Adam Benthem is the National Map Liaison for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Adam studies the anthropogenic modification of rivers and land surfaces. He specializes in using remote sensing to monitor and predict landform change through time with a focus on integrating field-based site measurements with regional-scale geospatial datasets. He received his Master’s Degree in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia. In 2010 he worked for the Deepwater Horizon Commission which investigated the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and joined the USGS in 2011. Adam's work at the USGS focuses on the mechanics of sediment transport and investigates how rivers mobilize, transport, and store sediment though the landscape. Anthropogenic changes such as dams, urbanization, industrial activity, and climate change can greatly modify natural processes of sediment transport resulting in significant changes in our Nation's rivers. This can lead to shifts in flooding, damage to infrastructure, and loss of critical ecosystems. The changes related to sediment movement operate on time scale ranging from seconds to centuries, this research address not just the issues we have today but prepares us for the challenges we will face tomorrow.
Science and Products
Spatially averaged stratigraphic data to inform watershed sediment routing: An example from the Mid-Atlantic United States
Streamflow, sediment transport, and geomorphic change during the 2011 flood on the Missouri River near Bismarck-Mandan, ND
Geochemical and geophysical indicators of oil and gas wastewater can trace potential exposure pathways following releases to surface waters
Sediment dynamics and implications for management: State of the science from long‐term research in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
Refining the Baseline Sediment Budget for the Klamath River, California
Four dams in the Klamath River Hydroelectric Project (KHP) in Oregon and California (Figure 1) are currently scheduled to be removed over a period of a few weeks or months, beginning in January 2021. The Klamath dam removal will be the largest in the world by almost all measures, and is an unprecedented opportunity to advance science of river responses to such events. The KHP contains approximatel
Direct channel precipitation and storm type influence short-term fallout radionuclide assessment of sediment source
Flood effects provide evidence of an alternate stable state from dam management on the Upper Missouri River
Environmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota
Sediment and nutrient trapping as a result of a temporary Mississippi River floodplain restoration: The Morganza Spillway during the 2011 Mississippi River Flood
Geomorphic change on the Missouri River during the flood of 2011
Surface disposal of produced waters in western and southwestern Pennsylvania: potential for accumulation of alkali-earth elements in sediments
Large dams and alluvial rivers in the Anthropocene: The impacts of the Garrison and Oahe Dams on the Upper Missouri River
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.
Stream Flood Vulnerability Assessment at Acadia National Park
Passive Seismic Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio Measurements at Transportation Infrastructure Sites in New Hampshire, 2022
Geochemistry Data from Samples Collected in 2015-2017 to study an OG wastewater spill in Blacktail Creek, North Dakota
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 13
Spatially averaged stratigraphic data to inform watershed sediment routing: An example from the Mid-Atlantic United States
New and previously published stratigraphic data define Holocene to present sediment storage time scales for Mid-Atlantic river corridors. Empirical distributions of deposit ages and thicknesses were randomly sampled to create synthetic age-depth records. Deposits predating European settlement accumulated at a (median) rate of 0.06 cm yr−1, range from ∼18,000 to 225 yr old, and represent 39% (mediaAuthorsJames Pizzuto, Katherine Skalak, Adam Benthem, Shannon A. Mahan, Mahmoud Sherif, Adam PearsonStreamflow, sediment transport, and geomorphic change during the 2011 flood on the Missouri River near Bismarck-Mandan, ND
Geomorphic change from extreme events in large managed rivers has implications for river management. A steady-state, quasi-three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was applied to a 29-km reach of the Missouri River using 2011 flood data. Model results for an extreme flow (500-year recurrence interval [RI]) and an elevated managed flow (75-year RI) were used to assess sediment mobility through examinatAuthorsRochelle A. Nustad, Adam Benthem, Katherine Skalak, Richard R. McDonald, Edward R. Schenk, Joel M. GallowayGeochemical and geophysical indicators of oil and gas wastewater can trace potential exposure pathways following releases to surface waters
Releases of oil and gas (OG) wastewaters can have complex effects on stream-water quality and downstream organisms, due to sediment-water interactions and groundwater/surface water exchange. Previously, elevated concentrations of sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), barium (Ba), strontium (Sr), and lithium (Li), and trace hydrocarbons were determined to be key markers of OG wastewater releases when combineAuthorsIsabelle M. Cozzarelli, Douglas B. Kent, Martin A. Briggs, Mark A Engle, Adam Benthem, Katherine Skalak, Adam Mumford, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Aida Farag, John W. Lane, Denise M. AkobSediment dynamics and implications for management: State of the science from long‐term research in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA
This review aims to synthesize the current knowledge of sediment dynamics using insights from long‐term research conducted in the watershed draining to the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the U.S., to inform management actions to restore the estuary and its watershed. The sediment dynamics of the Chesapeake are typical of many impaired watersheds and estuaries around the world, and this synAuthorsGregory B. Noe, Matt J. Cashman, Katherine Skalak, Allen Gellis, Kristina G. Hopkins, Doug L. Moyer, James S. Webber, Adam Benthem, Kelly O. Maloney, John Brakebill, Andrew Sekellick, Michael J. Langland, Qian Zhang, Gary W. Shenk, Jennifer L. D. Keisman, Cliff R. HuppRefining the Baseline Sediment Budget for the Klamath River, California
Four dams in the Klamath River Hydroelectric Project (KHP) in Oregon and California (Figure 1) are currently scheduled to be removed over a period of a few weeks or months, beginning in January 2021. The Klamath dam removal will be the largest in the world by almost all measures, and is an unprecedented opportunity to advance science of river responses to such events. The KHP contains approximatel
AuthorsChauncey W. Anderson, Scott A. Wright, Liam N. Schenk, Katherine Skalak, Jennifer A. Curtis, Amy E. East, Adam BenthemDirect channel precipitation and storm type influence short-term fallout radionuclide assessment of sediment source
Fallout radionuclides (FRNs) and their ratios, such as Beryllium‐7 (7Be) and excess Lead‐210 (210Pbxs), have been used to determine suspended sediment source and age in catchments. These models are based on numerous assumptions, for example, that channel deposition of FRNs from precipitation is negligible in comparison to their delivery to the channel from land surface erosion during individual stAuthorsDiana Karwan, James Pizzuto, Rolf Aalto, Julia Marquard, Adrian Harpold, Katherine Skalak, Adam J. Benthem, Delphia Levia, Courtney Siegert, Anthony K. AufdenkampeFlood effects provide evidence of an alternate stable state from dam management on the Upper Missouri River
We examine how historic flooding in 2011 affected the geomorphic adjustments created by dam regulation along the approximately 120 km free flowing reach of the Upper Missouri River bounded upstream by the Garrison Dam (1953) and downstream by Lake Oahe Reservoir (1959) near the City of Bismarck, ND, USA. The largest flood since dam regulation occurred in 2011. Flood releases from the Garrison DamAuthorsKatherine Skalak, Adam J. Benthem, Cliff R. Hupp, Edward R. Schenk, Joel M. Galloway, Rochelle A. NustadEnvironmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota
Wastewaters from oil and gas development pose largely unknown risks to environmental resources. In January 2015, 11.4 M L (million liters) of wastewater (300 g/L TDS) from oil production in the Williston Basin was reported to have leaked from a pipeline, spilling into Blacktail Creek, North Dakota. Geochemical and biological samples were collected in February and June 2015 to identify geochemicalAuthorsIsabelle M. Cozzarelli, Katherine Skalak, D.B. Kent, Mark A. Engle, Adam J. Benthem, Adam Mumford, Karl B. Haase, Aïda M. Farag, David Harper, S. C. Nagel, Luke R. Iwanowicz, William H. Orem, Denise M. Akob, Jeanne B. Jaeschke, Joel M. Galloway, Matthias Kohler, Deborah L. Stoliker, Glenn D. JollySediment and nutrient trapping as a result of a temporary Mississippi River floodplain restoration: The Morganza Spillway during the 2011 Mississippi River Flood
The 2011 Mississippi River Flood resulted in the opening of the Morganza Spillway for the second time since its construction in 1954 releasing 7.6 km3 of water through agricultural and forested lands in the Morganza Floodway and into the Atchafalaya River Basin. This volume, released over 54 days, represented 5.5% of the Mississippi River (M.R.) discharge and 14% of the total discharge through theAuthorsDaniel Kroes, Edward R. Schenk, Gregory B. Noe, Adam J. BenthemGeomorphic change on the Missouri River during the flood of 2011
The 2011 flood on the Missouri River was one of the largest floods since the river became regulated by a series of high dams in the mid-20th century (greater than 150,000 cubic feet per second during the peak). The flood persisted through most of the summer, eroding river banks, adding sand to sandbars, and moving the thalweg of the channel in many places. The U.S. Geological Survey monitored andAuthorsEdward R. Schenk, Katherine J. Skalak, Adam J. Benthem, Benjamin J. Dietsch, Brenda K. Woodward, Gregg J. Wiche, Joel M. Galloway, Rochelle A. Nustad, Cliff R. HuppSurface disposal of produced waters in western and southwestern Pennsylvania: potential for accumulation of alkali-earth elements in sediments
Waters co-produced with hydrocarbons in the Appalachian Basin are of notably poor quality (concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) and total radium up to and exceeding 300,000 mg/L and 10,000 pCi/L, respectively). Since 2008, a rapid increase in Marcellus Shale gas production has led to a commensurate rise in associated wastewater while generation of produced water from conventional oil andAuthorsKatherine J. Skalak, Mark A. Engle, Elisabeth L. Rowan, Glenn D. Jolly, Kathryn M. Conko, Adam J. Benthem, Thomas F. KraemerLarge dams and alluvial rivers in the Anthropocene: The impacts of the Garrison and Oahe Dams on the Upper Missouri River
The Missouri River has had a long history of anthropogenic modification with considerable impacts on river and riparian ecology, form, and function. During the 20th century, several large dam-building efforts in the basin served the needs for irrigation, flood control, navigation, and the generation of hydroelectric power. The managed flow provided a range of uses, including recreation, fisheries,AuthorsKatherine Skalak, Adam J. Benthem, Edward R. Schenk, Cliff R. Hupp, Joel M. Galloway, Rochelle A. Nustad, Gregg J. WicheNon-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
Stream Flood Vulnerability Assessment at Acadia National Park
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New England Water Science Center, in cooperation with Acadia National Park, is assessing the vulnerability of the park’s streams, culverts, and bridges to flood damage and erosion using design flows for selected high streamflow recurrence intervals to inform management decisions on infrastructure upgrades. - Data
Passive Seismic Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio Measurements at Transportation Infrastructure Sites in New Hampshire, 2022
In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) made 107 horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) passive seismic geophysical measurements at four transportation infrastructure sites in New Hampshire to determine the benefits of HVSR as an enhancement to traditional geotechnical site characterizations performed by NHDOT. TypGeochemistry Data from Samples Collected in 2015-2017 to study an OG wastewater spill in Blacktail Creek, North Dakota
These metadata sets present the comprehensive geochemical composition of solid and water samples from the site of a 11.4ML (million liters) wastewater spill discovered in January, 2015. Analyses of a pipeline sample (analyses of select analytes), supplied by the North Dakota Department of Health are also included. The spill was near Blacktail Creek, north of Williston, ND. The leak was from a pipe - Multimedia