McDevitt, B., McLaughlin, M., Cravotta, C.A. III, Ajemigbitsea, M.A., Van Sice, K.J., Blotevogel, J., Borch, T., and Warner, N.R. (2019) Emerging investigator series: radium accumulation in carbonate river sediments at oil and gas produced water discharges: implications for beneficial use as disposal management: Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, v. 21, 324-338, https://doi.org/10.1039/c8em00336j.
Charles A Cravotta, III, PhD, PG
Charles "Chuck" Cravotta is a research hydrologist whose projects focus on geochemical and hydrological processes that control water quality, particularly the sources, transport, and attenuation of metals and nutrients in undisturbed and mining-impacted watersheds and aquifers. Results apply to scientific and regulatory programs for the prevention and remediation of aquatic contamination.
Biography
Education
1979 B.A. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
1980-82 Continuing education, George Mason University
1986 M.S. Geochemistry and Mineralogy, Pennsylvania State University
1996 Ph.D. Geochemistry and Mineralogy, Pennsylvania State University
Professional Assignments
1987-present: Research Hydrologist, USGS, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
1986-1987: Geochemist, IT Corporation, Monroeville, Pennsylvania
1982-1986: Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant, Geosciences Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
1979-1982: Geologist, Office of Scientific Publications, Geologic Division, USGS, Reston, Virginia
1979: Geologic Technician, Virginia State Water Control Board, Alexandria, Virginia
Professional Affiliations and Certification
2018-present: Adjunct Instructor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
2011-2016: Associate Editor, Mine Water and the Environment Journal, International Mine Water Association
2001-2005: Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
1995-present: Registered Professional Geologist in Pennsylvania PG-002255-G
Awards and Recognition
The Society for Organic Petrology Dalaway J. Swain Award “Best Refereed Paper”, 2016
Department of Interior Partners in Conservation Award (AMDTreat Development Team), 2013
Top 50 Most-Cited Papers in "Applied Geochemistry" (2006-2011)
Department of Interior Superior Service Award, 2005
Schuylkill County Conservation Professional of the Year Award, 2003
Department of Interior Honor Award, 2000
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Award for Excellence, 1999
External Research Database
Science and Products
Year Published: 2005
Implications of ground water chemistry and flow patterns for earthquake studies
Ground water can facilitate earthquake development and respond physically and chemically to tectonism. Thus, an understanding of ground water circulation in seismically active regions is important for earthquake prediction. To investigate the roles of ground water in the development and prediction of earthquakes, geological and hydrogeological...
Guangcai, W.; Zuochen, Z.; Min, W.; Cravotta, C.A.; Chenglong, L.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, , Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Implications of ground water chemistry and flow patterns for earthquake studies; 2005; Article; Journal; Ground Water; Guangcai, W.; Zuochen, Z.; Min, W.; Cravotta, III, C. A.; Chenglong, L.
Year Published: 2005
Net alkalinity and net acidity 1: Theoretical considerations
Net acidity and net alkalinity are widely used, poorly defined, and commonly misunderstood parameters for the characterization of mine drainage. The authors explain theoretical expressions of 3 types of alkalinity (caustic, phenolphthalein, and total) and acidity (mineral, CO2, and total). Except for rarely-invoked negative alkalinity,...
Kirby, C.S.; Cravotta, C.A.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, , Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Net alkalinity and net acidity 1: Theoretical considerations; 2005; Article; Journal; Applied Geochemistry; Kirby, C. S.; Cravotta, III, C. A.
Year Published: 2005
Net alkalinity and net acidity 2: Practical considerations
The pH, alkalinity, and acidity of mine drainage and associated waters can be misinterpreted because of the chemical instability of samples and possible misunderstandings of standard analytical method results. Synthetic and field samples of mine drainage having various initial pH values and concentrations of dissolved metals and alkalinity were...
Kirby, C.S.; Cravotta, C.A.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, , Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Net alkalinity and net acidity 2: Practical considerations; 2005; Article; Journal; Applied Geochemistry; Kirby, C. S.; Cravotta, III, C. A.
Year Published: 2004
Optimization of limestone drains for long- term treatment of acidic mine drainage, Swatara Creek Basin, Schuylkill County, PA
Limestone drains were constructed in 1995, 1997, and 2000 to treat acidic mine drainage (AMD) from the Orchard, Buck Mtn., and Hegins discharges, respectively, in the Swatara Creek Basin, Southern Anthracite Coalfield, east-central Pennsylvania. This report summarizes the construction characteristics and performance of each of the limestone drains...
Cravotta, Charles A.; Ward, S.J.; Koury, Daniel J.; Koch, R.D.
Year Published: 2004
Effects of Abandoned Coal-Mine Drainage on Streamflow and Water Quality in the Mahanoy Creek Basin, Schuylkill, Columbia, and Northumberland Counties, Pennsylvania, 2001
This report assesses the contaminant loading, effects to receiving streams, and possible remedial alternatives for abandoned mine drainage (AMD) within the Mahanoy Creek Basin in east-central Pennsylvania. The Mahanoy Creek Basin encompasses an area of 157 square miles (407 square kilometers) including approximately 42 square miles (109 square...
Cravotta, Charles A.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, , Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Effects of Abandoned Coal-Mine Drainage on Streamflow and Water Quality in the Mahanoy Creek Basin, Schuylkill, Columbia, and Northumberland Counties, Pennsylvania, 2001; 2004; SIR; 2004-5291; Cravotta, Charles A., III
Year Published: 2004
Acidity and Alkalinity in mine drainage: Practical considerations
In this paper, we emphasize that the Standard Method hot peroxide treatment procedure for acidity determination (hot acidity) directly measures net acidity or net alkalinity, but that more than one water-quality measure can be useful as a measure of the severity of acid mine drainage. We demonstrate that the hot acidity is related to the pH,...
Cravotta, III, Charles A.; Kirby, Carl S.
Year Published: 2004
Acidity and alkalinity in mine drainage: Theoretical considerations
Acidity, net acidity, and net alkalinity are widely used parameters for the characterization of mine drainage, but these terms are not well defined and are often misunderstood. Incorrect interpretation of acidity, alkalinity, and derivative terms can lead to inadequate treatment design or poor regulatory decisions. We briefly explain derivations...
Kirby, Carl S.; Cravotta, Charles A.
Year Published: 2003
Size and performance of anoxic limestone drains to neutralize acdic mine drainagei
Acidic mine drainage (AMD) can be neutralized effectively in underground, anoxic limestone drains (ALDs). Owing to reaction between the AMD and limestone (CaCO3), the pH and concentrations of alkalinity and calcium increase asymptotically with detention time in the ALD, while concentrations of sulfate, ferrous iron, and manganese typically are...
Cravotta, C.A.View Citation
Size and performance of anoxic limestone drains to neutralize acdic mine drainagei; 2003; Article; Journal; Journal of Environmental Quality; Cravotta, III, C. A.
Year Published: 2003
Effects of abandoned coal-mine drainage on streamflow and water quality in the Shamokin Creek Basin, Northumberland and Columbia Counties, Pennsylvania, 1999-2001
This report assesses the contaminant loading, effects to receiving streams, and possible remedial alternatives for abandoned mine drainage (AMD) within the upper Shamokin Creek Basin in east-central Pennsylvania. The upper Shamokin Creek Basin encompasses an area of 54 square miles (140 square kilometers) within the Western Middle Anthracite Field...
Cravotta, Charles A.; Kirby, Carl S.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, , Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Cravotta, C.A., III, and Kirby, C.S., 2003, Effects of Abandoned Coal-Mine Drainage on Streamflow and Water Quality in the Shamokin Creek Basin, Northumberland and Columbia Counties, Pennsylvania:U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 2003–4311, 53 p., https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri034311.
Year Published: 2002
Design and performance of limestone drains to increase pH and remove metals from acidic mine drainage, Chapter 2
Data on the construction characteristics and the composition of influent and effluent at 13 underground, limestone-filled drains in Pennsylvania and Maryland are reported to evaluate the design and performance of limestone drains for the attenuation of acidity and dissolved metals in acidic mine drainage. On the basis of the initial mass of...
Cravotta, Charles A.; Watzlaf, George R.
Year Published: 2002
Use of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur to identify sources of nitrogen in surface waters in the lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania
With the exception of sewage and septic effluents, most nitrogen sources and soils contain larger proportions of organic and reduced forms of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur than inorganic, oxidized forms. In contrast, most surface water and ground water contains larger proportions of dissolved inorganic carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur forms than...
Cravotta, Charles A.Attribution: Water, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, , Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Use of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur to identify sources of nitrogen in surface waters in the lower Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania; 2002; WSP; 2497; Cravotta, Charles A., III
Year Published: 2002
Assessing mine drainage pH from the color and spectral reflectance of chemical precipitates
The pH of mine impacted waters was estimated from the spectral reflectance of resident sediments composed mostly of chemical precipitates. Mine drainage sediments were collected from sites in the Anthracite Region of eastern Pennsylvania, representing acid to near neutral pH. Sediments occurring in acidic waters contained primarily schwertmannite...
Williams, D.J.; Bigham, J.M.; Cravotta, C.A.; Traina, S.J.; Anderson, J.E.; Lyon, J.G.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, , Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Assessing mine drainage pH from the color and spectral reflectance of chemical precipitates; 2002; Article; Journal; Applied Geochemistry; Williams, D. J.; Bigham, J. M.; Cravotta, III, C. A.; Traina, S. J.; Anderson, J. E.; Lyon, J. G.
Pre-USGS Publications
Cravotta, C.A. III (2013) Apparent rates of Fe(II) oxidation and associated hydrogeochemical interactions in an extensively mined watershed, Pennsylvania, USA, in Brown A, Figueroa L, Wolkersdorfer Ch (eds) Reliable Mine Water Technology: International Mine Water Association 2013 Symposium, Golden, Colorado, vol I, p. 319-324.
Cravotta, C.A. III, and Geroni, J.N. (2013) Effects of CO2 on pH and oxidation rates of Fe(II) in mining affected waters, in Brown A, Figueroa L, Wolkersdorfer Ch (eds) Reliable Mine Water Technology: International Mine Water Association 2013 Symposium, Golden, Colorado, vol II, p. 949-954.
Han, Y., Wang, G., Cravotta, C.A., III, Hu, W., Bian, Y., Zhang, Z. and Liu, Y., 2013, Hydrogeochemical evolution of Ordovician limestone groundwater in Yanzhou, North China: Hydrological Processes, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.9297.
Cravotta, C.A., III, Parkhurst, D.L., Means, B., McKenzie, R., and Arthur, W. (2010) Using the computer program AMDTreat with a PHREEQC titration module to compute caustic quantity, effluent quality, and sludge volume, in International Mine Water Association 2010 Symposium, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Cravotta, C.A., III, Parkhurst, D.L., Means, B., McKenzie, R., Morris, H., and Arthur, W. (2010) A geochemical module for “AMDTreat” to compute caustic quantity, effluent quality, and sludge volume, in 2010 National Meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation, Pittsburgh, PA, p. 1413-1436.
Sibrell, P.L., Cravotta, C.A., III, Lehman, W.G., and Reichert, W. (2010) Utilization of AMD sludges from the anthracite region of Pennsylvania for removal of phosphorus from wastewater, in 2010 National Meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation, Pittsburgh, PA, p. 1085-1100.
Cravotta, C.A., III, and Nantz, J.M. (2008) Quantity and quality of stream water draining mined areas of the upper Schuylkill River basin, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, 2005-2007. in National Meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation, Richmond VA, New Opportunities to Apply Our Science June 14-19, 2008: American Society of Mining and Reclamation, p. 223-252.
Cravotta, C.A., III, and Trahan, M.K. (1999) Limestone drains to increase pH and remove dissolved metals from acidic mine drainage: Applied Geochemistry, v. 14, no. 5, p 581-606.
Szabo, Zoltan, Stackelberg, P.E., and Cravotta, C.A., III, 2020, Occurrence and geochemistry of Lead-210 and Polonium-210 radionuclides in public-drinking-water supplies from principal aquifers of the United States: Environmental Science & Technology, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c00192.