Burke Minsley
Burke Minsley is a Research Geophysicist with the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center.
Burke Minsley joined the USGS in 2008 as a Research Geophysicist with the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center in Denver, Colorado. After receiving a B.S. in Applied Physics from Purdue University in 1997, Burke began his career as a field geophysicist working on offshore seismic vessels before receiving a Ph.D. in Geophysics from MIT in 2007. His work involves the development and implementation of innovative ground-based and airborne geophysical methods used in interdisciplinary studies to improve our understanding of Earth's geosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere. Burke's projects are interdisciplinary and geographically diverse, including permafrost mapping in Alaska, critical zone studies in a mountain headwater system in Colorado, and a large regional water availability study in the lower Mississippi River valley. He also works on development of computational methods for uncertainty quantification in geophysical datasets and associated geologic or hydrologic interpretations. In 2012, Burke received the PECASE award for his fundamental research on advancing airborne electromagnetic survey methodology and its use in studying permafrost. He is currently serving as President of the Near-Surface Geophysics Section of AGU from 2021-2022.
Professional Experience
2008 - present: Research geophysicist, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO
2007 - 2008: Postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
2002 - 2007: Research assistant, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
1997 - 2002: Field geophysicist with WesternGeco, offshore
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Geophysics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007
B.S. Applied Physics, Purdue University, 1997
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union: President of the Near-Surface Geophysics Section of AGU from 2021-2022
Honors and Awards
USGS Unit Award for Excellence of Service - LandCarbon team member, 2017
Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering (PECASE), 2012
USGS Superior Service Award, 2012
Paper one of 'Ten Best of SAGEEP' 2010, 2011
Outstanding Student Paper Award, Near Surface section, Fall AGU, 2006
Martin Family Society Fellowship for Sustainability, MIT, 2004 - 2005
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 30
GSpy: Geophysical Data Standard in Python GSpy: Geophysical Data Standard in Python
This package provides functions and workflows for standardizing geophysical datasets based on the NetCDF file format. The current implementation supports both time and frequency domain electromagnetic data, raw and processed, 1-D inverted models along flight lines, and 2-D/3-D gridded layers.
Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey, upper East River and surrounding watersheds near Crested Butte, Colorado, 2017 Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey, upper East River and surrounding watersheds near Crested Butte, Colorado, 2017
This data release consists of 1,984 line-kilometers of airborne electromagnetic (AEM), magnetic data and radiometric data collected from October to November 2017 in the upper East River and surrounding watersheds in central Colorado. The U.S. Geological Survey contracted Geotech Ltd. to acquire these data as part of regional investigations into the geologic structure and hydrologic...
Permafrost characterization at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) site: Geophysical and related field data collected from 2018-2020 Permafrost characterization at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) site: Geophysical and related field data collected from 2018-2020
Geophysical measurements and related field data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) site in Interior Alaska from 2018 to 2020 to characterize subsurface thermal and hydrologic conditions along a permafrost thaw gradient. The APEX site is managed by the Bonanza Creek LTER (Long Term Ecological Research). In April 2018, seven...
Combined results and derivative products of hydrogeologic structure and properties from airborne electromagnetic surveys in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (ver. 2.0, July 2024) Combined results and derivative products of hydrogeologic structure and properties from airborne electromagnetic surveys in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (ver. 2.0, July 2024)
Electrical resistivity results from two regional airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys (Minsley et al. 2021 and Burton et al. 2021) over the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) were combined by the U.S. Geological Survey to produce three-dimensional (3D) gridded models and derivative hydrogeologic products. Grids were discretized in the horizontal dimension to align with the 1 kilometer...
Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, November 2019 - March 2020 Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, November 2019 - March 2020
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM), magnetic, and radiometric data were acquired November 2019 to March 2020 along 24,030 line-kilometers (line-km) over the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP). Data were acquired by CGG Canada Services, Ltd. with three different airborne sensors: the CGG Canada Services, Ltd. TEMPEST time-domain AEM instrument that is used to map subsurface geologic structure...
Fire impacts on permafrost in Alaska: Geophysical and other field data collected in 2015 Fire impacts on permafrost in Alaska: Geophysical and other field data collected in 2015
Fire can be a significant driver of permafrost change in boreal landscapes, altering the availability of soil carbon and nutrients that have important implications for future climate and ecological succession. However, not all landscapes are equally susceptible to fire-induced change. As fire frequency is expected to increase in the high latitudes, methods to understand the vulnerability...
Filter Total Items: 73
Incorporating uncertainty into groundwater salinity mapping using AEM data Incorporating uncertainty into groundwater salinity mapping using AEM data
Airborne electromagnetic surveys provide spatially extensive resistivity information that can be useful for groundwater salinity mapping; however, the transformation from geophysical data to salinity interpretations carries uncertainty. We compare two quantitative approaches to salinity mapping recently applied to address water resource management objectives: the location of the depth to...
Authors
Lyndsay B. Ball, Burke J. Minsley
Airborne geophysical surveys of the lower Mississippi Valley demonstrate system-scale mapping of subsurface architecture Airborne geophysical surveys of the lower Mississippi Valley demonstrate system-scale mapping of subsurface architecture
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain hosts one of the most prolific shallow aquifer systems in the United States but is experiencing chronic groundwater decline. The Reelfoot rift and New Madrid seismic zone underlie the region and represent an important and poorly understood seismic hazard. Despite its societal and economic importance, the shallow subsurface architecture has not been mapped...
Authors
Burke J. Minsley, James R. Rigby, Stephanie R. James, Bethany L. Burton, Katherine J. Knierim, Michael Pace, Paul A. Bedrosian, Wade Kress
The biophysical role of water and ice within permafrost nearing collapse: Insights from novel geophysical observations The biophysical role of water and ice within permafrost nearing collapse: Insights from novel geophysical observations
The impact of permafrost thaw on hydrologic, thermal, and biotic processes remains uncertain, in part due to limitations in subsurface measurement capabilities. To better understand subsurface processes in thermokarst environments, we collocated geophysical and biogeochemical instruments along a thaw gradient between forested permafrost and collapse-scar bogs at the Alaska Peatland...
Authors
Stephanie R. James, Burke J. Minsley, Jack McFarland, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Colin W. Edgar, Mark Waldrop
Decadal-scale hotspot methane ebullition within lakes following abrupt permafrost thaw Decadal-scale hotspot methane ebullition within lakes following abrupt permafrost thaw
Thermokarst lakes accelerate deep permafrost thaw and the mobilization of previously frozen soil organic carbon. This leads to microbial decomposition and large releases of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) that enhance climate warming. However, the time scale of permafrost-carbon emissions following thaw is not well known but is important for understanding how abrupt permafrost...
Authors
K.W. Anthony, P. Lindgren, P. Hanke, M. Engram, P. Anthony, R. Daanen, A. Bondurant, A.K. Liljedahl, J. Lenz, G. Grosse, B.M. Jones, L. S. Brosius, Stephanie R. James, Burke J. Minsley, Neal Pastick, J. Munk, J. P. Chanton, C.E. Miller, F.J. Meyer
USGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources USGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with university, Federal, Tribal, and independent partners, conducts fundamental research on the distribution, vulnerability, and importance of permafrost in arctic and boreal ecosystems. Scientists, land managers, and policy makers use USGS data to help make decisions for development, wildlife habitat, and other needs. Native villages...
Authors
Mark P. Waldrop, Lesleigh Anderson, Mark Dornblaser, Li H. Erikson, Ann E. Gibbs, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Stephanie R. James, Miriam C. Jones, Joshua C. Koch, Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Kristen L. Manies, Burke J. Minsley, Neal J. Pastick, Vijay Patil, Frank Urban, Michelle A. Walvoord, Kimberly P. Wickland, Christian Zimmerman
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Volcano Science Center
Model structural uncertainty quantification and hydrogeophysical data integration using airborne electromagnetic data Model structural uncertainty quantification and hydrogeophysical data integration using airborne electromagnetic data
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) dataare usedto estimate large-scale model structural geometry, i.e. the spatial distribution of different lithological units based on assumed or estimated resistivity-lithology relationships, and the uncertainty in those structures given imperfect measurements. Geophysically derived estimates of model structural uncertainty are then combined with hydrologic
Authors
Burke J. Minsley, Nikolaj K Christensen, Steen Christensen, Yusen Ley-Cooper
Non-USGS Publications**
Minsley, B., D. Coles, Y. Vichabian, and F.D. Morgan (2008), Minimization of self-potential survey mis-ties acquired with multiple reference locations, Geophysics, 73(2), F71-F81, doi:10.1190/1.2829390.
Minsley, B. (2007), Modeling and inversion of self-potential data, Ph.D. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 251 p.
Ajo-Franklin, J.B., B.J. Minsley, and T.M. Daley (2007), Applying compactness constraints to seismic traveltime tomography, Geophysics, 72(4), R67-R75, doi:10.1190/1.2742496.
Minsley, B., J. Sogade, and F.D. Morgan (2007), 3D source inversion of self-potential data, Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, B02202, doi:10.1029/2006JB004262.
Minsley, B., J. Sogade, and F.D. Morgan (2007), Three dimensional self potential inversion for subsurface DNAPL contaminant detection at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, Water Resources Research, 43(4), W04429, doi:10.1029/2005WR003996.
Willis, M.E., D.R. Burns, R. Rao, B. Minsley, M.N. Toksöz, and L. Vetri (2006), Spatial orientation and distribution of reservoir fractures from scattered sesimic energy, Geophysics, 71(5), 43-51, doi:10.1190/1.2235977.
**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
Filter Total Items: 30
GSpy: Geophysical Data Standard in Python GSpy: Geophysical Data Standard in Python
This package provides functions and workflows for standardizing geophysical datasets based on the NetCDF file format. The current implementation supports both time and frequency domain electromagnetic data, raw and processed, 1-D inverted models along flight lines, and 2-D/3-D gridded layers.
Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey, upper East River and surrounding watersheds near Crested Butte, Colorado, 2017 Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey, upper East River and surrounding watersheds near Crested Butte, Colorado, 2017
This data release consists of 1,984 line-kilometers of airborne electromagnetic (AEM), magnetic data and radiometric data collected from October to November 2017 in the upper East River and surrounding watersheds in central Colorado. The U.S. Geological Survey contracted Geotech Ltd. to acquire these data as part of regional investigations into the geologic structure and hydrologic...
Permafrost characterization at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) site: Geophysical and related field data collected from 2018-2020 Permafrost characterization at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) site: Geophysical and related field data collected from 2018-2020
Geophysical measurements and related field data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the Alaska Peatland Experiment (APEX) site in Interior Alaska from 2018 to 2020 to characterize subsurface thermal and hydrologic conditions along a permafrost thaw gradient. The APEX site is managed by the Bonanza Creek LTER (Long Term Ecological Research). In April 2018, seven...
Combined results and derivative products of hydrogeologic structure and properties from airborne electromagnetic surveys in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (ver. 2.0, July 2024) Combined results and derivative products of hydrogeologic structure and properties from airborne electromagnetic surveys in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (ver. 2.0, July 2024)
Electrical resistivity results from two regional airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys (Minsley et al. 2021 and Burton et al. 2021) over the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) were combined by the U.S. Geological Survey to produce three-dimensional (3D) gridded models and derivative hydrogeologic products. Grids were discretized in the horizontal dimension to align with the 1 kilometer...
Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, November 2019 - March 2020 Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, November 2019 - March 2020
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM), magnetic, and radiometric data were acquired November 2019 to March 2020 along 24,030 line-kilometers (line-km) over the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP). Data were acquired by CGG Canada Services, Ltd. with three different airborne sensors: the CGG Canada Services, Ltd. TEMPEST time-domain AEM instrument that is used to map subsurface geologic structure...
Fire impacts on permafrost in Alaska: Geophysical and other field data collected in 2015 Fire impacts on permafrost in Alaska: Geophysical and other field data collected in 2015
Fire can be a significant driver of permafrost change in boreal landscapes, altering the availability of soil carbon and nutrients that have important implications for future climate and ecological succession. However, not all landscapes are equally susceptible to fire-induced change. As fire frequency is expected to increase in the high latitudes, methods to understand the vulnerability...
Filter Total Items: 73
Incorporating uncertainty into groundwater salinity mapping using AEM data Incorporating uncertainty into groundwater salinity mapping using AEM data
Airborne electromagnetic surveys provide spatially extensive resistivity information that can be useful for groundwater salinity mapping; however, the transformation from geophysical data to salinity interpretations carries uncertainty. We compare two quantitative approaches to salinity mapping recently applied to address water resource management objectives: the location of the depth to...
Authors
Lyndsay B. Ball, Burke J. Minsley
Airborne geophysical surveys of the lower Mississippi Valley demonstrate system-scale mapping of subsurface architecture Airborne geophysical surveys of the lower Mississippi Valley demonstrate system-scale mapping of subsurface architecture
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain hosts one of the most prolific shallow aquifer systems in the United States but is experiencing chronic groundwater decline. The Reelfoot rift and New Madrid seismic zone underlie the region and represent an important and poorly understood seismic hazard. Despite its societal and economic importance, the shallow subsurface architecture has not been mapped...
Authors
Burke J. Minsley, James R. Rigby, Stephanie R. James, Bethany L. Burton, Katherine J. Knierim, Michael Pace, Paul A. Bedrosian, Wade Kress
The biophysical role of water and ice within permafrost nearing collapse: Insights from novel geophysical observations The biophysical role of water and ice within permafrost nearing collapse: Insights from novel geophysical observations
The impact of permafrost thaw on hydrologic, thermal, and biotic processes remains uncertain, in part due to limitations in subsurface measurement capabilities. To better understand subsurface processes in thermokarst environments, we collocated geophysical and biogeochemical instruments along a thaw gradient between forested permafrost and collapse-scar bogs at the Alaska Peatland...
Authors
Stephanie R. James, Burke J. Minsley, Jack McFarland, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Colin W. Edgar, Mark Waldrop
Decadal-scale hotspot methane ebullition within lakes following abrupt permafrost thaw Decadal-scale hotspot methane ebullition within lakes following abrupt permafrost thaw
Thermokarst lakes accelerate deep permafrost thaw and the mobilization of previously frozen soil organic carbon. This leads to microbial decomposition and large releases of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) that enhance climate warming. However, the time scale of permafrost-carbon emissions following thaw is not well known but is important for understanding how abrupt permafrost...
Authors
K.W. Anthony, P. Lindgren, P. Hanke, M. Engram, P. Anthony, R. Daanen, A. Bondurant, A.K. Liljedahl, J. Lenz, G. Grosse, B.M. Jones, L. S. Brosius, Stephanie R. James, Burke J. Minsley, Neal Pastick, J. Munk, J. P. Chanton, C.E. Miller, F.J. Meyer
USGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources USGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with university, Federal, Tribal, and independent partners, conducts fundamental research on the distribution, vulnerability, and importance of permafrost in arctic and boreal ecosystems. Scientists, land managers, and policy makers use USGS data to help make decisions for development, wildlife habitat, and other needs. Native villages...
Authors
Mark P. Waldrop, Lesleigh Anderson, Mark Dornblaser, Li H. Erikson, Ann E. Gibbs, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Stephanie R. James, Miriam C. Jones, Joshua C. Koch, Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Kristen L. Manies, Burke J. Minsley, Neal J. Pastick, Vijay Patil, Frank Urban, Michelle A. Walvoord, Kimberly P. Wickland, Christian Zimmerman
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Volcano Science Center
Model structural uncertainty quantification and hydrogeophysical data integration using airborne electromagnetic data Model structural uncertainty quantification and hydrogeophysical data integration using airborne electromagnetic data
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) dataare usedto estimate large-scale model structural geometry, i.e. the spatial distribution of different lithological units based on assumed or estimated resistivity-lithology relationships, and the uncertainty in those structures given imperfect measurements. Geophysically derived estimates of model structural uncertainty are then combined with hydrologic
Authors
Burke J. Minsley, Nikolaj K Christensen, Steen Christensen, Yusen Ley-Cooper
Non-USGS Publications**
Minsley, B., D. Coles, Y. Vichabian, and F.D. Morgan (2008), Minimization of self-potential survey mis-ties acquired with multiple reference locations, Geophysics, 73(2), F71-F81, doi:10.1190/1.2829390.
Minsley, B. (2007), Modeling and inversion of self-potential data, Ph.D. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 251 p.
Ajo-Franklin, J.B., B.J. Minsley, and T.M. Daley (2007), Applying compactness constraints to seismic traveltime tomography, Geophysics, 72(4), R67-R75, doi:10.1190/1.2742496.
Minsley, B., J. Sogade, and F.D. Morgan (2007), 3D source inversion of self-potential data, Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, B02202, doi:10.1029/2006JB004262.
Minsley, B., J. Sogade, and F.D. Morgan (2007), Three dimensional self potential inversion for subsurface DNAPL contaminant detection at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, Water Resources Research, 43(4), W04429, doi:10.1029/2005WR003996.
Willis, M.E., D.R. Burns, R. Rao, B. Minsley, M.N. Toksöz, and L. Vetri (2006), Spatial orientation and distribution of reservoir fractures from scattered sesimic energy, Geophysics, 71(5), 43-51, doi:10.1190/1.2235977.
**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.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government