Burton, B.L., 2004, Attenuation analysis of ground penetrating radar data acquired over a crude oil spill, MS Thesis T-5952, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, 188 p.
Bethany Burton
Biography
Beth received a B.S. in Geophysical Engineering and M.Sc. in Geophysics from the Colorado School of Mines. She worked for Phillips Petroleum Co. between degrees and began her career with the USGS in 2002. She has focused on the application of resistivity, seismic refraction and reflection, electromagnetics, magnetics, and GPR in solving problems at various scales. Most recently, she has been involved in many infrastructure projects involving characterization of earthen dams, levees, and canals in the west and midwest United States in cooperation with federal and state agencies and several groundwater-related projects both domestically and internationally. She has also been involved in several polar airborne projects in Greenland and Antarctica. She is a member of AGU, EEGS, and SEG.
Education
2004 M.Sc. Geophysics, Colorado School of Mines
1999 B.S. Geophysical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
Employment
2002 - present: Geophysicist, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO
2000 - 2002: Teaching Assistant, Geophysics Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
1999 - 2000: Seismic Data Processor, Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, OK
Professional Activities
President, Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society (elected) (3/15-17)
Vice President – Committees, Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society (elected) (3/13-15)
At-Large Board Member, Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society (elected) (3/12-13)
Co-Organizer and Instructor, Processing of Seismic Refraction Tomography Data Short Course, 2010 Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Environmental and Engineering Problems
Mentor, Society of Women in Geophysics, Colorado School of Mines (2014-present)
Publications
Burton, B.L. and Ball, L.B., 2014, Electrical Resistivity Survey at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, June 2014: U.S. Geological Survey Administrative Report, 27 p.
Abraham, J.D., Anderson, E.D., Burton, B.L., Lucius, J.E., 2006, Geophysical investigations of selected infrastructure sites within the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Administrative Report 2006 LAI-05-0015, 278 p.
Horton, R. and Burton, B.L., 2006, Resistivity surveys at the Tuba City Landfill, Tuba City, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Administrative Report AGH00050015, 83 p.
Burton, B.L. and Abraham, J.D., 2005, Exell Helium Plant geophysical study Masterson, TX: U.S. Geological Survey Administrative Report NAI040007-0001, 194 p.
Data
Cochran, J. R., B. Burton, N. Frearson, and K. Tinto. 2014. IceBridge Scintrex CS-3 Cesium Magnetometer L1B Geolocated Magnetic Anomalies, Version 2. Antarctica 2013. Boulder, Colorado USA. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center. http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/OY7C2Y61YSYW
Cochran, J. R., B. Burton, N. Frearson, and K. Tinto. 2014. IceBridge Scintrex CS-3 Cesium Magnetometer L1B Geolocated Magnetic Anomalies, Version 2. Greenland 2012. Boulder, Colorado USA. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center. http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/OY7C2Y61YSYW
Cochran, J. R., B. Burton, N. Frearson, and K. Tinto. 2014. IceBridge Scintrex CS-3 Cesium Magnetometer L1B Geolocated Magnetic Anomalies, Version 2. Greenland 2011. Boulder, Colorado USA. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center. http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/OY7C2Y61YSYW
Science and Products
Date published: November 6, 2019
Status: Active Geophysical Infrastructure Study: Brooklyn Mine Superfund Site
A study site of the Geophysical Infrastructure Studies: Earthen Dams and Abandoned Mine Lands project.
Contacts: Bethany Burton
Date published: June 20, 2019
Status: Active Geophysical Infrastructure Studies: Earthen Dams and Abandoned Mine Lands
Geophysical Infrastructure Studies is comprised of a series of applied research projects focused on studying site-specific problems at earthen dams and abandoned mine lands. An appropriate suite of geophysical methods are chosen for each project and its particular goals and geologic environment. These projects are funded by the federal agencies in charge of the risk mitigation, assessment, or...
Contacts: Bethany Burton
Attribution: Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Date published: June 20, 2019
Status: Active ROSETTA-Ice — Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica
ROSETTA-Ice is a large, NSF-funded, multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional project with several major goals focused on the full ice shelf system of the Ross Ice Shelf that include the ice, underlying seafloor bathymetry, and ocean interaction. Methods include the first comprehensive LC-130-based airborne geophysical survey of the Ross Ice Shelf to measure ice thickness and accumulation (...
Contacts: Bethany Burton
Attribution: Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Date published: December 21, 2018
Status: Completed Geophysical Infrastructure Study: Success Dam
A study site of the Geophysical Infrastructure Studies: Earthen Dams and Abandoned Mine Lands project.
Contacts: Bethany Burton
Attribution: Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Date published: March 30, 2018
Status: Completed Geophysical Infrastructure Study: Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam
A study site of the Geophysical Infrastructure Studies: Earthen Dams and Abandoned Mine Lands project.
Contacts: Bethany Burton
Year Published: 2020
High-resolution airborne geophysical survey of the Shellmound, Mississippi area
In late February to early March 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey acquired 2,364 line-kilometers (km) of airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric data in the Shellmound, Mississippi study area. The purpose of this survey is to contribute high-resolution information about subsurface geologic structure to inform groundwater models, water...
Burton, Bethany L.; Minsley, Burke J.; Bloss, Benjamin R.; Kress, Wade H.; Rigby, James R.; Smith, Bruce D.View Citation
Burton, B.L., Minsley, B.J., Bloss, B.R., Kress, W.H., Rigby, J.R., and Smith, B.D., 2020, High-resolution airborne geophysical survey of the Shellmound, Mississippi area: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3449, 2 sheets, https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3449.
Year Published: 2019
Ross Ice Shelf response to climate driven by the tectonic imprint on seafloor bathymetry
Ocean melting has thinned Antarctica's ice shelves at an increasing rate over the past two decades, leading to loss of grounded ice. The Ross Ice Shelf is currently close to steady state but geological records indicate that it can disintegrate rapidly, which would accelerate grounded ice loss from catchments equivalent to 11.6 m of global sea...
Tinto, K J; Padman, L; Siddoway, C S; Springer, M.R.; Fricker, H.A.; Das, I.; Caratori Tontini, F.; Porter, D.F.; Frearson, N.P.; Howard, S. J.; Siegfried, M.R.; Mosbeux, C.; Becker, M.K.; Bertinato, C.; Boghosian, A.; Brady, N.; Burton, Bethany L.; Chu, W.; Cordero, S.I.; Dhakal, T.; Dong, L.; Gustafson, C.D.; Keeshin, S.; Locke, C.; Lockett, A.; O'Brien, G.; Spergel, J.J.; Starke, S.E.; Tankersley, M.; Wearing, M.; Bell, R.E.
Year Published: 2017
Suitability of river delta sediment as proppant, Missouri and Niobrara Rivers, Nebraska and South Dakota, 2015
Sediment management is a challenge faced by reservoir managers who have several potential options, including dredging, for mitigation of storage capacity lost to sedimentation. As sediment is removed from reservoir storage, potential use of the sediment for socioeconomic or ecological benefit could potentially defray some costs of its removal....
Zelt, Ronald B.; Hobza, Christopher M.; Burton, Bethany L.; Schaepe, Nathaniel J.; Piatak, Nadine M.Attribution: Nebraska Water Science Center, Eastern Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center, Water Resources, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
View Citation
Zelt, R.B., Hobza, C.M., Burton, B.L., Schaepe, N.J., and Piatak, Nadine, 2017, Suitability of river delta sediment as proppant, Missouri and Niobrara Rivers, Nebraska and South Dakota, 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2017–5105, 51 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20175105.
Year Published: 2017
Hydrogeophysical investigations of earthen dams – Two California case studies
Excessive groundwater seepage can be a common engineering concern with earthen dams. The application of geophysical methods, whether for characterization or for long-term monitoring, to help inform mitigation strategies is becoming a more common addition to these investigations. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has completed geophysical...
Burton, Bethany L.; Bedrosian, Paul A.; Minsley, Burke J.; Ikard, Scott; Powers, Michael H.
Year Published: 2017
Identification of the Polaris Fault using lidar and shallow geophysical methods
As part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Dam Safety Assurance Program, Martis Creek Dam near Truckee, CA, is under evaluation for earthquake and seepage hazards. The investigations to date have included LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and a wide range of geophysical surveys. The LiDAR data led to the discovery of an important and...
Hunter, Lewis E.; Powers, Michael H.; Burton, Bethany L.Attribution: Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
View Citation
Lewis E. Hunter, Michael H. Powers, and Bethany L. Burton (2010) Identification of the Polaris Fault Using Lidar and Shallow Geophysical Methods. Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems 2010: pp. 391-399.
Year Published: 2016
Developing integrated methods to address complex resource and environmental issues
IntroductionThis circular provides an overview of selected activities that were conducted within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Integrated Methods Development Project, an interdisciplinary project designed to develop new tools and conduct innovative research requiring integration of geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and remote-sensing...
Smith, Kathleen S.; Phillips, Jeffrey D.; McCafferty, Anne E.; Clark, Roger N.Attribution: Alaska Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Mineral Resources Program, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, Spectroscopy Lab
View Citation
Smith, K.S., Phillips, J.D., McCafferty, A.E., and Clark, R.N., eds., 2016, Developing integrated methods to address complex resource and environmental issues: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1413, 160 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/cir1413.
Year Published: 2015
Resolving bathymetry from airborne gravity along Greenland fjords
Recent glacier mass loss in Greenland has been attributed to encroaching warming waters, but knowledge of fjord bathymetry is required to investigate this mechanism. The bathymetry in many Greenland fjords is unmapped and difficult to measure. From 2010 to 2012, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Operation IceBridge collected a unique...
Boghosian, Alexandra; Tinto, Kirsty; Cochran, James R.; Porter, David; Elieff, Stefan; Burton, Bethany L.; Bell, Robin E.Attribution: Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
View Citation
Boghosian, A., K. Tinto, J. R. Cochran, D. Porter, S. Elieff, B. L. Burton, and R. E. Bell (2015), Resolving bathymetry from airborne gravity along Greenland fjords, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 120, 8516–8533, doi:10.1
Year Published: 2015
Digital geospatial presentation of geoelectrical and geotechnical data for the lower American River and flood plain, east Sacramento, California
To characterize the extent and thickness of lithologic units that may have differing scour potential, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has performed several geoelectrical surveys of the lower American River channel and flood plain between Cal Expo and the Rio Americano High School in east Sacramento...
Ball, Lyndsay B.; Burton, Bethany L.; Powers, Michael H.; Asch, Theodore H.Attribution: Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
View Citation
Ball, L.B., Burton, B.L., Powers, M.H., and Asch, T.H., 2014, Digital geospatial presentation of geoelectrical and geotechnical data for the lower American River and flood plain, east Sacramento, California: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 902, 12 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ds902.
Year Published: 2014
Characterization of subsurface stratigraphy along the lower American River floodplain using electrical resistivity, Sacramento, California, 2011
In July 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, completed a geophysical survey using electrical resistivity along an approximately 6-mile reach of the lower American River in Sacramento, California, to map near-surface lithological variations. This survey is a part of a manifold and comprehensive...
Burton, Bethany L.; Powers, Michael H.; Ball, Lyndsay B.Attribution: Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
View Citation
Burton, B.L., Powers, M.H., and Ball, L.B., 2014, Characterization of subsurface stratigraphy along the lower American River floodplain using electrical resistivity, Sacramento, California, 2011: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1242, 62 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141242.
Year Published: 2014
A ground-based magnetic survey of Frenchman Flat, Nevada National Security Site and Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada: data release and preliminary interpretation
The Nevada National Security Site (NNSS, formerly the Nevada Test Site) is located in southern Nevada approximately 105 kilometers (km) (65 miles) northwest of Las Vegas. Frenchman Flat is a sedimentary basin located on the eastern edge of NNSS and extending eastward into the adjacent Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). In late September...
Phillips, Jeffrey D.; Burton, Bethany L.; Curry-Elrod, Erika; Drellack, SigmundAttribution: Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
View Citation
Phillips, J.D., Burton, B.L., Curry-Elrod, Erika, and Drellack, Sigmund, 2014, A ground-based magnetic survey of Frenchman Flat, Nevada National Security Site and Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada—Data release and preliminary interpretation: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1187, 144 p., 1 pl., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141187.
Year Published: 2014
Monitoring of levees, bridges, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure during the 2011 flooding in the Mississippi River Basin: Chapter J in 2011 floods of the central United States
During the 2011 Mississippi River Basin flood, the U.S. Geological Survey evaluated aspects of critical river infrastructure at the request of and in support of local, State, and Federal Agencies. Geotechnical and hydrographic data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey at numerous locations were able to provide needed information about 2011...
Densmore, Brenda K.; Burton, Bethany L.; Dietsch, Benjamin J.; Cannia, James C.; Huizinga, Richard J.Attribution: Water Resources
View Citation
Monitoring of levees, bridges, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure during the 2011 flooding in the Mississippi River Basin: Chapter J in 2011 floods of the central United States; 2014; PP; 1798-J; 2011 floods of the central United States (Professional Paper 1798); Densmore, Brenda K; Burton, Bethany L.; Dietsch, Benjamin J.; Cannia, James C.; Huizinga, Richard J.
Year Published: 2014
Capacitively coupled and direct-current resistivity surveys of selected reaches of Cozad, Thirty-Mile, Orchard-Alfalfa, Kearney, and Outlet Canals in Nebraska, 2012-13
Understanding the spatial characteristics of leakage from canals is critical to effectively managing and utilizing water resources for irrigation and hydroelectric purposes. Canal leakage in some parts of Nebraska is the primary source of water for groundwater recharge and helps maintain the base flow of streams. Because surface-water supplies...
Hobza, Christopher M.; Burton, Bethany L.; Lucius, Jeffrey E.; Tompkins, Ryan E.Attribution: Nebraska Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
Capacitively coupled and direct-current resistivity surveys of selected reaches of Cozad, Thirty-Mile, Orchard-Alfalfa, Kearney, and Outlet Canals in Nebraska, 2012-13; 2014; OFR; 2014-1007; Hobza, Christopher M.; Burton, Bethany L.; Lucius, Jeffrey E.; Tompkins, Ryan E.