A5048386190- Mercury impact and mitigation studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Heavy metals in environment
- Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Climate change and permafrost
- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Petroleum Processing and Analysis
- Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis
- Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis
- Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Smart Materials for Construction
- Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond
- Mining and Resource Management
- Latin American history and culture
- Environmental Justice and Health Disparities
- Coal and Its By-products
- Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies
- Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping
- Diatoms and Algae Research
- Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts
University of Alberta
2016-2025
Government of Alberta
2015-2025
Alberta Environment and Protected Areas
2016-2021
University of Pittsburgh
2007-2016
Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
2015-2016
Yale University
2011-2015
Planetary Science Institute
2014
The University of Sydney
2010
Queen's University
2010
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
2010
We present unambiguous records of preindustrial atmospheric mercury (Hg) pollution, derived from lake-sediment cores collected near Huancavelica, Peru, the largest Hg deposit in New World. Intensive mining first began ca. 1400 BC, predating emergence complex Andean societies, and signifying that region served as a locus for early extraction. The earliest targeted cinnabar (HgS) production vermillion. Pre-Colonial burdens peak 500 BC 1450 AD, corresponding to heights Chavín Inca states,...
Human activities over the last several centuries have transferred vast quantities of mercury (Hg) from deep geologic stores to actively cycling earth-surface reservoirs, increasing atmospheric Hg deposition worldwide. Understanding magnitude and fate these releases is critical predicting how rates will respond future emission reductions. The most recently compiled global inventories integrated (all-time) anthropogenic are dominated by emissions preindustrial gold/silver mining in Americas....
Both cinnabar (HgS) and metallic mercury (Hg0) were important resources throughout Andean prehistory. Cinnabar was used for millennia to make vermillion, a red pigment that highly valued in pre-Hispanic Peru; Hg0 has been since the mid-16th century conduct amalgamation, an efficient process of extracting precious metals from ores. However, little is known about which deposits exploited by cultures, environmental consequences Hg mining amalgamation remain enigmatic. Here we use isotopes...
Air temperatures in the tropical Andes have risen at an accelerated rate relative to global average over recent decades. However, effects of climate change on Andean lakes, which are vital sustaining regional biodiversity and serve as important water resource local populations, remain largely unknown. Here, we show that changes forced alpine lakes equatorial towards new ecological physical states, close synchrony rapid shrinkage glaciers regionally. Using dated sediment cores from three...
The mining and processing of the Athabasca oil sands (Alberta, Canada) has been occurring for decades; however, a lack consistent regional monitoring obscured long-term environmental impact. Here, we present sediment core results to reconstruct spatial temporal patterns in trace element deposition lakes region. Early operations (during 1970s 1980s) led elevated V Pb inputs located <50 km from operations. Subsequent improvements upgrading technologies since 1980s have reduced loading near...
Mountaintop removal coal mining leaves a legacy of disturbed landscapes and abandoned infrastructure with clear impacts on water resources; however, the intensity persistence this pollution remains poorly characterized. Here we examined downstream over century in Crowsnest Pass (Alberta, Canada). Water samples were collected two historical mines: Tent Mountain Grassy Mountain. hosts partially reclaimed surface mine that closed 1983. Selenium concentrations reached 185 μg/L lake below spoil...
The Arctic is currently undergoing dramatic environmental transformations, but it remains largely unknown how these changes compare with long-term natural variability. Here we present a lake sediment sequence from the Canadian that records warm periods of past 200,000 years, including 20th century. This record provides perspective on recent in and predates by approximately 80,000 years oldest stratigraphically intact ice core recovered Greenland Ice Sheet. early Holocene warmest part Last...
Significance An exceptionally detailed ice core from the high-altitude location of Quelccaya (Peru) contains compelling evidence that well-known metallurgic activities performed during Inca Empire (A.D. 1438−1532) had a negligible impact on South American atmosphere. In contrast, atmospheric emissions variety toxic trace elements in America started to have widespread environmental around A.D. 1540, ∼240 y before industrial revolution when colonial metallurgy began pollute Andean 20th century...
The extraction and upgrading of bitumen have been identified as sources enhanced atmospheric deposition pollutant elements to ecosystems in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) northern Alberta, Canada. Bitumen became increasingly efficient, oil prices surged 1990s, resulting rapid expansion increased production over last two decades. Here, we examine temporal spatial trends wintertime 1978, 1981, 2008, 2011–2016 at broad scales using snowpack measurements. A hybrid source analysis was...
Large-scale open-pit bitumen mining operations in Alberta, Canada, have raised concerns about contaminant releases to downstream ecosystems and communities. Among the contaminants of concern are polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), a toxic group organic pollutants prevalent at high concentrations bitumen. Here, we quantify PAC concentrations, loads, yields four rivers draining watersheds impacted by mining. These also actively erode incise bitumen-bearing McMurray Formation, which has...
Although arctic lakes rank among the most pristine ecosystems remaining on Earth, widespread paleoecological analyses have revealed rapid recent changes in lake ecology that largely surpass Holocene natural variability and are generally attributed to climate warming since end of Little Ice Age. However, possibility is only one dimension these unprecedented ecological shifts remains an untested possibility, especially given current may not yet exceed maximum, naturally mediated, postglacial...
Freshwaters in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) are vulnerable to atmospheric emissions and land disturbances caused by local oil sands industry; however, they also affected climate change. Recent observations of increases aquatic primary production near main development area have prompted questions about principal drivers these limnological changes. Is enhanced due deposition nutrients (nitrogen phosphorus) from industry or recent climatic changes? Here, we use downcore,...
Bitumen mining and upgrading in northeastern Alberta, Canada, releases toxic pollutants into the atmosphere, including mercury (Hg) methylmercury (MeHg). This Hg MeHg is then deposited to surrounding landscape; however, fate of these contaminants remains unknown. Here, we compare snowpack chemistry high-frequency measurements river water quality across six watersheds (five impacted by oil sands development one unimpacted). Catchment scale loads normalized watershed area were highest near...
Abstract Chlorophyll is frequently used as a proxy for autochthonous production in lakes. This use of chlorophyll concentrations sediments to infer historical changes lake primary relies heavily on the assumption that preservation sufficient reflect productivity meaningful way. In this study, we series freeze cores from with annually laminated assess how reliable down-core trends are, and what extent degraded sediment. A striking consistency four sediment collected different years (1983,...
Uncertainty about the influence of anthropogenic radiative forcing on position and strength convective rainfall in Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) inhibits our ability to project future tropical hydroclimate change a warmer world. Paleoclimatic modeling data inform timescales mechanisms ITCZ variability; yet comprehensive, long-term perspective remains elusive. Here, we quantify evolution neotropical over preindustrial past millennium (850 1850 CE) using synthesis 48 paleo-records,...
The analysis of lead (Pb) in lake-sediment cores is a useful method to reconstruct local histories Pb pollution. Here, we use concentration profiles from lake sediments trajectories pre-Colonial smelting three metallurgical centres the South American Andes: Morococha mining district, Peru; Bolivian Altiplano around Lake Titicaca; and silver-mining centre Potosí, Bolivia. earliest evidence for enrichment on beginning ~AD 400, coincident with rise pre-Incan Tiwanaku Wari Empires. Coeval...
To date, information concerning pre-Colonial metallurgy in South America has largely been limited to the archaeological record of artifacts. Here, we reconstruct a millennium smelting activity Peruvian Andes using lake-sediment stratigraphy atmospherically derived metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ag, Sb, Bi, and Ti) lead isotopic ratios (206Pb/ 207Pb) associated with from Morococha mining region central Andes. The earliest evidence for occurs ca. 1000 A.D., coinciding fall Wari Empire decentralization...