D. Kirk Nordstrom
Dr. Nordstrom is a hydrogeochemist (emeritus) with the US Geological Survey whose works covers acid mine drainage, geothermal water chemistry, radioactive waste research, groundwater geochemistry, analytical chemistry, redox species, geochemical modeling, thermodynamic data evaluation, and geomicrobiology.
Dr. Nordstrom has worked on field sites, on laboratory studies, and theoretical calculations having to do with water-rock interactions. Field work includes interpreting the origin, evolution, fate, and consequences of acid mine drainage from metal mining, interpreting groundwater chemistry in a variety of aquifer systems, and interpreting the origins and evolution of geothermal water chemistry. He has contributed to the interpretation of groundwater composition in deep aquifer systems considered for nuclear waste disposal; the development of preservation methods and new analytical techniques for aqueous species, especially redox species, in natural waters; and the application of geochemical modeling to the interpretation of water-rock interactions for both surface and groundwaters. He has contributed to the development of geochemical modeling codes and the evaluation of thermodynamic data used in the codes. He has studied the role of microbes in the rates and processes of oxidation and reduction of redox-sensitive elements. He has focused often on the hydrogeochemical behavior of arsenic and fluoride which are often found as geogenic contaminants in groundwaters. He has worked on four USEPA Superfund sites and close to 100 mine sites.
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor, University of Virginia, 1976-80
Associate Editor for Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 1986-87
Managing Editor for Geochemistry for Earth-Science Reviews, 2006-09
Co-editor for “Sulfate Minerals – Crystallography, Geochemistry, and Environmental Significance,” with John Jambor and Charles Alpers, Mineralogical Society of America and Geochemical Society, 2000
Editor for “Groundwater Geochemistry: A practical guide to modeling of natural and contaminated systems” by B.J. Merkel and B. Planer-Friedrich, 2005, Springer, Berlin and second edition, 2008
Co-editor for “Arsenic: Environmental Geochemistry, Mineralogy, and Microbiology,” with Rob Bowell, Charles Alpers, and Heather Jamieson, Mineralogical Association of America and Geochemical Society, 2014
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. (Geochemistry) Stanford University, 1977
M.S. (Geology) University of Colorado, 1971
B.A. (Chemistry) Southern Illinois University, 1969
Affiliations and Memberships*
Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Member, Geochemical Society
Fellow, Geological Society of America, (Hydrogeology Division)
Fellow, Mineralogical Society of America
Fellow, International Association of Geochemistry
Member, International Mine Water Association
Member, Board of Radioactive Waste Management, National Academy of Sciences, 1990-96
Member, Science Advisory Board, Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, 2000-09
Honors and Awards
Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research, 1970
Grant from the Anaconda Company, 1970
National Science Foundation Fellowship, 1970 71
Stanford Scholarship, 1975-76
American Men and Women of Science, 33rd edition
Who's Who in the West, 21st edition
Adjunct Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, 1991-2004
Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lectureship Award, Geological Society of America, 1996
Phoebe Apperson Hearst Distinguished Lecturer (University of California Berkeley), 1998
Fellow, Mineralogical Society of America, 2000
Fellow, Geological Society of America, 2001
Meritorious Service Award, US Department of the Interior, 2002
Cooperative Conservation Award, US Department of the Interior, 2008
International Ingerson Lecture Award, International Association of Geochemistry, 2009
Friend of Water-Rock Interaction Award, International Association of Geochemistry, 2010
Adrian Smith Lecture Award, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2011
USGS Water Research Lecture Award, 2012
Adjunct Professor Award, Department of Chemistry, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia 2014-17
Brian Hitchon Award, International Association of Geochemistry, 2016 (most cited paper of 2011)
Leader of Water-Rock Interaction Award, International Association of Geochemistry, 2016
Halbouty Visiting Chair Award, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, March, 2018
Abstracts and Presentations
US Geological Survey (1985-2000) Geochemistry of Ground Water Systems 2-week Training Course (w/ others)
CIEMAT/ENRESA, Madrid (1994) Short course on Aqueous Geochemistry & Geochemical Modeling
CIEMAT/ENRESA, Madrid (1996) Short course on Isotope Hydrogeochemistry (with Niel Plummer)
ATSDR, Atlanta, GA (1997) Short course on Geochemical Modeling (with Jim Ball)
Porto University, Portugal (2008) Short Course on Arsenic Geochemistry, April 28-May 3
State of California Water Board (2009) Short Course on Characterizing, Predicting, and Modeling Water Quality at Mine Sites, May 18-21
Wuhan University, Hubei, China (2009) Advances in Hydrogeochemistry, March 23-26
University of Concepcion, Chile (2010) Short Course on Mining and Sustainability, October 11-15
Society for Economic Geologists (2010) Environmental Geochemistry for Modern Mining, October 29-30, Denver, CO (Annual Meeting of Geological Society of America)
EPA Webinar Workshop (2013) Predicting and modeling water chemistry associated with hardrock mine sites, February 13
National University of Salta, Argentina, Short Course on the Geochemistry of Acid Mine Drainage
Murdoch University, Australia (2015) Master Class: Introduction to Geochemical Modeling, Feb. 24
China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China (2015) Half-day seminar on Introduction to PHREEQC
Luleå University of Technology (2017) Geochemical modeling for mine site characterization and Luleå, Sweden remediation with PHREEQC exercises, July 3 – 5
Texas A&M University (2018) Chemical Elements in Water, March 1 – 31
Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China (2018) Chemical Elements in Water, July 16-28
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS (2019) Overview of Groundwater Chemistry: Convergence of Chemistry, Geology and Hydrology
More than 250 abstracts presented at professional society meetings, more than 150 presentations within the USGS, other universities, and other national and international institutions (other than courses taught). Numerous briefings to state and federal agencies.
Science and Products
Historic Water Chemistry Data for Thermal Features, Streams, and Rivers in the Yellowstone National Park Area, 1883-2021
Water-Chemistry and Isotope Data for Selected Springs, Geysers, Streams, and Rivers in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Field and Laboratory data of pipe scale forming in acid mine drainage pipelines at Iron Mountain and Leviathan Mines, California
Arsenic and other geogenic contaminants in global groundwater
Reference materials for phase equilibrium studies. 2. Solid–liquid equilibria (IUPAC Technical Report)
Evaluation for internal consistency in the thermodynamic network involving fluorite, cryolite and villiaumite solubilities and aqueous species at 25°C and 1 bar
Fluoride in thermal and non-thermal groundwater: Insights from geochemical modeling
The source, fate, and transport of arsenic in the Yellowstone hydrothermal system - An overview
Geochemical modeling of iron and aluminum precipitation during mixing and neutralization of acid mine drainage
Formation and prevention of pipe scale from acid mine drainage at Iron Mountain and Leviathan Mines, California, USA
Sources, fate, and flux of geothermal solutes in the Yellowstone and Gardner Rivers, Yellowstone National Park, WY
Fate of antimony and arsenic in contaminated waters at the abandoned Su Suergiu mine (Sardinia, Italy)
Geochemical modeling for mine site characterization and remediation
Challenges in recovering resources from acid mine drainage
Science and Products
Historic Water Chemistry Data for Thermal Features, Streams, and Rivers in the Yellowstone National Park Area, 1883-2021
Water-Chemistry and Isotope Data for Selected Springs, Geysers, Streams, and Rivers in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Field and Laboratory data of pipe scale forming in acid mine drainage pipelines at Iron Mountain and Leviathan Mines, California
Arsenic and other geogenic contaminants in global groundwater
Reference materials for phase equilibrium studies. 2. Solid–liquid equilibria (IUPAC Technical Report)
Evaluation for internal consistency in the thermodynamic network involving fluorite, cryolite and villiaumite solubilities and aqueous species at 25°C and 1 bar
Fluoride in thermal and non-thermal groundwater: Insights from geochemical modeling
The source, fate, and transport of arsenic in the Yellowstone hydrothermal system - An overview
Geochemical modeling of iron and aluminum precipitation during mixing and neutralization of acid mine drainage
Formation and prevention of pipe scale from acid mine drainage at Iron Mountain and Leviathan Mines, California, USA
Sources, fate, and flux of geothermal solutes in the Yellowstone and Gardner Rivers, Yellowstone National Park, WY
Fate of antimony and arsenic in contaminated waters at the abandoned Su Suergiu mine (Sardinia, Italy)
Geochemical modeling for mine site characterization and remediation
Challenges in recovering resources from acid mine drainage
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government