Matthew Varonka is a Research Chemist with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
Matthew works in the Eastern Energy and Environmental Laboratory (EEEL), which is involved in a variety of research goals relating energy and the environment. Matt graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. in chemistry and went on to earn a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Georgetown University before joining the USGS in 2010.
Science and Products
Advancements in Geochemistry and Geomicrobiology of Energy Resources (AGGER)
Black Bear Creek Watershed Hydrologic Summary for the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
Subject-Area Specialists
Interpretive Reports
Oklahoma Water Science Center Publications
Other Reports and Data Releases
Fact Sheets
Open-File Reports
Geochemical Data for Coal Wastes from Bituminous Coal Mining in Pennsylvania, 2022
Organic Compounds Identified via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in Produced Water Samples Collected at the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) 2015-2019, Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP), West Virginia
Geochemistry and microbiology data collected to study the effects of oil and gas wastewater dumping on arid lands in New Mexico
Chemical characterization of water, sediments, and fish from Water Conservation Areas and Canals of the Florida Everglades (USA), 2012 to 2019
Carbon and Nitrogen in Sediments from Hg-Contaminated Streams and Lakes in Texas, Virginia, and Tennessee
Absorbance and Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrix Data for Produced Waters from Oil and Gas Producing Basins in the United States
Total and Methyl Mercury Water and Fish Concentrations within Everglades National Park
Chemistry Data from the Birney Test Site, Montana, 2018-2020
Data on Produced Water Quality and Quantities from Hydraulically Fractured Williston Basin Oil Wells
Injection of Deuterium and Yeast Extract at USGS Birney Field Site, Powder River Basin, Montana, USA, 2016-2020
Data on the Effects of Oil and Gas Wastewater Components on Microbial Community Structure and Function
Chemistry Data from Southern Florida Canals Collected in Support of the Aquatic Cycling of Mercury in the Everglades Project
Dissolved organic matter within oil and gas associated wastewaters from U.S. unconventional petroleum plays: Comparisons and consequences for disposal and reuse
Decadal trends of mercury cycling and bioaccumulation within Everglades National Park
In situ enhancement and isotopic labeling of biogenic coalbed methane
Oil and gas wastewater components alter streambed microbial community structure and function
Insights on geochemical, isotopic, and volumetric compositions of produced water from hydraulically fractured Williston Basin oil wells
Tracing produced water origins from wells hydraulically fractured with freshwater-based fluids is sometimes predicated on assumptions that (1) each geological formation contains compositionally unique brine and (2) produced water from recently hydraulically fractured wells resembles fresher meteoric water more so than produced water from older wells. These assumptions are not valid in Williston Ba
Water resources in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal jurisdictional area, west-central Oklahoma, with an analysis of data gaps through 2015
Origin and geochemistry of formation waters from the lower Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast Basin, south central Texas
Organic compounds in produced waters from the Bakken Formation and Three Forks Formation in the Williston Basin, North Dakota
Summary of climatic, geographic, geologic, and available hydrologic data and identification of data gaps for the Black Bear Creek watershed of the Pawnee Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area, Oklahoma
Organic geochemistry and toxicology of a stream impacted by unconventional oil and gas wastewater disposal operations
Geogenic organic contaminants in the low-rank coal-bearing Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer of East Texas, USA
Enhanced coal-dependent methanogenesis coupled with algal biofuels: Potential water recycle and carbon capture
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
Advancements in Geochemistry and Geomicrobiology of Energy Resources (AGGER)
The AGGER project seeks to advance the understanding of factors that indicate and control the sources, generation, composition, stimulation, accumulation, movement, and production potential of petroleum, nuclear fuel resources (e.g., uranium and thorium), and their byproducts as well as the potential for resource recovery from wastes generated during extraction.Black Bear Creek Watershed Hydrologic Summary for the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
The objectives of this project are to compile, summarize, and analyze available data and reports from the Pawnee Nation, the USGS, and other government agencies. The final report of the analysis will provide a comprehensive background document for geographic, hydrologic, and environmental features of the area and will identify gaps in available data that need to be filled for the Pawnee Nation to...Subject-Area Specialists
Please feel free to contact any of our subject-area specialists. Center Director/Surface-water specialist - Jason LewisData Chief - VacantStudies Chief - Matthew VaronkaGeographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist - S. Jerrod SmithGroundwater specialist - Shana MashburnWater-quality specialist - Stephanie BuckWater-use specialist - Carol BeckerInterpretive Reports
The Oklahoma Water Science Center publishes water-information reports on many topics and in many formats. From this Web page, you can locate, view, download, or order scientific and technical articles and reports as well as general interest publications such as booklets, fact sheets, pamphlets, and posters resulting from the research performed by our scientists and partners.Scientific...Oklahoma Water Science Center Publications
This page will help you locate, view, and download scientific and technical articles and reports as well as general interest publications such as booklets, fact sheets, pamphlets, and posters resulting from the research performed by our scientists and partners.The USGS Publications Warehouse contains on-line content and citations for over 100,000 publications.Other Reports and Data Releases
The Oklahoma Water Science Center publishes water-information reports on many topics and in many formats. From this Web page, you can locate, view, download, or order scientific and technical articles and reports as well as general interest publications such as booklets, fact sheets, pamphlets, and posters resulting from the research performed by our scientists and partners.Fact Sheets
Fact Sheets are intended as a short publication that provides for rapid publication and dissemination of facts and findings.Open-File Reports
Open-file reports include unpublished manuscript reports, maps, and other material and are made available for public consultation and use. They are a nonpermanent form of publication that may be cited in other publications as sources of information. - Data
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Geochemical Data for Coal Wastes from Bituminous Coal Mining in Pennsylvania, 2022
Coal and coal byproducts may be economically important resources if enriched in critical minerals such as rare earth elements. The organic carbon they contain could be converted to gas using stimulated microbial methanogenesis. In this study, samples were collected from two underground mine sites in the bituminous region of southwest Pennsylvania to assess the potential for these uses from differeOrganic Compounds Identified via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in Produced Water Samples Collected at the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) 2015-2019, Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP), West Virginia
The Marcellus Shale Energy and Environmental Laboratory (MSEEL) field site in Morgantown, WV was established by West Virginia University in order to increase understanding of factors that affect resource recovery and environmental impacts from unconventional oil and gas development. The site, which is located in the Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP) adjacent to the Monongahela River, includes one wGeochemistry and microbiology data collected to study the effects of oil and gas wastewater dumping on arid lands in New Mexico
The Permian Basin, straddling New Mexico and Texas, is one of the most productive oil and gas (OG) provinces in the United States. OG production yields large volumes of wastewater that contain elevated concentrations of major ions including salts (also referred to as brines), and trace organic and inorganic constituents. These OG wastewaters pose unknown environmental health risks, particularly inByWater Resources Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Environmental Health Program, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Eastern Energy and Environmental Laboratory (EEEL), Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory, Reston Microbiology LaboratoryChemical characterization of water, sediments, and fish from Water Conservation Areas and Canals of the Florida Everglades (USA), 2012 to 2019
This dataset includes field and laboratory measurements of surface waters, pore waters, sediment, and fish from Water Conservation Areas and adjacent canals of the Florida Everglades (USA). Water, sediment, and fish samples were collected from Water Conservation Areas 1 (Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge), 2, and 3 and neighboring canals between 2012 and 2019. The sites samplCarbon and Nitrogen in Sediments from Hg-Contaminated Streams and Lakes in Texas, Virginia, and Tennessee
Sediment samples were collected from mercury-contaminated streams and lakes in Texas, Virginia, and Tennessee and were analyzed for total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN). A portion of the sample was combusted at 550 degrees C for 2 hours prior to analysis to remove the organic carbon and nitrogen, thus giving total inorganic carbon (TIC) and total inorganic nitrogen (TIN). Total organic carbonAbsorbance and Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrix Data for Produced Waters from Oil and Gas Producing Basins in the United States
Waters co-produced during petroleum extraction are normally considered wastes but are also possible resources, especially in water-stressed regions. Produced waters can be chemically complex. High salinity, naturally occurring radioactive materials, and organic substances derived from the producing formation can complicate treatment processes. Rapid screening methods to characterize produced waterTotal and Methyl Mercury Water and Fish Concentrations within Everglades National Park
The data in this data release includes results from the analysis of water and fish from 76 sites in the Everglades National Park (ENP). Water and particulate matter samples were collected from 2008 to 2018 and analyzed for total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg). Filtered water samples were also analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA), and major aniChemistry Data from the Birney Test Site, Montana, 2018-2020
Data were collected to monitor geochemistry before and after an injection designed to stimulate microbial methanogenesis in the shallow Flowers-Goodale coal bed, near Birney in southeastern Montana. Waters from wells completed in the Flowers-Goodale, Nance, Knobloch, and Terret coalbeds at the Birney Test Site were sampled. Geochemical characterization of the water included non-purgeable dissolvedData on Produced Water Quality and Quantities from Hydraulically Fractured Williston Basin Oil Wells
This dataset contains compositional data on 17 produced water samples from hydraulically fractured unconventional oil wells completed in the Middle Bakken and Three Forks Formations. The oil wells are located in five different wellfields across the Williston Basin. Specific gravity, conductivity, temperature, pH and oxidation-reduction potential for each sample was measured in the field. Ions (B,Injection of Deuterium and Yeast Extract at USGS Birney Field Site, Powder River Basin, Montana, USA, 2016-2020
Subsurface microbial (biogenic) methane production is an important part of the global carbon cycle and has resulted in natural gas accumulations in many coal beds worldwide. Laboratory experiments indicate coal beds can act as natural geobioreactors and produce additional low carbon renewable natural gas with algal or yeast compounds, yet the effectiveness of these nutrients in situ are unknown. TData on the Effects of Oil and Gas Wastewater Components on Microbial Community Structure and Function
Oil and gas (OG) wastewaters are commonly disposed of by underground injection and previous research showed that activities at a disposal facility in West Virginia affected stream biogeochemistry and sediment microbial communities downstream from the facility. Microorganisms can control the fate and transport of organic and inorganic components of OG wastewater highlighting the need to characterizChemistry Data from Southern Florida Canals Collected in Support of the Aquatic Cycling of Mercury in the Everglades Project
Several canals in southern Florida run from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) and feed water to the northern Everglades. Agricultural and water-management practices affect the water quality of these canals. Fertilizers added in the EAA flow into the canals and are transported to treatment areas which remove much of the phosphorous in the water, but are not as effective - Multimedia
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Filter Total Items: 17
Dissolved organic matter within oil and gas associated wastewaters from U.S. unconventional petroleum plays: Comparisons and consequences for disposal and reuse
Wastewater generated during petroleum extraction (produced water) may contain high concentrations of dissolved organics due to their intimate association with organic-rich source rocks, expelled petroleum, and organic additives to fluids used for hydraulic fracturing of unconventional (e.g., shale) reservoirs. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) within produced water represents a challenge for treatmenAuthorsBonnie McDevitt, Aaron M. Jubb, Matthew S. Varonka, Madalyn S. Blondes, Mark A Engle, Tanya J. Gallegos, Jenna L. SheltonDecadal trends of mercury cycling and bioaccumulation within Everglades National Park
Mercury (Hg) contamination has been a persistent concern in the Florida Everglades for over three decades due to elevated atmospheric deposition and the system's propensity for methylation and rapid bioaccumulation. Given declines in atmospheric Hg concentrations in the conterminous United States and efforts to mitigate nutrient release to the greater Everglades ecosystem, it was vital to assess hAuthorsSarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, Brett Poulin, David P. Krabbenhoft, John F DeWild, Jacob M. Ogorek, Matthew S. Varonka, William H. Orem, Jeffrey D KlineIn situ enhancement and isotopic labeling of biogenic coalbed methane
Subsurface microbial (biogenic) methane production is an important part of the global carbon cycle that has resulted in natural gas accumulations in many coal beds worldwide. Laboratory studies suggest that complex carbon-containing nutrients (e.g., yeast or algae extract) can stimulate methane production, yet the effectiveness of these nutrients within coal beds is unknown. Here, we use downholeAuthorsElliott Barnhart, Leslie F. Ruppert, Randy Heibert, Heidi J. Smith, Hannah Schweitzer, Arthur Clark, Edwin Weeks, William H. Orem, Matthew S. Varonka, George A. Platt, Jenna L. Shelton, Katherine J Davis, Robert Hyatt, Jennifer C. McIntosh, Kilian Ashley, Shuhei Ono, Anna M. Martini, Keith Hackley, Robin Gerlach, Lee Spangler, Adrienne Phillips, Mark Barry, Alfred B. Cunningham, Matthew W. FieldsOil and gas wastewater components alter streambed microbial community structure and function
The widespread application of directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies expanded oil and gas (OG) development to previously inaccessible resources. A single OG well can generate millions of liters of wastewater, which is a mixture of brine produced from the fractured formations and injected hydraulic fracturing fluids (HFFs). With thousands of wells completed each year, safe managAuthorsDenise M. Akob, Adam Mumford, Andrea Fraser, Cassandra Rashan Harris, William H. Orem, Matthew S. Varonka, Isabelle M. CozzarelliInsights on geochemical, isotopic, and volumetric compositions of produced water from hydraulically fractured Williston Basin oil wells
Tracing produced water origins from wells hydraulically fractured with freshwater-based fluids is sometimes predicated on assumptions that (1) each geological formation contains compositionally unique brine and (2) produced water from recently hydraulically fractured wells resembles fresher meteoric water more so than produced water from older wells. These assumptions are not valid in Williston Ba
AuthorsTanya J. Gallegos, Colin A. Doolan, Rodney R. Caldwell, Mark A Engle, Matthew S. Varonka, Justin E. Birdwell, Glenn D. Jolly, Tyler B. Coplen, Thomas A. OliverByWater resources in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal jurisdictional area, west-central Oklahoma, with an analysis of data gaps through 2015
This report provides an overview of existing hydrologic information describing the quality, quantity, and extent of the major surface-water and groundwater resources in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal jurisdictional area, west-central Oklahoma. Hydrologic information is provided for five major river systems (Cimarron River, North Canadian River, Canadian River, Washita River, and North Fork Red RiAuthorsCarol Becker, Matthew S. VaronkaOrigin and geochemistry of formation waters from the lower Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast Basin, south central Texas
The lower Eagle Ford Group (LEFG) is one of the most productive continuous hydrocarbon plays in the United States but few associated produced waters data and minimal interpretation have been published. This effort focuses on results from compositional and isotopic data from 39 produced water samples collected from horizontal wells producing from the LEFG in south central Texas. The depth of the LEAuthorsMark A Engle, Colin A. Doolan, Janet K. Pitman, Matthew S. Varonka, Jessica Chenault, William H. Orem, Peter B. McMahon, Aaron M. JubbOrganic compounds in produced waters from the Bakken Formation and Three Forks Formation in the Williston Basin, North Dakota
The organic composition of produced waters (flowback and formation waters) from the middle member of the Bakken Formation and the Three Forks Formation in the Williston Basin, North Dakota were examined to aid in the remediation of surface contamination and help develop treatment methods for produced-water recycling. Twelve produced water samples were collected from the Bakken and Three Forks FormAuthorsMatthew S. Varonka, Tanya Gallegos, Anne L. Bates, Colin A. Doolan, William H. OremSummary of climatic, geographic, geologic, and available hydrologic data and identification of data gaps for the Black Bear Creek watershed of the Pawnee Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area, Oklahoma
The Pawnee Nation is compiling a comprehensive water-management plan for the Pawnee Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area in north-central Oklahoma. One of the first steps needed in preparing such a plan is a summary and analysis of available hydrologic data and reports that have been published for the area. In phase I of a three-phase, watershed-based approach to summary and analysis of water resourcAuthorsMatthew S. VaronkaOrganic geochemistry and toxicology of a stream impacted by unconventional oil and gas wastewater disposal operations
Water and sediment extracts samples were analyzed for extractable hydrocarbons by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using an Agilent (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA, USA) 7890 series GC and 5975 electron ionization (EI) mass selective detector (MSD) operated in scan mode. Agilent ChemStation software was used for data acquisition and analysis (version E.02.00.493 on GC/MS computerAuthorsWilliam H. Orem, Matthew S. Varonka, Lynn M. Crosby, Karl B. Haase, Keith A. Loftin, Michelle Hladik, Denise M. Akob, Calin Tatu, Adam C. Mumford, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Anne L. Bates, Tiffani Schell, Isabelle M. CozzarelliGeogenic organic contaminants in the low-rank coal-bearing Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer of East Texas, USA
The organic composition of groundwater along the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in East Texas (USA), sampled from rural wells in May and September 2015, was examined as part of a larger study of the potential health and environmental effects of organic compounds derived from low-rank coals. The quality of water from the low-rank coal-bearing Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer is a potential environmental concern andAuthorsJayeeta Chakraborty, Matthew S. Varonka, William H. Orem, Robert B. Finkelman, William MantonEnhanced coal-dependent methanogenesis coupled with algal biofuels: Potential water recycle and carbon capture
Many coal beds contain microbial communities that can convert coal to natural gas (coalbed methane). Native microorganisms were obtained from Powder River Basin (PRB) coal seams with a diffusive microbial sampler placed downhole and used as an inoculum for enrichments with different nutrients to investigate microbially-enhanced coalbed methane production (MECoM). Coal-dependent methanogenesis moreAuthorsElliott P. Barnhart, Katherine J. Davis, Matthew S. Varonka, William H. Orem, Alfred B. Cunningham, Bradley D. Ramsay, Matthew W. FieldsNon-USGS Publications**
Orem, W.; Varonka, M.; Crosby, L.; Haase, K.; Loftin, K.; Hladik, M.; Akob, D.M.; Tatu, C.; Mumford, A.; Jaeschke, J.; Bates, A.; Schell, T. Organic geochemistry and toxicology of a stream impacted by unconventional oil and gas wastewater disposal operations, Appl. Geochem., 2017, 80, 155-167.Barnhart, E.P.; Davis, K.J.; Varonka, M.; Orem, W.; Cunningham, A.B.; Ramsay, B.D.; Fields, M.W. Enhanced coal-dependent methanogenesis coupled with algal biofuels: Potential water recycle and carbon capture, Int. J. of Coal Geol., 2017, 171, 69-75.Hall, M. D.; Brimacombe, K. R.; Varonka, M. S.; Pluchino, K. M.; Monda, J. K.; Li, J.; Walsh, M. J.; Boxer, M. B.; Warren, T. H.; Fales, H. M.; Gottesman, M. M. Synthesis and Structure-Activity Evalution of Isatin-β-thiosemicarbazones with Improved Selective Activity toward Multidrug-Resistant Cells Expressing P-Glycoprotein, J. Med. Chem., 2011, 54(16), 5878-5889.Wiese, S.; Badiei, Y. M.; Gephart, R. T.; Mossin, S.; Varonka, M. S.; Melzer, M. M.; Meyer, K.; Cundari, T. R.; Warren, T. H. Catalytic C-H Amination with Unactivated Amines through Copper(II) Amides, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49(47), 8850-8855.Varonka, M. S.; Warren, T. H. Three-Coordinate N-Heterocyclic Carbene Nickel Nitrosyl Complexes, Organometallics, 2010, 29(4), 717-720.Varonka, Matthew S.; Warren, Timothy H.; Dugan, Thomas R.; Cowley, Ryan E.; Holland, Patrick L. “β-diketiminate Precursors HLMe,Me3 and TlLMe,Me3 (LMe,Me3 = 2,4-bis(2,6-mesitylimido)pentyl),” Complexes of Bulky β-Diketiminate Ligands, in Inorg. Synth. 2010, 35, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, USA.Varonka, M. S.; Warren, T. H. S-Nitrosothiol and Nitric Oxide Reactivity at Zinc Thiolates, Inorg. Chem., 2009, 48(13), 5605-5607.Varonka, M.S.; Warren, T.H. S-nitrosothiol and nitric oxide reactivity at β-diketiminato zinc thiolates, Inorg. Chim. Acta, 2007, 360(1), 317-328.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.