Jeff Pigati
I study geologic deposits associated with springs and desert wetlands to understand how hydrologic systems in arid environments responded to past episodes of abrupt climate change. I also develop and test innovative methods and materials for radiocarbon dating.
I am also part of an international team of researchers studying ancient human footprints in White Sands National Park. The results of our investigations have shown that humans were in continental North America during the Last Glacial Maximum, between 23,000 and 21,000 years ago, which fundamentally changes our understanding of the peopling of the Americas.
Professional Experience
Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, 2007-present
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., University of Arizona. 2004
M.S., University of Arizona. 1996
B.S., Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. 1992
Science and Products
The Snowmastodon Project: A view of the Last Interglacial Period from high in the Colorado Rockies
Radiocarbon dating loess deposits in the Mississippi Valley using terrestrial gastropod shells (Polygyridae, Helicinidae, and Discidae)
A high-elevation, multi-proxy biotic and environmental record of MIS 6-4 from the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado, USA
Evidence of repeated wildfires prior to human occupation on San Nicolas Island, California
A geochronologic framework for the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado
Desert wetlands in the geologic record
The Snowmastodon Project
Radiocarbon dating of terrestrial carbonates
Geologic setting and stratigraphy of the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado
Landscapes of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California
Radiocarbon dating late Quaternary loess deposits using small terrestrial gastropod shells
An evaluation of Mesodon and other larger terrestrial gastropod shells for dating late Holocene and historic alluvium in the Midwestern USA
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
The Snowmastodon Project: A view of the Last Interglacial Period from high in the Colorado Rockies
Radiocarbon dating loess deposits in the Mississippi Valley using terrestrial gastropod shells (Polygyridae, Helicinidae, and Discidae)
A high-elevation, multi-proxy biotic and environmental record of MIS 6-4 from the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado, USA
Evidence of repeated wildfires prior to human occupation on San Nicolas Island, California
A geochronologic framework for the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado
Desert wetlands in the geologic record
The Snowmastodon Project
Radiocarbon dating of terrestrial carbonates
Geologic setting and stratigraphy of the Ziegler Reservoir fossil site, Snowmass Village, Colorado
Landscapes of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California
Radiocarbon dating late Quaternary loess deposits using small terrestrial gastropod shells
An evaluation of Mesodon and other larger terrestrial gastropod shells for dating late Holocene and historic alluvium in the Midwestern USA
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.