Glenn W. Berger

Research Professor

Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences

Email: Glenn.Berger@dri.edu

Education

Professional Interests

Dr. Berger's research efforts have exploited his interests in the application of physical methods to geological problems. In practice, this has meant largely geochronological methods (e.g. Ar-Ar dating), though he has had practical experience with some geophysical exploration methods. Dr. Berger also has interests in the development and application of luminescence dating methods for Quaternary deposits. His efforts have culminated in the development of a new method of tephrochronometry, using the luminescence from ash sized glass, and in the extension of TL sediment-dating procedures to eolian silt (loess) as old as 800,000 years (see Berger et.al., 2008), previously thought to be well beyond the practical limits of this dating method, to a variety of waterlain sediments (lake, glaciolacustrine, glaciomarine, Arctic Ocean, floodplain, deltaic, lagoonal), and to neotectonic and paleoanthropoligical settings.

Presently he is conducting NSF- and contract-sponsored research using TL and photon-stimulated luminescence (PSL) on a variety of topics. These studies and applications are driven by Dr. Berger's long-term active interest in Quaternary paleo-environmental, geomorphological, paleo-seismological, and neotectonic topics.

Laboratory Facilities

DRI’s E.L. Cord Luminescence Geochronology Laboratory has full facilities for conducting photonic dating of Quaternary sediments. These include 4 automated luminescence readers: one for ‘conventional’ multi-aliquot TL and IR-PSL (Daybreak 1150), three for multi-grain single-aliquot dating (IR- and Blue-PSL) (Daybreak 2200, and 2 of Risoe DA-20). The DA-20 Risoe readers also have the latest capabilities, including dual-laser single-grain dating add-ons. The laboratory also has complete darkroom sample-preparation facilities and a full complement of supporting specialist equipment (e.g., several automated stand-alone beta and alpha irradiators, several automated alpha-particle counters).

Research

	Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the last great ocean to be explored with modern geophysical and geological tools. Not only is the ocean itself a ‘canary-in-the-mine’ responder to global climate change, but is an amplifier (via. feedbacks) of the same. Furthermore, we know little of the bottom sediments (containing a ‘long-term’ record of past climate changes) and basement rocks. In summer 2005, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat sponsored only the second ever research crossing of the central Arctic Ocean by two surface ships (the last was in 1994). Scientists and students were mainly from the US, Sweden, Canada, Norway, and Japan. Several US scientists (including Dr. G. Berger from DRI) conducted research from the newest US icebreaker, USCG Healy. There were two complementary 2005 expeditions: Leg-1 explored the western Arctic Ocean (northwest of Alaska) in June to about latitude 75N, using only the Healy; Leg-2 involved both the Healy and the Swedish icebreaker and research vessel Oden throughout August and September, and crossed the North Pole, ending in Tromso, Norway. During the 2-month phase of the expedition, scientists on the Healy collected data on sea-ice properties (thickness, albedo, etc.), recovered soft-sediment cores, conducted side-scan-sonar bottom mapping, and obtained sub-bottom sonar and seismic data. Much work on collected data and samples is in progress, including luminescence-dating analyses by Dr. Berger of a variety of Arctic Ocean sediments.

Dr. Berger	Antarctica Dr. Berger embarked 8 March 2003 on an NSF-sponsored project at the Antarctic Peninsula, with ship time from March 12 through March 30, aboard the U.S. Antarctic research vessel L.M. Gould. He led a science team of 12, comprised of colleagues from Canada and the USA, and students from the University of Nevada-Reno, Colgate University (Hamilton, NY) and Hamilton College (Clinton, NY) where you can view Expedition: Antarctica 03 trip details, journals, and photos. The purpose of this expedition was to collect glacial-marine sediments, water-suspended mineral grains, and mineral grains deposited in submerged traps for one year.	The R/V Laurence M. Gould

Research Project Gallery (Click on thumbnail to view larger image )
Split sediment core (scale in cm) from one of the lakes of the Taymyr Peninsula, and the northernmost of those lakes (black triangle).	Collecting samples at one of the mid-late Pleistocene paleo-anthropological karstic-cave sites at Atapuerca, Spain (G. Berger & A. Gonzalez, 2000).	The volcano Karymsky erupting, central Kamchatka. Right: Collecting (holding camera) loess samples at Birch Creek, north-central Alaska.

Selected Publications (2000-2008)

Berger, G.W., Pérez-González, A., Carbonell, E., Arsuaga, J.L., Bermúdez de Castro, J.-M., Ku, T.-L., 2008.

Luminescence chronology of cave sediments at the Atapuerca paleoanthropological site, Spain. J. Human Evolution 55, 300-311. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2008. 02.012.

Berger, G.W. 2006.

Trans-Arctic-Ocean tests of fine-silt luminescence sediment dating provide a basis for an additional geochronometer for this region. Quaternary Science Reviews 25, 2529-2551.

McCalpin, J. P., Olig, S.S., Harrison, J.B.J., and Berger, G.W. 2006.

Quaternary faulting and soil formation on the County Dump Fault, Albuquerque, New Mexico. New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Circular 212, 36 p.

Berger, G.W., Melles, M., Banerjee, D., Murray, A.S., and Raab, A. 2004.

Luminescence Chronology of Nonglacial Sediments in Changeable Lake, Russian High Arctic and Implicationsfor Limited Eurasian Ice-sheet Extent Duringthe LGM. Journal of Quaternary Science 19, 513-523.

Berger, G.W., Henderson, T.K., Banerjee, D., and Nials, F.L. 2004.

Photonic dating of prehistoric irrigation canals at Phoenix, Arizona. Geoarchaeology 19, 1-19.

Havholm, K.G., Ames, D.V,. Whittecar, G.R., Wenell, B.A., Riggs, S.R., Jol, H.M, Berger, G.W., Holmes, M.A. 2004.

Stratigraphy of back-barrier coastal dunes, northern North Carolina and southern Virginia. Journal of Coastal Research 20, 980-999.

Raab, A., Melles, M., Berger, G.W., Hagedorn, B., and Hubberton, H.-W. 2003.

Non-glacial paleoenvironments and the extent of Weichselian ice sheets on Severnaya Zemlya, Russian High Arctic. Quaternary Science Reviews. 22,2267-2283.

Berger, G.W. 2003.

Luminescence chronology of late Pleistocene loess-paleosoland tephra sequences near Fairbanks, Alaska. Quaternary Research, 60, 70-83.

Berger, G.W. , Murray, A.S. and Havholm, K.G. 2003.

Photonicdating of Holocene back-barrier coastal dunes, northern North Carolina, USA. Quaternary Science Reviews. 22,1043-1050.

Thompson, S.C., Weldon, R.J., Rubin, C.M., Abdrakhmatov, K., Molnar, P., and Berger, G.W. 2002.

Late Quaternary slip rates across the central Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan. J. Geophys. Res. 107, 2203, doi:10.1029/2001JB000596,2002.

Berger, G.W., Pillans, B.J., Bruce, J.G., and McIntosh, P.D. 2002.

Luminescence chronology of loess from southern South Island, New Zealand. Quaternary Science Reviews. 21, 1899-1913.

Berger, G.W. and Doran, P.T. 2001.

Luminescence-dating zeroing tests in Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley, Antarctica. Journal of Paleolimnology. 25(4), 519-529.

Berger, G.W. and P.M. Anderson. 2000.

Extending the geochronometry of arctic lake cores beyond the radiocarbon limit by using thermoluminescence. J. Geophys. Res. 105(D12), 15439-15455.

Additional Publications (1992-2004)