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Adam Benthem

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

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% (media
Authors
James Pizzuto, Katherine Skalak, Adam Benthem, Shannon A. Mahan, Mahmoud Sherif, Adam Pearson
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, New England Water Science Center

Streamflow, 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 examinat
Authors
Rochelle A. Nustad, Adam Benthem, Katherine Skalak, Richard R. McDonald, Edward R. Schenk, Joel M. Galloway
By
Dakota Water Science Center

Geochemical 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 combine
Authors
Isabelle 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. Akob
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Energy Resources Program, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory, Reston Microbiology Laboratory

Sediment 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 syn
Authors
Gregory B. Noe, Matt J. Cashman, Katherine Skalak, Allen C. 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. Hupp
By
Climate Research and Development Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

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

Authors
Chauncey W. Anderson, Scott A. Wright, Liam N. Schenk, Katherine Skalak, Jennifer A. Curtis, Amy E. East, Adam Benthem
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, California Water Science Center, New England Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Direct 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 st
Authors
Diana Karwan, James Pizzuto, Rolf Aalto, Julia Marquard, Adrian Harpold, Katherine Skalak, Adam J. Benthem, Delphia Levia, Courtney Siegert, Anthony K. Aufdenkampe
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Flood 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 Dam
Authors
Katherine Skalak, Adam J. Benthem, Cliff R. Hupp, Edward R. Schenk, Joel M. Galloway, Rochelle A. Nustad
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Environmental 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 geochemical
Authors
Isabelle 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. Jolly
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory, Reston Microbiology Laboratory

Sediment 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 the
Authors
Daniel Kroes, Edward R. Schenk, Gregory B. Noe, Adam J. Benthem
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center

Geomorphic 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 and
Authors
Edward 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. Hupp
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Surface 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 and
Authors
Katherine J. Skalak, Mark A. Engle, Elisabeth L. Rowan, Glenn D. Jolly, Kathryn M. Conko, Adam J. Benthem, Thomas F. Kraemer
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program

Large 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,
Authors
Katherine Skalak, Adam J. Benthem, Edward R. Schenk, Cliff R. Hupp, Joel M. Galloway, Rochelle A. Nustad, Gregg J. Wiche
By
Water Resources Mission Area

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.

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Hunters Brook in Acadia National Park

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.
By
New England Water Science Center
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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.
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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. Typ
By
New England Water Science Center

Geochemistry 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
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory
USGS scientist lifting a sample bottle from ice hole
Scientist Lifting a Sample Bottle from Ice Hole on a Stream
Scientist Lifting a Sample Bottle from Ice Hole on a Stream
USGS scientist lifting a sample bottle from ice hole

Scientist Lifting a Sample Bottle from Ice Hole on a Stream

Scientist Lifting a Sample Bottle from Ice Hole on a Stream

USGS scientist lifting a grab sample from ice hole on a stream in North Dakota. The scientist is part of a science team that assessing the potential impacts of a brine spill from unconventional oil and gas activities (UOG) on environmental health.

By
Toxic Substances Hydrology, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program
USGS scientist lifting a sample bottle from ice hole

Scientist Lifting a Sample Bottle from Ice Hole on a Stream

Scientist Lifting a Sample Bottle from Ice Hole on a Stream

USGS scientist lifting a grab sample from ice hole on a stream in North Dakota. The scientist is part of a science team that assessing the potential impacts of a brine spill from unconventional oil and gas activities (UOG) on environmental health.

By
Toxic Substances Hydrology, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program
USGS Scientist Adam Mumford WBS Sampling Under Ice
WBS Sampling Under Ice
WBS Sampling Under Ice
USGS Scientist Adam Mumford WBS Sampling Under Ice

WBS Sampling Under Ice

WBS Sampling Under Ice

Icy Sampling
RML scientist, Adam Mumford, working under ice to obtain grab samples of a stream in North Dakota to assess impacts of a brine spill from unconventional oil and gas activities (UOG). UOG spills often have very high concentrations of salts, metals, naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs), and organic compounds. 

By
Water Resources
USGS Scientist Adam Mumford WBS Sampling Under Ice

WBS Sampling Under Ice

WBS Sampling Under Ice

Icy Sampling
RML scientist, Adam Mumford, working under ice to obtain grab samples of a stream in North Dakota to assess impacts of a brine spill from unconventional oil and gas activities (UOG). UOG spills often have very high concentrations of salts, metals, naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs), and organic compounds. 

By
Water Resources

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