D, Novello A, Sylvestre F, Mertzman SA, Haile-Selassie Y, A wet basin during dry times: a new Pliocene lake record from the Afar region, Ethiopia. Session PP025-01, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (Virtual), December 1–17, 2020 . link to talk on AGU site, PDF of abstract,  video of the recorded talk.

Beverly EJ, Levin NE, Passey BH, Aron PG, Page M, Yarian D, Pelletier E, A new proxy for regional paleo‑aridity using clumped and triple oxygen isotopes of modern soil carbonates from the Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania. Session T59, Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of American (GSA Connects Online), 26–30 October, 2020. PDF of abstract

Huth T, Passey B, Cole J, Levin N, Triple Oxygen Isotopes in Speleothems: A Case Study from Cave of the Bells, AZ, USA.  Session 14d, Goldschmidt Annual Meeting (Virtual), 21–26 June, 2020.

Kelson J, Huth T, Levin N & Passey B, Fingerprinting Soil Water Evaporation with Triple Oxygen Isotopes of Pedogenic Carbonates. Session 14d, Goldschmidt Annual Meeting (Virtual), 21–26 June, 2020. link to virtual presentation

2019

Packard NR, Passey BH,  Triple oxygen isotope signatures of evaporation at Bear Lake, Utah, since the Last Glacial Maximum.  American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, December 9 – 13, 2019. link to AGU listing, PDF of abstract

Aron PG, Poulsen CJ, Levin NE, Winkelstern IZ, Beverly EJ, Yarian DA. Variability of Triple Oxygen Isotopes in Meteoric Waters. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, December 9–13, 2019. link to AGU listing, PDF of abstract
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Levin NE, Beverly EJ, Katz SA, Passey BH, Pelletier EM, Poulsen CJ, Quade J, Rech JA. Triple oxygen isotopes, aridity and uplift: a case study from the Atacama. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA USA, December 2019. link to AGU listing, PDF of abstract

2018

Aron PG, Poulsen CJ, Levin NE, Winkelstern IZ. Triple oxygen isotopes in Central Andean Precipitation. Session PP21F, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 1–14, 2018. link to abstract, PDF of abstract.

*Brenner DC, Viete DR, Passey BH, Reaction kinetics in the Alta Stock contact metamorphic aurole, Utah: Insights from carbonate clumped isotope geothermometry.  American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, Washington, D.C., USA, December 10-14, 2018.
*Dana was a PhD student with Ben at Hopkins and finished some her analyses for this work in IPL at UM.

Beverly EJ, Levin NE, Passey BH, Winkelstern IZ. Reconstructing aridity and evaporation in East Africa using triple oxygen isotopes in soil carbonates. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN USA, November 2018.

Beverly E, Levin NE, Passey BH, Quade J, Oxygen isotope variation in pedogenic carbonates and the potential to constrain paleoaridity. Goldschmidt Annual Meeting, Boston, 12–17 August, 2018.

Winkelstern I and Passey BH, Variability in  Δ¹⁷O, δ¹⁸O, and δD across six hydrologically diverse lake systems. Goldschmidt Annual Meeting, Boston, 12–17 August, 2018.