Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Earth and Environmental Sciences
61 Route 9W - PO Box 1000
Fields of interest:
Isotope Geology
The Earth is a dynamic planet. Throughout its four and a half billion year history, magmas generated in the mantle have created the crust, which in turn has been mixed back into the mantle by subduction. The decay of radioactive elements in rocks imparts fingerprints that we use to understand how these processes work, and to determine the timing of events.
These fingerprints are among the most versatile geological tracers. Their applicability extends across the spectrum of the Earth sciences and is limited only by our creativity and imagination. Among the most exciting aspects of isotope geochemistry is that we are neither "hard-" nor "soft" rockers, neither "Quaternary-" nor "Archean" geologists.
At Lamont, we are using isotopic tracers in studies ranging from deep Earth processes and evolution to Quaternary climate change. Our igneous studies include the history of continental growth as well magma formation processes at ocean ridges, ocean islands, and island arcs. Low-temperature studies include tracing element fluxes in the present-day oceans and through time, and quantifying the timing of climate change through dating of sediments only thousands of years old. The next decade promises to be the most exciting yet as new analytical techniques will extend our arsenal of isotopic tracers.
I found Lamont to be an amazingly exciting place to be a Ph.D. student, and this is why I returned as a faculty member when the opportunity arose. Its combination of great intellectual breadth and range of resources and friendliness make a great environment for research and education.
Currently Funded Projects ( )
Education List of degrees from highest to lowest:
Honors & Awards:
Excellence in Teaching Award (!), Grad. Student Council, Dept. Earth & Env. Sci. 2005
Fellow of the American Geophysical Union 2009
Distinguished Columbia Faculty Award 2010
Educational Activities:
Congratulations to Alex Piotrowski and Bill Thompson for Student Poster Awards at the International Conference of Paleoceanography (ICP8), Biarritz, Sept. 2004
Congratulations to Kyla Simons for Honorable Mention for the 2004 Margins Prize at Fall 2004 AGU
Congratulations to Anna Cipriani for the Student Research Award at the 2006 Polar Ridges Meeting in Sestri Levante, Italy
Congratulations to Laura Mori, a visiting student from UNAM (Mexico), for an Outstanding Student Paper Award at the Spring 2007 AGU Meeting
Referenced in the Following News Items:
Featured in the Following Videos:
Selected Publications:
Evidence for iceberg armadas from East Antarctica in the Southern Ocean during the late Miocene and early Pliocene ,
Williams, T; van de Flierdt, T; Hemming, SR; Chung, E; Roy, M; Goldstein, SL , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 290, p.351-361, (2010)
Contrasting compositions of Saharan dust in the eastern Atlantic Ocean during the last deglaciation and African Humid Period ,
Cole, J. M.; Goldstein, S. L.; deMenocal, P. B.; Hemming, S. R.; Grousset, F. E. , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 278, Issue 3-4, p.257-266, (2009), doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.12.011
Mid-ocean-ridge basalt of Indian type in the northwest Pacific Ocean basin ,
Straub, S. M.; Goldstein, S. L.; Class, C.; Schmidt, A. , Nature Geoscience, Apr, Volume 2, Issue 4, p.286-289, (2009), Doi 10.1038/Ngeo471
Comprehensive refertilization of lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton: further Os-Sr-Nd isotopic constraints ,
Zhang, H.F.; Goldstein, S.L.; Zhou, X.H.; Sun, M.; Cai, Y. , Journal of the Geological Society, 03/2009, Volume 166, p.11, (2009)
Comprehensive refertilization of lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton: further Os-Sr-Nd isotopic constraints ,
Zhang, H.F.; Goldstein, S.L.; Zhou, X.H.; Sun, M.; Cai, Y. , Journal of the Geological Society, 03/2009, Volume 166, p.11, (2009)
Evolution of subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath eastern China: Re-Os isotopic evidence from mantle xenoliths in Paleozoic kimberlites and Mesozoic basalts ,
Zhang, H. F.; Goldstein, S. L.; Zhou, X. H.; Sun, M.; Zheng, J. P.; Cai, Y. , Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, Mar, Volume 155, Issue 3, p.271-293, (2008), DOI 10.1007/s00410-007-0241-5
Origin of a 'Southern Hemisphere' geochemical signature in the Arctic upper mantle ,
Goldstein, S. L.; Soffer, G.; Langmuir, C. H.; Lehnert, K. A.; Graham, D. W.; Michael, P. J. , Nature, May 1, Volume 453, Issue 7191, p.89-U5, (2008), Doi 10.1038/Nature06919
Modeling the marine nd isotope variability with an offline ocean general circulation model ,
Jones, K. M.; Khatiwala, S.; Goldstein, S. L.; Hemming, S. R.; van de Flierdt, T. , Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, Jul, Volume 72, Issue 12, p.A439-A439, (2008)
Ar-40/Ar-39 ages of hornblende grains and bulk Sm/Nd isotopes of circum-Antarctic glacio-marine sediments: Implications for sediment provenance in the Southern Ocean ,
Roy, M.; van de Flierdt, T. V.; Hemming, S. R.; Goldstein, S. L. , Chemical Geology, Oct 15, Volume 244, Issue 3-4, p.507-519, (2007), DOI 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2007.07.017
Effects of prolonged flat subduction on the Miocene magmatic record of the central Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt ,
Mori, L.; Gomez-Tuena, A.; Cai, Y.; Goldstein, S. L. , Chemical Geology, Oct 15, Volume 244, Issue 3-4, p.452-473, (2007), DOI 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2007.07.002
Geochemical evidence for slab melting in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt ,
Gomez-Tuena, A.; Langmuir, C. H.; Goldstein, S. L.; Straub, S. M.; Ortega-Gutierrez, F. , Journal of Petrology, Mar, Volume 48, Issue 3, p.537-562, (2007), DOI 10.1093/petrology/egl071
Global neodymium hafnium isotope systematics - Revisited ,
Van De Flierdt, T.; Goldstein, S. L.; Hemming, S. R.; Frank, M.; Halliday, A. N. , Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, Aug, Volume 71, Issue 15, p.A1053-A1053, (2007)
Global neodymium-hafnium isotope systematics - revisited ,
van de Flierdt, T.; Goldstein, S. L.; Hemming, S. R.; Roy, M.; Frank, M.; Halliday, A. N. , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Jul 30, Volume 259, Issue 3-4, p.432-441, (2007), DOI 10.1016/j.epsl.2007.05.003
Late Quaternary changes in desert dust inputs to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios in deep-sea cores ,
Stein, M.; Almogi-Labin, A.; Goldstein, S. L.; Hemleben, C.; Starinsky, A. , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Sep 15, Volume 261, Issue 1-2, p.104-119, (2007), DOI 10.1016/j.epsl.2007.06.008
Strontium isotope tracing of terrigenous sediment dispersal in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current: Implications for constraining frontal positions ,
Hemming, S. R.; van de Flierdt, T.; Goldstein, S. L.; Franzese, A. M.; Roy, M.; Gastineau, G.; Landrot, G. , Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, Jun 13, Volume 8, p.-, (2007), Doi 10.1029/2006gc001441
The co-evolution of Black Sea level and composition through the last deglaciation and its paleoclimatic significance ,
Major, C. O.; Goldstein, S. L.; Ryan, W. B. F.; Lericolais, G.; Piotrowski, A. M.; Hajdas, I. , Quaternary Science Reviews, Sep, Volume 25, Issue 17-18, p.2031-2047, (2006), DOI 10.1016/j.quascirev.2006.01.032
Radiogenic isotope fingerprint of Wilkes Land - Adelie Coast Bottom Water in the circum-Antarctic Ocean ,
van de Flierdt, T.; Hemming, S. R.; Goldstein, S. L.; Abouchami, W. , Geophysical Research Letters, Jun 24, Volume 33, Issue 12, p.-, (2006), Doi 10.1029/2006gl026020
The radiogenic isotope fingerprint of Wilkes Land-Adelie Coast Bottom Water in the Circum-Antarctic Ocean ,
van de Flierdt, T.; Hemming, S. R.; Goldstein, S. L.; Abouchami, W. , Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, Aug-Sep, Volume 70, Issue 18, p.A665-A665, (2006), DOI 10.1016/j.gca.2006.06.1243
A radiometric calibration of the SPECMAP timescale ,
Thompson, W. G.; Goldstein, S. L. , Quaternary Science Reviews, Dec, Volume 25, Issue 23-24, p.3207-3215, (2006), DOI 10.1016/j.quascirev.2006.02.007
Reduced Agulhas Leakage during the Last Glacial Maximum inferred from an integrated provenance and flux study ,
Franzese, A. M.; Hemming, S. R.; Goldstein, S. L.; Anderson, R. F. , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Oct 15, Volume 250, Issue 1-2, p.72-88, (2006), DOI 10.1016/j.epsl.2006.07.002
Temporal stability of the neodymium isotope signature of the Holocene to glacial North Atlantic ,
van de Flierdt, T.; Robinson, L. F.; Adkins, J. F.; Hemming, S. R.; Goldstein, S. L. , Paleoceanography, Nov 25, Volume 21, Issue 4, p.-, (2006), Doi 10.1029/2006pa001294
Evolution of helium isotopes in the Earth's mantle ,
Class, C.; Goldstein, S. L. , Nature, Aug 25, Volume 436, Issue 7054, p.1107-1112, (2005), Doi 10.1038/Nature03930
Grand Comore Island: A well-constrained "low He-3/He-4" mantle plume ,
Class, C.; Goldstein, S. L.; Stute, M.; Kurz, M. D.; Schlosser, P. , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, May 15, Volume 233, Issue 3-4, p.391-409, (2005), DOI 10.1016/j.epsl.2005.02.029
Open-system coral ages reveal persistent suborbital sea-level cycles ,
Thompson, W. G.; Goldstein, S. L. , Science, Apr 15, Volume 308, Issue 5720, p.401-404, (2005), DOI 10.1126/science.1104035
Sr isotope evidence for sources of terrigenous sediment in the southeast Atlantic Ocean: Is there increased available Fe for enhanced glacial productivity? ,
Rutberg, R. L.; Goldstein, S. L.; Hemming, S. R.; Anderson, R. F. , Paleoceanography, Mar 30, Volume 20, Issue 1, p.-, (2005), Doi 10.1029/2003pa000999
Temporal relationships of carbon cycling and ocean circulation at glacial boundaries ,
Piotrowski, A. M.; Goldstein, S. L.; Hemming, S. R.; Fairbanks, R. G. , Science, Mar 25, Volume 307, Issue 5717, p.1933-1938, (2005), DOI 10.1126/science.1104883
Intensification and variability of ocean thermohaline circulation through the last deglaciation ,
Piotrowski, A. M.; Goldstein, S. L.; Hemming, S. R.; Fairbanks, R. G. , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Aug 30, Volume 225, Issue 1-2, p.205-220, (2004), DOI 10.1016/j.epsl.2004.06.002
Origin of enriched ocean ridge basalts and implications for mantle dynamics ,
Donnelly, K. E.; Goldstein, S. L.; Langmuir, C. H.; Spiegelman, M. , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Oct 15, Volume 226, Issue 3-4, p.347-366, (2004), DOI 10.1016/j.epsl.2004.07.019
U-Th dating of Lake Lisan (late Pleistocene Dead Sea) aragonite and implications for glacial East Mediterranean climate change ,
Haase-Schramm, A.; Goldstein, S. L.; Stein, M. , Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, Mar, Volume 68, Issue 5, p.985-1005, (2004)
Catastrophic arid episodes in the Eastern Mediterranean linked with the North Atlantic Heinrich events ,
Bartov, Y.; Goldstein, S. L.; Stein, M.; Enzel, Y. , Geology, May, Volume 31, Issue 5, p.439-442, (2003)
Catastrophic flooding of the Black Sea ,
Ryan, W. B. F.; Major, C. O.; Lericolais, G.; Goldstein, S. L. , Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Volume 31, p.525-554, (2003), DOI 10.1146/annurev.earth.31.100901.141249
Magmatic and amagmatic seafloor generation at the ultraslow-spreading Gakkel ridge, Arctic Ocean ,
Michael, P. J.; Langmuir, C. H.; Dick, H. J. B.; Snow, J. E.; Goldstein, S. L.; Graham, D. W.; Lehnert, K.; Kurras, G.; Jokat, W.; Muhe, R.; Edmonds, H. N. , Nature, Jun 26, Volume 423, Issue 6943, p.956-U1, (2003), Doi 10.1038/Nature01704
An open-system model for U-series age determinations of fossil corals ,
Thompson, W. G.; Spiegelman, M. W.; Goldstein, S. L.; Speed, R. C. , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, May 15, Volume 210, Issue 1-2, p.365-381, (2003), Doi 10.1016/S0012-821x(03)00121-3
Temporal control of subduction magmatism in the eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt: Mantle sources, slab contributions, and crustal contamination ,
Gomez-Tuena, A.; LaGatta, A. B.; Langmuir, C. H.; Goldstein, S. L.; Ortega-Gutierrez, F.; Carrasco-Nunez, G. , Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, Aug 9, Volume 4, p.-, (2003), Doi 10.1029/2003gc000524
Standards for publication of isotope ratio and chemical data in Chemical Geology ,
Goldstein, S. L.; Deines, P.; Oelkers, E. H.; Rudnick, R. L.; Walter, L. M. , Chemical Geology, Dec 15, Volume 202, Issue 1-2, p.1-4, (2003), DOI 10.1016/j.chemgo.2003.08.003
The control of lithium budgets in island arcs ,
Tomascak, P. B.; Widom, E.; Benton, L. D.; Goldstein, S. L.; Ryan, J. G. , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Mar 15, Volume 196, Issue 3-4, p.227-238, (2002), Pii S0012-821x(01)00614-8
Sulfur and strontium isotope composition of the Llobregat River (NE Spain): Tracers of natural and anthropogenic chemicals in stream waters ,
Soler, A.; Canals, A.; Goldstein, S. L.; Otero, N.; Antich, N.; Spangenberg, J. , Water Air and Soil Pollution, May, Volume 136, Issue 1-4, p.207-224, (2002)
Calibration of the C-14 time scale to > 40 ka by U-234-Th-230 dating of Lake Lisan sediments (last glacial Dead Sea) ,
Schramm, A.; Stein, M.; Goldstein, S. L. , Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Jan 30, Volume 175, Issue 1-2, p.27-40, (2000)
Composition and processes of the mantle lithosphere in northeastern Brazil and Fernando de Noronha: evidence from mantle xenoliths ,
Rivalenti, G.; Mazzucchelli, M.; Girardi, V. A. V.; Vannucci, R.; Barbieri, M. A.; Zanetti, A.; Goldstein, S. L. , Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, Apr, Volume 138, Issue 4, p.308-325, (2000)
Reconstructing low levels of Lake Lisan by correlating fan-delta and lacustrine deposits ,
Machlus, M.; Enzel, Y.; Goldstein, S. L.; Marco, S.; Stein, M. , Quaternary International, Volume 73-4, p.137-144, (2000)
Reduced North Atlantic Deep Water flux to the glacial Southern Ocean inferred from neodymium isotope ratios ,
Rutberg, R. L.; Hemming, S. R.; Goldstein, S. L. , Nature, Jun 22, Volume 405, Issue 6789, p.935-938, (2000)
Distinguishing melt and fluid subduction components in Umnak volcanics, Aleutian Arc ,
Class, C.; Miller, D. M.; Goldstein, S. L.; Langmuir, C. H. , Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, Volume 1, Issue 6, (2000), 10.1029/1999GC000010
The process of plume-lithosphere interactions in the ocean basins - the case of Grande Comore ,
Class, C.; Goldstein, S. L.; Altherr, R.; Bachelery, P. , Journal of Petrology, May, Volume 39, Issue 5, p.881-903, (1998)
Temporal evolution of the Kerguelen plume: Geochemical evidence from approximate to 38 to 82 Ma lavas forming the Ninetyeast ridge - Discussion ,
Class, C.; Goldstein, S. L.; Galer, S. J. G. , Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, Jun, Volume 124, Issue 1, p.98-103, (1996)
Cerium Lead and Lead-Isotope Ratios in Arc Magmas and the Enrichment of Lead in the Continents ,
Miller, D. M.; Goldstein, S. L.; Langmuir, C. H. , Nature, Apr 7, Volume 368, Issue 6471, p.514-520, (1994)
The Importance of Parental Magma Composition to Calc-Alkaline and Tholeiitic Evolution - Evidence from Umnak Island in the Aleutians ,
Miller, D. M.; Langmuir, C. H.; Goldstein, S. L.; Franks, A. L. , Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth, Jan 10, Volume 97, Issue B1, p.321-343, (1992)
Nd and Sr Isotopic Study of a Mafic Layer from Ronda Ultramafic Complex ,
Zindler, A.; Staudigel, H.; Hart, S. R.; Endres, R.; Goldstein, S. , Nature, Volume 304, Issue 5923, p.226-230, (1983)
Nd, Sr and Pb Isotopic Systematics in a 3-Component Mantle - a New Perspective ,
Zindler, A.; Jagoutz, E.; Goldstein, S. , Nature, Volume 298, Issue 5874, p.519-523, (1982)
