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
- Dunlap, M., Last, F.M., and Lehrmann, D. J., 2017. Carbonate facies changes from the late Permian to the early Triassic for three new localities in the Nanpanjiang Basin, south China. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol 49, No. 1. doi: 10.1130/abs/2017SC-289597
- Harrison, J., Last, F.M., and Last, W. M. 2017. Development of modern and Holocene lacustrine microbialites from a Canadian Great Plains Lake. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol 49, No. 1. doi: 10.1130/abs/2017SC-289579
- Wilson, D., and Last, F., 2017. Concretions in Tertiary sands along Ecleto Creek in southern Texas. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 49, No. 1. doi: 10.1130/abs/2017SC-289609
- 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, F.M., Last, W.M., and Wai, C., 2013. Carbonate microbialites of Lake Bullen Merri, Australia, provide new insight into late Holocene lake history. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs Vol. 45, No. 7. p. 818
- Last, W.M. and Last, F.M., 2013. Holocene history of Canada's deepest saline lake. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs Vol. 45, No. 7. P. 781
- Read, Jeff, Last, William M., and Last, Fawn M., 2011. Late Holocene Paleohydrology And Paleolimnology Of Two Adjacent Meromictic Lakes, Northern Great Plains Of Western Canada. Geol. Society of America, Abstracts with Program vol. 43.
- Last, Fawn M., Dowsett, A.E.I., Last, William M., Read, J., and Halden, Norman M., 2011. Are Shoreline Microbialites A True Reflection Of Lake History: A Case Study From Western Canada. Geol. Society of America, Abstracts with Program vol. 43.
- Last, Fawn M., and Last, William M., 2011. An Overview Of Saline Lake Carbonates, The Northern Great Plains Of Western Canada. Geol. Society of America, Abstracts with Program vol. 43.
- Last, Fawn M., Last, William M., and Halden, Norman M., 2010. The Use Of Continental Saline Lake Microbialites As Indicators Of Holocene Environmental Change. Geol. Society of America, Abstracts with Program vol. 42, p. 623.
- Last, William M. And Last, Fawn M., 2010. Antelope Lake, Saskatchewan: A Multidisciplinary Archive Of Late Holocene Hydrologic And Environmental Change In The Northern Great Plains Of Western Canada. Geol. Society of America, Abstracts with Program vol. 42, p. 623.
- Read, Jeff, Last, Fawn M., and Last, William M., 2010. The Ups And Downs Of Lake Levels In The Northern Great Plains Of Western Canada. Geol. Society of America, Abstracts with Program vol. 42, p. 623.
- Last, W. M. and Ginn, F. M., 2009. Bio-mediated and abiotic dolomite formation in saline lakes of the northern Great Plains of Canada. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Vol. 73, p.A725.
- Ginn, F. M., Last, W. M. and Halden, N. M. 2009. Unraveling the microbialite web: Formation and diagenesis of laminated and massive carbonate sediments in saline lakes of North America and Australia. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Vol. 73, p. A438.
- 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. Late Holocene Ikaite Pseudomorphs In a Saline Lake In the Northern Great Plains, Canada. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting Abstracts with Programs. Houston, Texas. 40(6):399.
- Last, W.M. and Ginn, F.M. 2008. A new Location of Modern lacustrine Dolomite Formation: Manito Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting Abstracts with Programs Houston, Texas. 40(6):481.
- Ginn, F.M.; Last, W.M. and Halden, N.M. 2007. Microbialites as an archive of hydrological and environmental change in Manito Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting Denver, Colorado. 39(6):383.
- Last, W.M.; and Ginn, F.M. 2007. Dolomite in Saline Lakes of the Northern Great Plains, Western Canada. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting Denver, Colorado. 39(6): 145.
- 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.
- Ginn, Fawn M., Last, William M., Londry, Kathleen 2005. Dolomite, Microbiota, And Salt Lakes Of Western Canada. Program and Abstracts Water, Ice, Land and Life: The Quaternary Interface. CANQUA 2005 Conference June 5-8 Winnipeg, Manitoba, A30.
- Last, William M. and Ginn, Fawn M. 2005. Salts and Laminated Evaporitic Carbonates: New Insight Into A Century Old Dilemma. Program and Abstracts Water, Ice, Land and Life: The Quaternary Interface. CANQUA 2005 Conference June 5-8 Winnipeg, Manitoba, A41
- Ginn, Fawn M., Last, William M.,Londry, Kathleen, and Chalaturnyk, Matthew 2005. Dolomite, Microbialites And Salt Lakes: Celebrating 75 Years Of Lacustrine Dolomite Research. Earth System Processes II, Geol. Soc. Amer. Abstracts with Program, 42-7.
Published Papers
- Last, F. M. and Last, W. M., 2017. In memory of Elizabeth H. Gierlowski-Kordesch (October 4, 1956–May 17, 2016). Journal of Paleolimnology volume 57, In press (invited paper)
- Last, F.M., Last W.M., Halden, N.M., Fayek, M. 2013. Occurrence and significance of a cold water carbonate pseudomorph in microbialites from a saline lake. Journal of Paleolimnology, Volume 50, pages 505-517.
- 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, F.M., 2013. Carbonate microbialite formation in a prairie saline lake in Saskatchewan, Canada: paleohydrological and paleoenvironmental implications. Ph.D. thesis, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, 398 pp.
- Last, F.M., Last, W.M., and Halden, N.M. 2012. Modern and late Holocene dolomite formation: Manito Lake, Saskatchewan. Sedimentary Geology, volume 281, pages 222-237.
- Last, F.M., Last, W.M. 2012. An overview of saline lake carbonates, the northern Great Plains of western Canada. Sedimentary Geology, volume 277-278, pages 1-31. (Invited Review Paper; Listed #2 in Top 25 Hottest Articles, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Elsevier).
- Last, F.M., Last, W. M., and Halden, N. M. 2010. Carbonate microbialites and hardgrounds from Manito Lake, an alkaline, hypersaline lake in the northern Great Plains of Canada. Sedimentary Geology, volume 225, pages 34-49.
- Ginn, F. M., 2010. Citation for Israel C. Russell Award. Geological Society of America.
- Last, William M. and Last, Fawn M., 2010. Natural Disasters and Global Change. University of Manitoba, Extended Education, 220 pages
- Last, W. M., and Ginn F. M., 2009. Water chemistry of saline lakes of the Northern Great Plains, western Canada. Geochemical News. Vol. 141
- 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)
- Ginn, F. M., 1999. Endophytic fungi in Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) and Vaccinium angustifolium (Blueberry), M.Sc. thesis, University of New Brunswick. Department of Biology, 74 pp.
Theses and non-refereed consultant/technical reports
- Last, F.M., 2013. Ph.D. Thesis University of Manitoba: Carbonate microbialite formation in a prairie saline lake In Saskatchewan: paleohydrologic and paleoenvironmental implications. 398 pp.
- 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.
- Ginn F.M., 1999. M.Sc. Thesis University of New Brunswick: Endophytic fungi in Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) and Vaccinium angustifolium (Blueberry) 74 pp.