Crustal Imaging and Characterization Team
USGS 40Ar/39Ar Geochronology Laboratory
| Paul Wigton |
| Phone: 303-236-4537 |
| Fax: 303-236-5556 |
| Email: pwigton@usgs.gov |
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Education
Background and Current Activities
From 1975 to 1991, I worked on classic automobiles in the family-owned business. This in turn, eventually led me to becoming a geologist! I received my baccalaureate degree in Geology, class of 1999, from the University of Colorado. I was hired by the USGS in January 1998, doing what all new hires with only a bachelor's degree do. . .sample prep!
After approximately 60,000 samples had passed through my lab, in the fall of 2003 I was asked to work with Larry Snee and the entire Argon Geochronology group to assist in the design, fabrication, and construction of an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) extraction line for the MAP 215-50 mass spectrometer, and for the two laser systems. This is where the years of working on old British cars came in handy, given the MAP itself was manufactured in England, AND there are no instruction manuals on how to build an extraction line!
In the time I've worked on this team, I've basically gotten an operative 'Ph.D' in the workings of how argon geochronology works, with an emphasis on the inner workings of extraction lines. In the commission of that work, I've learned a bit about the operating/control software of Labview. I've visited the labs at Lehigh University and the argon machine at New Mexico Tech. These trips were invaluable to me in learning how to build this line and what to incorporate into it. . . the best of the best! The MAP-215-50 is expected to be online and running the summer of 2005, so stay tuned.
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Mineral Resources |
Eastern / Central / Western / Alaska / Minerals Information |
| Crustal Imaging & Characterization / Spatial Data |
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://crustal.usgs.gov/laboratories/geochronology/wigton_bio.htm
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Page Last Modified: 08-May-2008@12:05
