Research Projects:


  • Microbialites in saline lakes of North America and Australia
  • Sedimentology & geochemistry of the Llano Estacado "caprice caliche" of West Texas and New Mexico
  • Carbonate genesis and diagenesis in saline lakes
  • Lacustrine dolomite in saline lakes of North America and Australia
  • Using carbonate microbialites as paleoenvironmental tools
  • Ikaite formation in saline lakes of western Canada
  • Biomediation of carbonates in saline lakes
  • Abiotic and biotic formation of lacustrine dolomite
  • Late Holocene lake level fluctuations in the northern Great Plains


Selected Publications & Abstracts


See also
Google Scholar

Published Abstracts





  • Harrison, J., Last, F.M. and Last, W.M., 2015. Holocene Lake Level Fluctuations in Lacustrine Basins in the Great Plains of Western Canada. In: Rosen, M.R., Cohen, A., Kirby, M., Gierlowski-Kordesch, E., Starratt, S., Valero Garcés, B.L., and Varekamp, J., eds., Sixth International Limnogeology Congress—Abstract Volume, Reno, Nevada, June 15–19, 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1092, page 86.

  • Last, F.M., and Last, W.M., 2015. An Overview of Microbialite Genesis and Composition in Saline Lakes of Southern Australia. In: Rosen, M.R., Cohen, A., Kirby, M., Gierlowski-Kordesch, E., Starratt, S., Valero Garcés, B.L., and Varekamp, J., eds., Sixth International Limnogeology Congress—Abstract Volume, Reno, Nevada, June 15–19, 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1092, page 126.

  • Last, W.M. and Last, F.M., 2015. Geochemical evolution of closed-basin saline lakes in western Canada. In: Rosen, M.R., Cohen, A., Kirby, M., Gierlowski-Kordesch, E., Starratt, S., Valero Garcés, B.L., and Varekamp, J., eds., Sixth International Limnogeology Congress—Abstract Volume, Reno, Nevada, June 15–19, 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1092, pages 127-128.











  • Last, W. M. and Ginn, F. M., 2009. Modern and late Holocene dolomite formation in a continental hypersaline lake, western Canada. Program and Abstracts Volume, 27th Annual Meeting of International Association of Sedimentologists, p. 34

  • Ginn, F. M. and Last, W. M., 2009. Manito Lake microbialites: a record of changing environment and climate in the northern Great Plains of western Canada. Program and Abstracts Volume, 27th Annual Meeting of International Association of Sedimentologists, p. 84.





  • Ginn, F. M. and Last, W. M., 2008. Mineralogical and geochemical assessment of microbialites in a saline lake in the northern Great Plains of western Canada. ISSLR Conference, Salt Lake City.





Published Papers






  • Berard, G., Applin, D., Cloutis, E., Stromberg, J., Sharma, R., Mann, P., Grasby, S., Bezys, R. Horgan, B., Londry, K., Rice, M., Last, W. M., Last, F. M., Badiou, P., Goldsborough, G., Bell, J., 2013. A hypersaline spring analogue for Mars. Icarus, volume 224, pages 399-412.






  • Last, William M. and Last, Fawn M., 2010. Natural Disasters and Global Change. University of Manitoba, Extended Education, 220 pages


  • Last, William M. and Ginn, F.M. 2006. Environmental Geology (3rd, revised edition). University of Manitoba Extended Education, 185 pp.

  • Last, William M. and Ginn, Fawn M. 2005. Saline Systems of the Great Plains of Western Canada: an Overview of the Limnogeology and Paleolimnology. Saline Systems. 1:10 doi:10.1186/1746-1448-1-10 (Open Access; This paper has been awarded the Highly Accessed category by the publisher)


Theses and non-refereed consultant/technical reports

  • Last, W.M., Read, J. and Last, F.M., 2011. Mineralogy, stratigraphy, and stable isotope composition of late Holocene cores from Waldsea and Deadmoose Lakes, Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, 28 pp.
  • Last, W.M., Dickie, M.I., and Last, F.M., 2011. Mineralogy and stratigraphy of Lenore Lake, Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, 20 pp.
  • Last, W.M. and Last, F.M., 2011. Lake level change in western Canada. Final Report. Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, 79 pp.
  • Last, W.M. and Last, F.M., 2011. Lake level change in western Canada. Final report. Natural Resources Canada, 79 pp.
  • Last, W. M. and Ginn, F.M., 2007. Clay Mineralogy. Final Report to PetroCanada. 65 pp.
  • Last W.M and Ginn, F.M., 2006. Salt Lakes of the northern Great Plains. Field Trip Guidebook. University of Manitoba 174, pp.