 This study uses x-ray fluorescence to assess the geochemical impacts of high severity fires on a subalpine lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. The results show that immediately after 17 high severity fires, sedimentary concentrations of five elements increased but returned to pre-fire levels within three decades. Multivariate analyses indicate that erosion of weathered mineral material from the catchment is a primary mechanism through which high severity fires impact element cycling. A longer-term trend in sediment geochemistry was also identified over millennial timescales, indicating that repeated loss of rock-derived nutrients from the terrestrial ecosystem due to high severity fires can cause significant changes in key nutrient cycles. Further documentation and quantification of this important mechanism linking fire regimes and biogeochemical cycles are needed to understand the future of fire-prome coniferous forests. This article was authored by Borenger Elays, Philippi Iguera, Kendra K. McLauchelen, and others. We are article.tv, links in the description below.