Brent T Aulenbach
Brent started with the USGS in 1992 and is a Research Hydrologist for the South Atlantic Water Science Center, Norcross, Ga. He is the principal investigator on a research study looking at the effects of seasonally water-limited conditions on the water cycle in the Southeastern U.S. He also responsible for interpretive work for several urban water-quality studies in the metro-Atlanta region.
Current Responsibilities:
Brent is the principal investigator of the research study “Actual evapotranspiration, flash droughts, water deficits, reduced vegetative growth, and wildfires — the effects of seasonally water-limited conditions in a changing climate” (2019–2023), funded by the Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program. The purpose of this study is to quantify the effects of climate and climatic change on seasonally water-limited catchments in the Southeastern U.S. Water-limited catchments are sensitive to droughts, that result in reduced groundwater recharge, evapotranspiration, and water deficits that can have adverse effects on trees, such as carbon starvation and hydraulic failure, and can result in wildfires. The study includes field estimates of groundwater recharge and actual evapotranspiration at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed (PMRW), in Stockbridge, Ga., and compares water cycle component estimates to other monitored watersheds in the Southeastern U.S.
Brent also works on several urban water-quality studies of streams in the metro-Atlanta region, funded through the USGS cooperative projects with local partners. The main purpose of these studies is to assess the status and trends in water-quality and relate these to land use.
Areas of Interest:
Brent’s interests in small watershed research studies include investigating hydrological and biogeochemical processes that control the movement and solute composition of water along hydrologic pathways that generate streamflow and quantifying and predicting the effects of climate and climatic change on these processes. Much of this research has been performed at the PMRW, which was part of the Water, Energy and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) Program (1991–2016) study of five diverse catchments.
Brent also has expertise in estimating streamwater constituent loads. He has developed methodology and techniques for improving streamwater load estimates and for identifying trends in concentrations and loads, and has optimized sampling designs. He was responsible for method design, estimation, and reporting of streamwater constituent fluxes and trends for the USGS’s National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN), which monitors the water quality of U.S.’s large rivers, from 1998 to 2013.
Professional Experience
1992 - present: Research Hydrologist, USGS, Norcross, Georgia
Education and Certifications
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, Geology, B.S. (1988)
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, Hydrogeology, M.S. (1992)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 39
Watershed characteristics and water-quality trends and loads in 12 watersheds in Gwinnett County, Georgia
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, established a Long-Term Trend Monitoring (LTTM) program in 1996. The LTTM program is a comprehensive, long-term, water-quantity and water-quality monitoring program designed to document and analyze the hydrologic and water-quality conditions of selected watersheds of Gwinnett County, Georgia. Water-quali
Authors
John K. Joiner, Brent T. Aulenbach, Mark N. Landers
Concentrations and transport of suspended sediment, nutrients, and pesticides in the lower Mississippi-Atchafalaya River subbasin during the 2011 Mississippi River flood, April through July
High streamflow associated with the April–July 2011 Mississippi River flood forced the simultaneous opening of the three major flood-control structures in the lower Mississippi-Atchafalaya River subbasin for the first time in history in order to manage the amount of water moving through the system. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected samples for analysis of field properties, suspended-sedi
Authors
Heather L. Welch, Richard H. Coupe, Brent T. Aulenbach
Evaluation of high-frequency mean streamwater transit-time estimates using groundwater age and dissolved silica concentrations in a small forested watershed
Many previous investigations of mean streamwater transit times (MTT) have been limited by an inability to quantify the MTT dynamics. Here, we draw on (1) a linear relation (r 2 = 0.97) between groundwater 3H/3He ages and dissolved silica (Si) concentrations, combined with (2) predicted streamwater Si concentrations from a multiple-regression relation (R 2 = 0.87) to estimate MTT at 5-min intervals
Authors
Norman E. Peters, Douglas A. Burns, Brent T. Aulenbach
Improving regression-model-based streamwater constituent load estimates derived from serially correlated data
A regression-model based approach is a commonly used, efficient method for estimating streamwater constituent load when there is a relationship between streamwater constituent concentration and continuous variables such as streamwater discharge, season and time. A subsetting experiment using a 30-year dataset of daily suspended sediment observations from the Mississippi River at Thebes, Illinois,
Authors
Brent T. Aulenbach
Nitrate in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, 1980 to 2008: Are we making progress?
Changes in nitrate concentration and flux between 1980 and 2008 at eight sites in the Mississippi River basin were determined using a new statistical method that accommodates evolving nitrate behavior over time and produces flow-normalized estimates of nitrate concentration and flux that are independent of random variations in streamflow. The results show that little consistent progress has been m
Authors
Lori A. Sprague, Robert M. Hirsch, Brent T. Aulenbach
Storage as a Metric of Catchment Comparison
The volume of water stored within a catchment, and its partitioning among groundwater, soil moisture, snowpack, vegetation, and surface water are the variables that ultimately characterize the state of the hydrologic system. Accordingly, storage may provide useful metrics for catchment comparison. Unfortunately, measuring and predicting the amount of water present in a catchment is seldom done; tr
Authors
J. P. McNamara, D. Tetzlaff, K. Bishop, C. Soulsby, M. Seyfried, N.E. Peters, Brent T. Aulenbach, R. Hooper
Water storage at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed, Georgia, USA
Storage is a major component of a catchment water balance particularly when the water balance components are evaluated on short time scales, that is, less than annual. We propose a method of determining the storage-discharge relation using an exponential function and daily precipitation, potential evapotranspiration (PET) and baseflow during the dormant season when evapotranspiration (ET) is low.
Authors
N.E. Peters, Brent T. Aulenbach
Changes in streamflow and the flux of nutrients in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin, USA, 1980-2007
Nutrients and freshwater delivered by the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers drive algal production in the northern Gulf of Mexico, which eventually results in the widespread occurrence of hypoxic bottom waters along the Louisiana and Texas coast. Researchers have demonstrated a relation between the extent of the hypoxic zone and the magnitude of streamflow, nutrient fluxes, and nutrient concentra
Authors
William A. Battaglin, Brent T. Aulenbach, Aldo Vecchia, Herbert T. Buxton
Bacteria holding times for fecal coliform by mFC agar method and total coliform and Escherichia coli by Colilert®-18 Quanti-Tray® method
Bacteria holding-time experiments of up to 62 h were performed on five surface-water samples from four urban stream sites in the vicinity of Atlanta, GA, USA that had relatively high densities of coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli densities were all well above the US Environmental Protection Agency criterion of 126 colonies (100 ml) − 1 for recreational waters). Holding-time experiments were done
Authors
Brent T. Aulenbach
Flowpath contributions of weathering products to stream fluxes at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed, Georgia
Short-term weathering rates (chemical denudation) of primary weathering products were derived from an analysis of fluxes in precipitation and streamwater. Rainfall, streamflow (runoff), and related water quality have been monitored at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed (PMRW) since 1985. Regression relations of stream solute concentration of major ions including weathering products [sodium (Na
Authors
Norman E. Peters, Brent T. Aulenbach
Comparison of total mercury and methylmercury cycling at five sites using the small watershed approach
The small watershed approach is well-suited but underutilized in mercury research. We applied the small watershed approach to investigate total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) dynamics in streamwater at the five diverse forested headwater catchments of the US Geological Survey Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) program. At all sites, baseflow THg was generally less than 1 ng L
Authors
J. B. Shanley, Mast M. Alisa, K. Campbell, G. R. Aiken, D. P. Krabbenhoft, R. J. Hunt, J.F. Walker, P. F. Schuster, A. Chalmers, Brent T. Aulenbach, N.E. Peters, M. Marvin-DiPasquale, D. W. Clow, M.M. Shafer
Streamflow and nutrient fluxes of the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin and subbasins for the period of record through 2005
U.S. Geological Survey has monitored streamflow and water quality systematically in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) for more than five decades. This report provides streamflow and estimates of nutrient delivery (flux) to the Gulf of Mexico from both the Atchafalaya River and the main stem of the Mississippi River. This report provides streamflow and nutrient flux estimates for nine
Authors
Brent T. Aulenbach, Herbert T. Buxton, William A. Battaglin, Richard H. Coupe
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
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 39
Watershed characteristics and water-quality trends and loads in 12 watersheds in Gwinnett County, Georgia
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, established a Long-Term Trend Monitoring (LTTM) program in 1996. The LTTM program is a comprehensive, long-term, water-quantity and water-quality monitoring program designed to document and analyze the hydrologic and water-quality conditions of selected watersheds of Gwinnett County, Georgia. Water-qualiAuthorsJohn K. Joiner, Brent T. Aulenbach, Mark N. LandersConcentrations and transport of suspended sediment, nutrients, and pesticides in the lower Mississippi-Atchafalaya River subbasin during the 2011 Mississippi River flood, April through July
High streamflow associated with the April–July 2011 Mississippi River flood forced the simultaneous opening of the three major flood-control structures in the lower Mississippi-Atchafalaya River subbasin for the first time in history in order to manage the amount of water moving through the system. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected samples for analysis of field properties, suspended-sediAuthorsHeather L. Welch, Richard H. Coupe, Brent T. AulenbachEvaluation of high-frequency mean streamwater transit-time estimates using groundwater age and dissolved silica concentrations in a small forested watershed
Many previous investigations of mean streamwater transit times (MTT) have been limited by an inability to quantify the MTT dynamics. Here, we draw on (1) a linear relation (r 2 = 0.97) between groundwater 3H/3He ages and dissolved silica (Si) concentrations, combined with (2) predicted streamwater Si concentrations from a multiple-regression relation (R 2 = 0.87) to estimate MTT at 5-min intervalsAuthorsNorman E. Peters, Douglas A. Burns, Brent T. AulenbachImproving regression-model-based streamwater constituent load estimates derived from serially correlated data
A regression-model based approach is a commonly used, efficient method for estimating streamwater constituent load when there is a relationship between streamwater constituent concentration and continuous variables such as streamwater discharge, season and time. A subsetting experiment using a 30-year dataset of daily suspended sediment observations from the Mississippi River at Thebes, Illinois,AuthorsBrent T. AulenbachNitrate in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, 1980 to 2008: Are we making progress?
Changes in nitrate concentration and flux between 1980 and 2008 at eight sites in the Mississippi River basin were determined using a new statistical method that accommodates evolving nitrate behavior over time and produces flow-normalized estimates of nitrate concentration and flux that are independent of random variations in streamflow. The results show that little consistent progress has been mAuthorsLori A. Sprague, Robert M. Hirsch, Brent T. AulenbachStorage as a Metric of Catchment Comparison
The volume of water stored within a catchment, and its partitioning among groundwater, soil moisture, snowpack, vegetation, and surface water are the variables that ultimately characterize the state of the hydrologic system. Accordingly, storage may provide useful metrics for catchment comparison. Unfortunately, measuring and predicting the amount of water present in a catchment is seldom done; trAuthorsJ. P. McNamara, D. Tetzlaff, K. Bishop, C. Soulsby, M. Seyfried, N.E. Peters, Brent T. Aulenbach, R. HooperWater storage at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed, Georgia, USA
Storage is a major component of a catchment water balance particularly when the water balance components are evaluated on short time scales, that is, less than annual. We propose a method of determining the storage-discharge relation using an exponential function and daily precipitation, potential evapotranspiration (PET) and baseflow during the dormant season when evapotranspiration (ET) is low.AuthorsN.E. Peters, Brent T. AulenbachChanges in streamflow and the flux of nutrients in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin, USA, 1980-2007
Nutrients and freshwater delivered by the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers drive algal production in the northern Gulf of Mexico, which eventually results in the widespread occurrence of hypoxic bottom waters along the Louisiana and Texas coast. Researchers have demonstrated a relation between the extent of the hypoxic zone and the magnitude of streamflow, nutrient fluxes, and nutrient concentraAuthorsWilliam A. Battaglin, Brent T. Aulenbach, Aldo Vecchia, Herbert T. BuxtonBacteria holding times for fecal coliform by mFC agar method and total coliform and Escherichia coli by Colilert®-18 Quanti-Tray® method
Bacteria holding-time experiments of up to 62 h were performed on five surface-water samples from four urban stream sites in the vicinity of Atlanta, GA, USA that had relatively high densities of coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli densities were all well above the US Environmental Protection Agency criterion of 126 colonies (100 ml) − 1 for recreational waters). Holding-time experiments were doneAuthorsBrent T. AulenbachFlowpath contributions of weathering products to stream fluxes at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed, Georgia
Short-term weathering rates (chemical denudation) of primary weathering products were derived from an analysis of fluxes in precipitation and streamwater. Rainfall, streamflow (runoff), and related water quality have been monitored at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed (PMRW) since 1985. Regression relations of stream solute concentration of major ions including weathering products [sodium (NaAuthorsNorman E. Peters, Brent T. AulenbachComparison of total mercury and methylmercury cycling at five sites using the small watershed approach
The small watershed approach is well-suited but underutilized in mercury research. We applied the small watershed approach to investigate total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) dynamics in streamwater at the five diverse forested headwater catchments of the US Geological Survey Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) program. At all sites, baseflow THg was generally less than 1 ng LAuthorsJ. B. Shanley, Mast M. Alisa, K. Campbell, G. R. Aiken, D. P. Krabbenhoft, R. J. Hunt, J.F. Walker, P. F. Schuster, A. Chalmers, Brent T. Aulenbach, N.E. Peters, M. Marvin-DiPasquale, D. W. Clow, M.M. ShaferStreamflow and nutrient fluxes of the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin and subbasins for the period of record through 2005
U.S. Geological Survey has monitored streamflow and water quality systematically in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) for more than five decades. This report provides streamflow and estimates of nutrient delivery (flux) to the Gulf of Mexico from both the Atchafalaya River and the main stem of the Mississippi River. This report provides streamflow and nutrient flux estimates for nineAuthorsBrent T. Aulenbach, Herbert T. Buxton, William A. Battaglin, Richard H. CoupeNon-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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