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Mineralogy, strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (18O/16O) and carbon (13C/12C) isotope composition, elemental concentrations, and U-Th disequilibrium ages for travertine deposits from various locations in Yellowstone National Park, USA

Published by U.S. Geological Survey | Department of the Interior | Metadata Last Checked: January 27, 2026 | Last Modified: 2023-04-27T00:00:00Z
Chemical changes in hot springs, as recorded by thermal waters and their mineral deposits, provide a window into the evolution of Yellowstone’s postglacial hydrothermal system. Travertine precipitated from thermal waters provide a record of chemical changes through time because they can be dated using U-series disequilibrium geochronology. These temporal data, along with measured radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr and stable isotope (carbon and oxygen) compositions and elemental concentrations, allow for the investigation of changes in hydrothermal system chemistry over time. This data release contains analyses conducted on samples of hydrothermal travertine collected from Upper and Lower Geyser Basins and near Madison Junction in Yellowstone National Park between April 2018 and July 2022. They include major and trace element concentrations, strontium (87Sr/86Sr), carbon (13C/12C), and oxygen (18O/16O) isotopic compositions, U-series disequilibrium ages (230Th-U), and X-ray diffraction data.

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