Mark E Hall
I guess you could say, I've had careers less-ordinary. I received my BSE in Metallurgy and Mining from the University of Kentucky in 1982, and my MS in Metallurgy and Mining from UC Berkely in 1985. Prof. Jim Evans was my advisor when I was in the Metallurgy program at UCB. Afterwards, for a variety of reasons, I started a doctorate in Anthropology (Archaeology emphasis). I received my PhD in Anthropology from UC Berkeley in December 1992. Prof. Ruth Tringham was my adviser, and my dissertation review committee consisted of Prof. James Anderson, Prof. Jim Evans, and Prof. Ruth Tringham. Though not on my committee, I did receive a lot of feedback from Prof. Carol Clover and Prof. Geoff Koziol.
I've recently left the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and joined the engineering/consulting firm HDR. From the fall of 2017 until late October 2022, I was the Field Manager for the Black Rock Field Office of the Winnemucca District BLM. Also, the Authorized Officer for the Burning Man Event. I landed in Winnemucca in 2010 when I accepted a job as an archaeologist/Native American Coordinator. Before that, over the years, I've worked in the metals and aerospace industries, and in museums both in the US and Japan. I've been lucky enough to have the opportunities to do archaeological field research in Ireland, Iraq, California and Nevada, Japan and Mongolia.
Over the years, I've generally ended up researching whatever interested me at the time. Thus, that is why there is no one clear cut geographic or temporal focus. When I got bored or the funding ran out, then I moved on to some other topic. Right now my focus is writing up a bunch of old research, working on characterizing some of the new sources of obsidian discovered in the district, taking a look at some old pollen cores from the Great Basin using a Bayesian methodology, and looking at the utility of open access satellite imagery in aiding land use decisions.
Supervisors: James Anderson, Jim Evans, and Ruth Tringham
Phone: 775-304-9314
Address: PO Box 349
Winnemucca, NV 89446-0349
I've recently left the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and joined the engineering/consulting firm HDR. From the fall of 2017 until late October 2022, I was the Field Manager for the Black Rock Field Office of the Winnemucca District BLM. Also, the Authorized Officer for the Burning Man Event. I landed in Winnemucca in 2010 when I accepted a job as an archaeologist/Native American Coordinator. Before that, over the years, I've worked in the metals and aerospace industries, and in museums both in the US and Japan. I've been lucky enough to have the opportunities to do archaeological field research in Ireland, Iraq, California and Nevada, Japan and Mongolia.
Over the years, I've generally ended up researching whatever interested me at the time. Thus, that is why there is no one clear cut geographic or temporal focus. When I got bored or the funding ran out, then I moved on to some other topic. Right now my focus is writing up a bunch of old research, working on characterizing some of the new sources of obsidian discovered in the district, taking a look at some old pollen cores from the Great Basin using a Bayesian methodology, and looking at the utility of open access satellite imagery in aiding land use decisions.
Supervisors: James Anderson, Jim Evans, and Ruth Tringham
Phone: 775-304-9314
Address: PO Box 349
Winnemucca, NV 89446-0349
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spectrometry. Explained are the two different types of XRF spectrometry, their
similarities and differences, and their limitations. Sample preparation for each type of
XRF spectrometry is discussed. Since both methods of XRF spectrometry produce
quantitative data, a short discussion of data processing and multivariate statistical
methods is presented. After reviewing some of the theoretical approaches towards
material culture and chemical characterization, the utility of XRF spectrometry to
provenance studies of ceramics is illustrated. Some case studies are briefly reviewed that
illustrate the utility of the data obtained from XRF spectrometry, answering broader
anthropological and archaeological questions.
Keywords: X-ray fluorescence, multivariate statistics, material culture, chemical characterization, ceramics
spectrometry. Explained are the two different types of XRF spectrometry, their
similarities and differences, and their limitations. Sample preparation for each type of
XRF spectrometry is discussed. Since both methods of XRF spectrometry produce
quantitative data, a short discussion of data processing and multivariate statistical
methods is presented. After reviewing some of the theoretical approaches towards
material culture and chemical characterization, the utility of XRF spectrometry to
provenance studies of ceramics is illustrated. Some case studies are briefly reviewed that
illustrate the utility of the data obtained from XRF spectrometry, answering broader
anthropological and archaeological questions.
Keywords: X-ray fluorescence, multivariate statistics, material culture, chemical characterization, ceramics
SEL submitted a Plan of Operations (PoO) expanding four of their existing Notice-level exploration projects located in the Snowstorm Mountains and Kelly Creek areas northwest of Midas and southeast of Chimney Reservoir on the Little Humboldt River. The project area is located approximately 40 miles north-northeast of Winnemucca in Humboldt County, Nevada (T. 41 N., R. 43 E., portions of sections 1, 9 - 12, 14 -16, and 20 - 36; T.40 N., R. 43 E., portions of sections 1 - 5, 8 - 13, 16, and 17; and T. 40 N., R. 44 E., portions of sections 4 – 8).
The DR implements the proposed Phase I action which adds 48.0 acres of exploration activities to the existing 19.8 acres (16.5 acres of public land and 3.3 acres on private land) of existing Notice-level disturbance for a total disturbance of 67.8 acres. Appropriate stipulations have been incorporated into our decision.
The EA, DR and FONSI can be viewed online at http://1.usa.gov/1HxvwOm.
Title: Perspectives on Cultural Resources, Mineral Resources, Land-Use Planning and Land Management
The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), as implemented in 36 CFR Part 800 and 43 CFR Parts 3 and 7, provide procedures on how archaeological/cultural resources are to be dealt with on public lands. While these regulations provide over-arching procedures, more specific directions come from agency guidance, manuals, and policy, plus the relevant land use plan. For the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), cultural resource management plans are to be part of a land-use /resource management plan. An element of a cultural resource management plan is determining those sites to preserve for long term conservation, those set aside for traditional use, those to utilize for scientific research and those to remove from management.
This finer level of detail is often missed in the, often emotional, debates surrounding cultural resource management and mining projects. This presentation will focus on addressing cultural resource management in relation to hard rock mining and other mineral related industries. Discussion and case studies will include: what National Register of Historic Places eligibility means; significance under the NHPA versus NEPA; Historic Property Treatment Plans and research; Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Properties, the Information Quality Act, and ethnographers; the relationship between SHPO and the land manager.
The first case study looks at the Phase II Hycroft mine expansion of 2019. Through the NEPA process it was determined that the proposed mine plan would not create UUD, but due to a 3400-acre tailings pond, would adversely impact six golden eagle territories, remove sensitive bat roosting habitat, and require the excavation of 21 archaeological sites. Alternative development looked at moving the tailings pond from the northeast to the southwest of the mine. Potential adverse impacts from the alternative: take of one eagle territory, require the mitigation of 6 archaeological sites, and the creation of a 2400-acre tailings pond.
The second case study looks at the expansion of the San Emidio geothermal power plant in northern Nevada. The power plant and geothermal field are located approximately 3 miles north of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation. Using the pre-scoping process, the tribe was engaged early and their concerns over their groundwater and geothermal resources were brought forward for the NEPA analysis. While the existing geologic and groundwater data did not support a connection between the two geothermal reservoirs, a connection could not be conclusively ruled out by the data. Through the consultation process a hydrological monitoring plan was developed to avoid UUD to the tribe’s groundwater and geothermal resources.
in light of a variety of climate proxies. The intent is to look at the response of Great Basin hunter-gatherers in response to extreme climatic events.
Focus will be on two US Geological Survey designated hydrographic basins: the Black Rock Basin and the Truckee Basin. The Black Rock Basin contains the Quinn River which originates in the Montana Mountains and terminates into a seasonal lake
on the Black Rock playa. The Truckee Basin contains the Truckee River which flows from Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada range
to the terminal Pyramid Lake.
Radiocarbon dates from excavated archaeological sites in the two basins are used as a demographic and settlement proxy. Climate proxies from the two basins include: oxygen isotope data from Pyramid Lake, pollen cores from Mud Meadows spring and Summit Lake, and tree ring data from the Jackson Mountains.
Both basins see initial human settlement during the Younger Dryas period, with a growth in population/settlements through 8000 BP. After
approximately 7800 BP, there is a paucity of dated sites until approximately 4000 BP. Whether this is due to the 8.2 kya BP climatic event and/or the Mount Mazama volcanic eruption, is uncertain. Oxygen isotope data from Pyramid Lake does indicate a period of hyper-aridity throughout the northern Great Basin between ca. 8-4 kya BP. The aridity declines after 4 kya based on the oxygen isotope data, and settlement in the two basins increases. With the onset of the Late Holocene Drought, ca. 2500 BP, population/settlement declines are seen except around
major lakes, north of 42N latitude, and elevations above 2000m. After 2000 BP, population/settlement increases throughout both basins.
Notable increases of population/settlement occurs in the Late Antique Little Ice Age and continues throughout the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA). Environmental proxy data indicates the MCA was a period of extreme aridity in the northern Great Basin. Despite ameorilating conditions in both basins after the MCA and in the Little Ice Age, population/settlement declines after circa 700 BP.
This presentation examines the human habitation in the two sub-basins over the past 13,000 years in context to the palaeoclimatic records
from the sub-basins and adjoining areas.
With 1100 known prehistoric sites in the study area, 19 sites have been excavated and yielded 108 radiocarbon dates. Palaeoclimate
proxies from the study area include the Mud Meadows pollen core, the Summit Lake pollen core, and the Jackson Mountain tree ring studies. While the summed probability distribution (SPD) of calibrated radiocarbon dates shows numerous gaps between 13kBP and 5kBP, it is uncertain if this is due to the nature of the sites that have been excavated, or if it was a true response to the Mazama eruption and/or drought conditions during the Middle Holocene. The SPD is fairly continuous from 5kBP to 1kBP, and exhibits a pattern of exponential growth. The Late Holocene Drought sees the abandonment of sites south of 41 degrees north latitude, and occupation northwards of the line. The Late Antique Little Ice Age sees site occupation throughout the sub-basins.
(HUC-8 16040201,16040202) comprise one of the largest single
drainages in northwest Nevada. The sub-basins
cover approximately 1.7 million hectares. The Quinn river originates in the Montana Mountains and Santa Rosa Range and drains to the Black Rock Desert Playa. The elevational gradient ranges from 2000
m to 1100 m. Sagebrush and perennial grasses dominate the higher elevations, with the lowlands being dominated by
greasewood, saltbrush, and desert scrub.
This presentation examines the human habitation in the sub-basins over the past 13,000 years in context to the palaeoclimatic records from the sub-basins and adjoining areas. Over 1100 prehistoric sites exist in the study area, with 19 sites having been excavated and yielding 108
radiocarbon dates. Palaeoclimate proxies from the study area include the Mud Meadows and Summit Lake pollen cores,
and the Jackson Mountain tree ring widths.
While the radiocarbon record shows numerous gaps between 13 kBP and 5 kBP, the summed probability distribution of
calibrated radiocarbon dates suggests continuous occupation from 5 kBP to 1 kBP with exponential growth. Based on the abundance of Chenopodiaceae pollen in the Summit Lake core, the study area is drier
than today during the Late Holocene Drought (LHD, ca. 2.5 to 1.9kBP). During the LHD, sites south of 41N are abandoned or
see no growth; northwards, sees site growth. Despite contrasting climatic conditions, the Late Antique Little Ice Age
(LALIA) and the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA) are both periods of site occupation and growth across the sub-basins.
Occupied sites are found throughout the sub-basins during the LALIA, and during the MCA site occupation is focused at Trego
hot springs and at higher elevations. As evidenced by the three palaeoclimate proxies from the sub-basins, the Little Ice Age is a period of cooler temperatures and increased moisture. Despite the ameliorated
conditions, the number of dated sites significantly decreases. This may reflect a more dispersed settlement pattern with
lower numbers of residents during the Terminal Prehistoric period.
Abstract: The purpose of this poster is to illustrate the utility of pollen cores as tools that can provide valuable insights into the past, present and potential future of local vegetation communities. Also illustrated will be the utility of pollen cores in informing land management decisions. A pollen core was obtained from the wet meadow surrounding Mud Meadows spring inside the Soldier Meadows Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) located in the Black Rock-High Rock Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (NCA) in northern Nevada. It is an unique habitat for threatened plant (basalt cinqefoil) and animal (desert dace) species. The core was processed to recover pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs. A Bayesian age-depth model was constructed for the core from Pb isotope and radiocarbon dates. The core extends back 1500 years and its dated resolution ranges from a decade to just under 200 yrs. The irregular time series of the proportions of various plant species and taxa are discussed. Through the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA), the vegetation community is dominated by Chenopodiaceae and Asteracea. In the Little Ice Age (LIA), Artemesia and perennial grasses dominate the vegetation communities and have remained fairly resilient through time, even in the presence of commercial grazing. Analysis of the charcoal grains suggests a decrease in the fire frequency from the MCA through the LIA. The cyanobacteria Rivularia increases and Glomus decreases circa 350 BP to the present. This is indicative of a change in water chemistry and potentially water level. The Modern Analogue Technique, in combination with the North American pollen database, is utilized to reconstruct climatic indicators. As expected, the MCA was a warmer and drier period--a climatic condition that is expected to become prevalent in the future. For planned and potential habitat restoration projects in the Soldier Meadows ACEC, the pollen core yields insights on the types of vegetation and relative quantities of it out there, and its resilience. In accounting for climate change and habitat restoration projects, the pollen core provides evidence of species and taxa that may be better suited for future conditions.
This paper looks at the vegetation and climate history of the Soldier Meadows ACEC over the last 1500 years. A core was obtained from wet meadow location inside of the ACEC just north of Mud Meadows reservoir. The core was processed to recover pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs. Information from this study will be used to inform federal land management decisions.
A Bayesian age-depth model was constructed for the core from Pb isotope and radiocarbon dates.
The irregular time series of the proportions of various species and taxa are discussed. Poaceae steadily increases through time. The cyanobacteria Rivularia increases and Glomus decreases in the late prehistoric period (ca. 350 BP) to the present. This is indicative of a change in water chemistry and potentially water level. The ratio of Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae indicates the area was drier during the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA) than the Little Ice Age (LIA); Bayesian change point analyses of this time series notes a significant increase in moisture circa 565 BP and a significant decrease circa 39 BP.
Modern analogue technique, in combination with the North American pollen database, is used to reconstruct winter precipitation and average July temperatures. While there are few modern analogues, the method does indicate that winter precipitation was low from circa 1200 BP through 600 BP, and significantly increased from 600 BP through 200 BP. The average July temperature was approximately 1 degree centigrade higher in the MCA than the LIA.
The Burning Man Festival since 2007 creates a temporary city of 50,000 to 70,000 people in the NCA. Public concern is being expressed over the event’s physical and greenhouse gas footprints. Sub-set L2 and L3 CO2 data were obtained from the ACOS, AQUA (AIRS platform) and OCO-2 satellites. These data sets cover both daily and monthly CO2 concentrations between 2007 and 2015. Each data set was analyzed separately using Bayesian time series methods. While there were statistically significant changes in the CO2concentration in a calendar year, none of the increases coincided with the Burning Man Festival.
The ALOS-PALSAR and Sentinel-1 SAR data archives have also been utilized. Interferograms, false-color composites (FCC) of coherence images, and FCC of the processed backscattered images are all useful in monitoring surface changes. Case study summaries will illustrate the seasonal changes at critical riparian areas in the NCA; the post-event recovery of the Burning Man Festival footprint; dune formation on the Black Rock playa, and landscape changes associated with open-pit mining in the BRFO.
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm16/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/184530
in the NW Great Basin. Summit Lake is in the northern Black Rock Range (41.5 N -119.1 W) and is at an elevation of 1780 m. The Blue Lakes
sit at an elevation of 2434 m in the southern Pine Forest Range (41.6 N -118.6 W). The distance between the two lakes is 33.5 km. The cores
were originally taken to reconstruct the fire history in the NW Great Basin.
In this study, stochastic climate histories are created using a Bayesian methodology as implemented in the Bclim program.
This Bayesian approach takes: 1) a multivariate approach based on modern pollen analogs,
2) accounts for the non-linear and non-Gaussian relationship between the climate and the pollen proxy, and 3) accounts for
the uncertainties in the radiocarbon record and climate histories. For both cores, the following climatic variables are
reported for the last 2 kya: Mean Temperature of the Coldest month (MTCO), Growing Degree Days above 5 Centigrade (GDD5),
the ratio of Actual to Potential Evapotranspiration (AET/PET). Because it was sequentially sampled,
the Artemesia/Chenopodiaceae ratio (A/C), an indicator of wetness, and the Grasses/Shrubs (G/S) ratio, an indicator of the
vegetation communities, is calculated for each section of the Summit Lake core.
Bayesian changepoint analyses of the Summit Lake core indicates that there is no significant difference in the mean or
variance of the A/C ratio for the last 2 kya cal BP, but there is a significant decrease in G/S ratio dating to circa 700 ya cal BP.
At Summit Lake, a statistically significant decrease in the GDD5 occurs at 1.4-1.5 kya cal BP, and a significant increase
in the GDD5 occurs for the last 200 ya cal BP. The GDD5 and MTCO for Blue Lakes has a significant increase at 600 ya cal BP,
and afterwards decreases in the next century. The regional archaeological record will be discussed in light of these changes.
detect moisture differences, and ground deformation. Sentinel-2 is a multispectral, high resolution satellite which collects data across 13 spectral bands at resolutions of 10, 20, and 60 m. It has a repeat orbit of 10 days. The narrowness of the infrared bands reduces the impact of water vapor and allows for the development of several different vegetation and water indices. This imagery is open access and there is free, open-source software to process it.
Imagery from both of these satellites will be presented illustrating changes in the landscape of the Black Rock-High Rock Emigrant Trails NCA during 2015 and 2016. SAR can be used for monitoring dune formation on the Black Rock playa and look at the residual footprint from the Burning Man event.
Sentinel-2 imagery is used to illustrate the canopy chlorophyll content and vegetation health at various points throughout the year in the NCA and adjacent areas.
Key Words: SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR, MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE, VEGETATION HEALTH, NATIONAL
CONSERVATION AREA