Carleton Bern, PhD
Carl is a Research Soil Scientist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center.
My research examines questions related to water availability and water quality. I specialize in using isotopes and geochemical tracers to better understand the movement of water through landscapes and the changes that water undergoes along those flow paths. My recent areas of focus include:
- Tracing the groundwater storage that drives streamflow, particularly through periods of drought, by using naturally occurring tritium. That work is part of the USGS Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) project in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
- Salinity in surface waters and soils of the semiarid western U.S.
- Contaminants of concern in surface waters, like selenium and uranium.
- Water and soil effects from uranium mining.
Professional Experience
2016-present Research Soil Scientist, USGS Colorado Water Science Center
2010-2016 Research Soil Scientist, USGS Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Center
2008-2010 Mendenhall Fellow, USGS Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Center
2006-2008 Post-doctoral researcher, University of California, Santa Barbara
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, Ecology and Biogeochemistry
B.S. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, Biology
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 42
The distribution and composition of REE-bearing minerals in placers of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, USA The distribution and composition of REE-bearing minerals in placers of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, USA
Rare earth element (REE) resources are currently of great interest because of their importance as raw materials for high-technology manufacturing. The REE-phosphates monazite (light REE enriched) and xenotime (heavy REE enriched) resist weathering and can accumulate in placer deposits as part of the heavy mineral assemblage. The Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of the southeastern United...
Authors
Carleton Bern, Anjana Shah, William Benzel, Heather A. Lowers
Geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of REE in granite-derived regolith: a model for the Southeast United States Geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of REE in granite-derived regolith: a model for the Southeast United States
Rare earth element (REE) ion-adsorption clay deposits are of global economic importance because they currently supply a significant portion of the world’s annual production of both light (LREE) and heavy REE (HREE). There is considerable ambiguity regarding the origin of this deposit type: The main criteria include the presence of large, generally granitic, igneous suites; long periods...
Authors
Nora Foley, Carleton R. Bern, Robert Ayuso, Bernard Hubbard, Anjana Shah
Soil disturbance as a driver of increased stream salinity in a semiarid watershed undergoing energy development Soil disturbance as a driver of increased stream salinity in a semiarid watershed undergoing energy development
Salinization is a global threat to the quality of streams and rivers, but it can have many causes. Oil and gas development were investigated as one of several potential causes of changes in the salinity of Muddy Creek, which drains 2470 km2 of mostly public land in Wyoming, U.S.A. Stream discharge and salinity vary with seasonal snowmelt and define a primary salinity-discharge...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Melanie Clark, Travis S. Schmidt, JoAnn Holloway, Robert Mcdougal
Quantification of colloidal and aqueous element transfer in soils: The dual-phase mass balance model Quantification of colloidal and aqueous element transfer in soils: The dual-phase mass balance model
Mass balance models have become standard tools for characterizing element gains and losses and volumetric change during weathering and soil development. However, they rely on the assumption of complete immobility for an index element such as Ti or Zr. Here we describe a dual-phase mass balance model that eliminates the need for an assumption of immobility and in the process quantifies...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Aaron Thompson, Oliver Chadwick
Steep spatial gradients of volcanic and marine sulfur in Hawaiian rainfall and ecosystems Steep spatial gradients of volcanic and marine sulfur in Hawaiian rainfall and ecosystems
Sulfur, a nutrient required by terrestrial ecosystems, is likely to be regulated by atmospheric processes in well-drained, upland settings because of its low concentration in most bedrock and generally poor retention by inorganic reactions within soils. Environmental controls on sulfur sources in unpolluted ecosystems have seldom been investigated in detail, even though the possibility...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Oliver Chadwick, Carol Kendall, Michael Pribil
The role of water in unconventional in situ energy resource extraction technologies The role of water in unconventional in situ energy resource extraction technologies
Global trends toward developing new energy resources from lower grade, larger tonnage deposits that are not generally accessible using “conventional” extraction methods involve variations of subsurface in situ extraction techniques including in situ oil shale retorting, hydraulic fracturing of petroleum reservoirs, and in situ recovery of uranium. Although these methods are economically...
Authors
Tanya Gallegos, Carleton R. Bern, Justin Birdwell, Seth Haines, Mark Engle
U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: 2012 annual report U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: 2012 annual report
Southwest Wyoming contains abundant energy resources, wildlife, habitat, open spaces, and outdoor recreational opportunities. Although energy exploration and development have been taking place in the region since the late 1800s, the pace of development for fossil fuels and renewable energy increased significantly in the early 2000s. This and the associated urban and exurban development...
Authors
Zachary Bowen, Cameron Aldridge, Patrick Anderson, Timothy Assal, Carleton R. Bern, Laura Biewick, Gregory Boughton, Natasha Carr, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva Chong, Melanie Clark, Bradford Fedy, Katharine Foster, Steven Garman, Steve Germaine, Matthew Hethcoat, Collin Homer, Matthew J. Kauffman, Douglas Keinath, Natalie Latysh, Daniel Manier, Robert R. McDougal, Cynthia Melcher, Kirk Miller, Jessica Montag, Christopher Potter, Spencer Schell, Sarah L. Shafer, David B. Smith, Michael Sweat, Anna Wilson
U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative - 2013 Annual Report U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative - 2013 Annual Report
This is the sixth report produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) to detail annual activities conducted by USGS for addressing specific management needs identified by WLCI partners. In FY2013, there were 25 ongoing and new projects conducted by the USGS. These projects fall into 8 major categories: (1) synthesizing and...
Authors
Zachary Bowen, Cameron Aldridge, Patrick Anderson, Timothy Assal, Carleton R. Bern, Laura Biewick, Gregory Boughton, Anna Chalfoun, Geneva Chong, Marie Dematatis, Bradley C. Fedy, Steven Garman, Steve Germaine, Matthew Hethcoat, Collin Homer, Christopher Huber, Matthew J. Kauffman, Natalie Latysh, Daniel Manier, Cynthia Melcher, Kirk Miller, Christopher Potter, Spencer Schell, Michael Sweat, Annika Walters, Anna Wilson
Shallow groundwater and soil chemistry response to 3 years of subsurface drip irrigation using coalbed-methane-produced water Shallow groundwater and soil chemistry response to 3 years of subsurface drip irrigation using coalbed-methane-produced water
Disposal of produced waters, pumped to the surface as part of coalbed methane (CBM) development, is a significant environmental issue in the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin, USA. High sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) of the waters could degrade agricultural land, especially if directly applied to the soil surface. One method of disposing of CBM water, while deriving beneficial...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Adam R. Boehlke, Mark Engle, Nicholas J. Geboy, K.T. Schroeder, J.W. Zupancic
Low salinity hydrocarbon water disposal through deep subsurface drip irrigation: leaching of native selenium Low salinity hydrocarbon water disposal through deep subsurface drip irrigation: leaching of native selenium
A subsurface drip irrigation system is being used in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin that treats high sodium, low salinity, coal bed methane (CBM) produced water with sulfuric acid and injects it into cropped fields at a depth of 0.92 m. Dissolution of native gypsum releases calcium that combats soil degradation that would otherwise result from high sodium water. Native selenium is leached...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Mark Engle, Adam R. Boehlke, John Zupancic
Accumulation of atmospheric sulfur in some Costa Rican soils Accumulation of atmospheric sulfur in some Costa Rican soils
Sulfur is one of the macronutrient elements whose sources to terrestrial ecosystems should shift from dominance by rock-weathering to atmospheric deposition as soils and underlying substrate undergo progressive weathering and leaching. However, the nature and timing of this transition is not well known. We investigated sources of sulfur to tropical rain forests growing on basalt-derived...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Alan Townsend
Chemical transfers along slowly eroding catenas developed on granitic cratons in southern Africa Chemical transfers along slowly eroding catenas developed on granitic cratons in southern Africa
A catena is a series of distinct but co-evolving soils arrayed along a slope. On low-slope, slowly eroding catenas the redistribution of mass occurs predominantly as plasma, the dissolved and suspended constituents in soil water. We applied mass balance methods to track how redistribution via plasma contributed to physical and geochemical differentiation of nine slowly eroding (~ 5 mm ky...
Authors
Lesego Khomo, Carleton R. Bern, Anthony Hartshorn, Kevin Rogers, Oliver Chadwick
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 42
The distribution and composition of REE-bearing minerals in placers of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, USA The distribution and composition of REE-bearing minerals in placers of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, USA
Rare earth element (REE) resources are currently of great interest because of their importance as raw materials for high-technology manufacturing. The REE-phosphates monazite (light REE enriched) and xenotime (heavy REE enriched) resist weathering and can accumulate in placer deposits as part of the heavy mineral assemblage. The Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of the southeastern United...
Authors
Carleton Bern, Anjana Shah, William Benzel, Heather A. Lowers
Geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of REE in granite-derived regolith: a model for the Southeast United States Geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of REE in granite-derived regolith: a model for the Southeast United States
Rare earth element (REE) ion-adsorption clay deposits are of global economic importance because they currently supply a significant portion of the world’s annual production of both light (LREE) and heavy REE (HREE). There is considerable ambiguity regarding the origin of this deposit type: The main criteria include the presence of large, generally granitic, igneous suites; long periods...
Authors
Nora Foley, Carleton R. Bern, Robert Ayuso, Bernard Hubbard, Anjana Shah
Soil disturbance as a driver of increased stream salinity in a semiarid watershed undergoing energy development Soil disturbance as a driver of increased stream salinity in a semiarid watershed undergoing energy development
Salinization is a global threat to the quality of streams and rivers, but it can have many causes. Oil and gas development were investigated as one of several potential causes of changes in the salinity of Muddy Creek, which drains 2470 km2 of mostly public land in Wyoming, U.S.A. Stream discharge and salinity vary with seasonal snowmelt and define a primary salinity-discharge...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Melanie Clark, Travis S. Schmidt, JoAnn Holloway, Robert Mcdougal
Quantification of colloidal and aqueous element transfer in soils: The dual-phase mass balance model Quantification of colloidal and aqueous element transfer in soils: The dual-phase mass balance model
Mass balance models have become standard tools for characterizing element gains and losses and volumetric change during weathering and soil development. However, they rely on the assumption of complete immobility for an index element such as Ti or Zr. Here we describe a dual-phase mass balance model that eliminates the need for an assumption of immobility and in the process quantifies...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Aaron Thompson, Oliver Chadwick
Steep spatial gradients of volcanic and marine sulfur in Hawaiian rainfall and ecosystems Steep spatial gradients of volcanic and marine sulfur in Hawaiian rainfall and ecosystems
Sulfur, a nutrient required by terrestrial ecosystems, is likely to be regulated by atmospheric processes in well-drained, upland settings because of its low concentration in most bedrock and generally poor retention by inorganic reactions within soils. Environmental controls on sulfur sources in unpolluted ecosystems have seldom been investigated in detail, even though the possibility...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Oliver Chadwick, Carol Kendall, Michael Pribil
The role of water in unconventional in situ energy resource extraction technologies The role of water in unconventional in situ energy resource extraction technologies
Global trends toward developing new energy resources from lower grade, larger tonnage deposits that are not generally accessible using “conventional” extraction methods involve variations of subsurface in situ extraction techniques including in situ oil shale retorting, hydraulic fracturing of petroleum reservoirs, and in situ recovery of uranium. Although these methods are economically...
Authors
Tanya Gallegos, Carleton R. Bern, Justin Birdwell, Seth Haines, Mark Engle
U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: 2012 annual report U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: 2012 annual report
Southwest Wyoming contains abundant energy resources, wildlife, habitat, open spaces, and outdoor recreational opportunities. Although energy exploration and development have been taking place in the region since the late 1800s, the pace of development for fossil fuels and renewable energy increased significantly in the early 2000s. This and the associated urban and exurban development...
Authors
Zachary Bowen, Cameron Aldridge, Patrick Anderson, Timothy Assal, Carleton R. Bern, Laura Biewick, Gregory Boughton, Natasha Carr, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva Chong, Melanie Clark, Bradford Fedy, Katharine Foster, Steven Garman, Steve Germaine, Matthew Hethcoat, Collin Homer, Matthew J. Kauffman, Douglas Keinath, Natalie Latysh, Daniel Manier, Robert R. McDougal, Cynthia Melcher, Kirk Miller, Jessica Montag, Christopher Potter, Spencer Schell, Sarah L. Shafer, David B. Smith, Michael Sweat, Anna Wilson
U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative - 2013 Annual Report U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative - 2013 Annual Report
This is the sixth report produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) to detail annual activities conducted by USGS for addressing specific management needs identified by WLCI partners. In FY2013, there were 25 ongoing and new projects conducted by the USGS. These projects fall into 8 major categories: (1) synthesizing and...
Authors
Zachary Bowen, Cameron Aldridge, Patrick Anderson, Timothy Assal, Carleton R. Bern, Laura Biewick, Gregory Boughton, Anna Chalfoun, Geneva Chong, Marie Dematatis, Bradley C. Fedy, Steven Garman, Steve Germaine, Matthew Hethcoat, Collin Homer, Christopher Huber, Matthew J. Kauffman, Natalie Latysh, Daniel Manier, Cynthia Melcher, Kirk Miller, Christopher Potter, Spencer Schell, Michael Sweat, Annika Walters, Anna Wilson
Shallow groundwater and soil chemistry response to 3 years of subsurface drip irrigation using coalbed-methane-produced water Shallow groundwater and soil chemistry response to 3 years of subsurface drip irrigation using coalbed-methane-produced water
Disposal of produced waters, pumped to the surface as part of coalbed methane (CBM) development, is a significant environmental issue in the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin, USA. High sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) of the waters could degrade agricultural land, especially if directly applied to the soil surface. One method of disposing of CBM water, while deriving beneficial...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Adam R. Boehlke, Mark Engle, Nicholas J. Geboy, K.T. Schroeder, J.W. Zupancic
Low salinity hydrocarbon water disposal through deep subsurface drip irrigation: leaching of native selenium Low salinity hydrocarbon water disposal through deep subsurface drip irrigation: leaching of native selenium
A subsurface drip irrigation system is being used in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin that treats high sodium, low salinity, coal bed methane (CBM) produced water with sulfuric acid and injects it into cropped fields at a depth of 0.92 m. Dissolution of native gypsum releases calcium that combats soil degradation that would otherwise result from high sodium water. Native selenium is leached...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Mark Engle, Adam R. Boehlke, John Zupancic
Accumulation of atmospheric sulfur in some Costa Rican soils Accumulation of atmospheric sulfur in some Costa Rican soils
Sulfur is one of the macronutrient elements whose sources to terrestrial ecosystems should shift from dominance by rock-weathering to atmospheric deposition as soils and underlying substrate undergo progressive weathering and leaching. However, the nature and timing of this transition is not well known. We investigated sources of sulfur to tropical rain forests growing on basalt-derived...
Authors
Carleton R. Bern, Alan Townsend
Chemical transfers along slowly eroding catenas developed on granitic cratons in southern Africa Chemical transfers along slowly eroding catenas developed on granitic cratons in southern Africa
A catena is a series of distinct but co-evolving soils arrayed along a slope. On low-slope, slowly eroding catenas the redistribution of mass occurs predominantly as plasma, the dissolved and suspended constituents in soil water. We applied mass balance methods to track how redistribution via plasma contributed to physical and geochemical differentiation of nine slowly eroding (~ 5 mm ky...
Authors
Lesego Khomo, Carleton R. Bern, Anthony Hartshorn, Kevin Rogers, Oliver Chadwick