
Michael James Singleton
Deputy Group Leader, Environmental Isotope Systems
PLS / Nacsd / Nuclear & Chemical Science Division

Deputy Group Leader, Environmental Isotope Systems
PLS / Nacsd / Nuclear & Chemical Science Division
Michael Singleton uses his background in isotope hydrology and geochemistry to address current national security threats from toxic chemicals and nuclear materials. His research spans a broad range of interests, including predicting the hydrological response of alpine groundwater systems to climate change, tracking contaminants from agriculture and legacy nuclear material production in groundwater systems, developing geolocation signatures of nuclear materials, and establishing forensic signatures of toxic chemicals.
Singleton manages LLNL’s stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry laboratory, where scientists measure precise natural abundance ratios of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur in nearly any material or phase. His current work includes analyzing the isotopic compositions of solutes such as nitrate in natural waters, oxygen isotopic compositions of nuclear materials, and stable isotope signatures of toxic substances and chemical warfare agents. His group also developed novel, compact noble gas mass spectrometry systems for hydrology and national security applications and recently demonstrated the first thermogravimetry-isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy system for measuring the isotope compositions of adsorbed and chemisorbed water on minerals.
NNSA Defense Programs Award of Excellence, 2018
LLNL Director’s S&T Award, 2015
Science and Technology, PLS Directorate Award, 2015
NNSA Defense Programs Award of Excellence, 2014
Excellence in Publication, PLS Directorate Award, 2013