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: 2017
Groundwater quality for 75 domestic wells in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, 2014
Groundwater is a major source of drinking water in Lycoming County and adjacent counties in north-central and northeastern Pennsylvania, which are largely forested and rural and are currently undergoing development for hydrocarbon gases. Water-quality data are needed for assessing the natural characteristics of the groundwater resource and the...
Gross, Eliza L.; Cravotta, Charles A.Attribution: Chesapeake Bay Activities, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Gross, E.L., and Cravotta, C.A., III, 2017, Groundwater quality for 75 domestic wells in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, 2014: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5143, 74 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20165143.
Year Published: 2017
Hydrological and geophysical investigation of streamflow losses and restoration strategies in an abandoned mine lands setting
Longitudinal discharge and water-quality campaigns (seepage runs) were combined with surface-geophysical surveys, hyporheic-temperature profiling, and watershed-scale hydrological monitoring to evaluate the locations, magnitude, and impact of streamwater losses from the West Creek subbasin of the West West Branch Schuylkill River into the...
Cravotta, Charles A.; Sherrod, Laura; Galeone, Daniel G.; Lehman, Wayne G.; Ackman, Terry E.; Kramer, AlexaAttribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Cravotta, C.A. III, Sherrod, L., Galeone, D., Lehman, W., Ackman, T., and Kramer, A. (2017) Hydrological and geophysical investigation of streamflow losses and restoration strategies in an abandoned mine lands setting: Environmental & Engineering Geoscience, v. 23, no. 4, p. 243-273. (http://dx.doi.org/10.2113/EEG-1905)
Year Published: 2017
Enhanced Al and Zn removal from coal-mine drainage during rapid oxidation and precipitation of Fe oxides at near-neutral pH
Net-alkaline, anoxic coal-mine drainage containing ∼20 mg/L FeII and ∼0.05 mg/L Al and Zn was subjected to parallel batch experiments: control, aeration (Aer 1 12.6 mL/s; Aer 2 16.8 mL/s; Aer 3 25.0 mL/s), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to test the hypothesis that aeration increases pH, FeII oxidation, hydrous FeIII oxide (...
Burrows, Jill E.; Cravotta, Charles A. ; Peters, Stephen C.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Burrows, J.E., Cravotta, C.A. III, and Peters, S.C. (2017) Enhanced Al and Zn removal from coal-mine drainage during rapid oxidation and precipitation of Fe oxides at near-neutral pH: Applied Geochemistry, v. 78, p. 194-210. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2016.12.019)
Year Published: 2017
Dissolution of fluorapatite by Pseudomonas fluorescens P35 resulting in fluorine release
Chemical weathering of fluorine-bearing minerals is widely accepted as the main mechanism for the release of fluorine (F) to groundwater. Here, we propose a potential mechanism of F release via microbial dissolution of fluorapatite (Ca5(PO4)3F), which has been neglected previously. Batch culture experiments were conducted at 30°C with a phosphate-...
Zhou, Jianping; Wang, Hongmei; Cravotta, Charles A.; Dong, Qiang; Xiang, XingAttribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Jianping Zhou, Hongmei Wang, Charles A. Cravotta III, Qiang Dong & Xing Xiang (2016): Dissolution of Fluorapatite by Pseudomonas fluorescens P35 Resulting in Fluorine Release, Geomicrobiology Journal, DOI:10.1080/01490451.2016.1204376
Year Published: 2017
Baseline assessment of groundwater quality in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, 2014
The Devonian-age Marcellus Shale and the Ordovician-age Utica Shale, geologic formations which have potential for natural gas development, underlie Wayne County and neighboring counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Wayne Conservation District, conducted a study to assess baseline...
Senior, Lisa A.; Cravotta, III, Charles A.; Sloto, Ronald A.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Senior, L.A., Cravotta, C.A., III, and Sloto, R.A., 2017, Baseline assessment of groundwater quality in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, 2014 (ver. 1.1, March 2017): U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5073, 136 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20165073.
Year Published: 2016
Acid mine drainage
Acid mine drainage (AMD) consists of metal-laden solutions produced by the oxidative dissolution of iron sulfide minerals exposed to air, moisture, and acidophilic microbes during the mining of coal and metal deposits. The pH of AMD is usually in the range of 2–6, but mine-impacted waters at circumneutral pH (5–8) are also common. Mine drainage...
Bigham, Jerry M.; Cravotta, Charles A.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Bigham, J.M., and Cravotta, C.A. III (2016) Acid mine drainage, in Lal, R. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Soil Science (3rd), CRC Press, Taylor & Francis LLC, p. 6-10. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1081/E-ESS-120001582)
Year Published: 2015
Monitoring, field experiments, and geochemical modeling of Fe(II) oxidation kinetics in a stream dominated by net-alkaline coal-mine drainage, Pennsylvania, USA
Watershed-scale monitoring, field aeration experiments, and geochemical equilibrium and kinetic modeling were conducted to evaluate interdependent changes in pH, dissolved CO2, O2, and Fe(II) concentrations that typically take place downstream of net-alkaline, circumneutral coal-mine drainage (CMD) outfalls and during aerobic treatment of such CMD...
Cravotta, Charles A.
Year Published: 2015
Temporal geochemical variations in above- and below-drainage coal mine discharge
Water quality data collected in 2012 for 10 above- and 14 below-drainage coal mine discharges (CMDs), classified by mining or excavation method, in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania, USA, are compared with data for 1975, 1991, and 1999 to evaluate long-term (37 year) changes in pH, SO42−, and Fe concentrations related to...
Burrows, Jill E.; Peters, Stephen C.; Cravotta, Charles A.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Burrows, J.E., Peters, S.C., and Cravotta, C.A. (2015) Temporal geochemical variations in above- and below-drainage coal mine discharge: Applied Geochemistry, v. 62, p. 84-95 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2015.03.001)
Year Published: 2015
AMDTreat 5.0+ with PHREEQC titration module to compute caustic chemical quantity, effluent quality, and sludge volume
Alkaline chemicals are commonly added to discharges from coal mines to increase pH and decrease concentrations of acidity and dissolved aluminum, iron, manganese, and associated metals. The annual cost of chemical treatment depends on the type and quantities of chemicals added and sludge produced. The AMDTreat computer program, initially developed...
Cravotta, Charles A.; Means, Brent P; Arthur, Willam; McKenzie, Robert M; Parkhurst, David L.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Cravotta III, C. A., Means, B.P., Arthur, W., McKenzie, R.M., and Parkhurst, D.L. (2014) AMDTreat 5.0+ with PHREEQC Titration Module to Compute Caustic Chemical Quantity, Effluent Quality, and Sludge Volume: Mine Water and the Environment, v. _____, p. ___________.
Year Published: 2015
Priority pollutants and associated constituents in untreated and treated discharges from coal mining or processing facilities in Pennsylvania, USA
Clean sampling and analysis procedures were used to quantify more than 70 inorganic constituents, including 35 potentially toxic or hazardous constituents, organic carbon, and other characteristics of untreated (influent) and treated (effluent) coal-mine discharges (CMD) at 38 permitted coal-mining or coal-processing facilities in the bituminous...
Cravotta, III, Charles A.; Brady, Keith B.C.Attribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Cravotta, C.A. III, and Brady, K.B.C. (2015) Priority Pollutants in untreated and treated discharges from coal mines in Pennsylvania, U.S.A.: Applied Geochemistry, v. 62, p. 108-130. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2015.03.001)
Year Published: 2015
The quality of our nation's waters: water quality in the Principal Aquifers of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Valley and Ridge regions, eastern United States, 1993-2009
The aquifers of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Valley and Ridge regions underlie an area with a population of more than 40 million people in 10 states. The suburban and rural population is large, growing rapidly, and increasingly dependent on groundwater as a source of supply, with more than 550 million gallons per day withdrawn from domestic wells...
Lindsey, Bruce D.; Zimmerman, Tammy M.; Chapman, Melinda J.; Cravotta, Charles A.; Szabo, ZoltanAttribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources
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Lindsey, B.D., Zimmerman, T.M., Chapman, M.J., Cravotta, C.A., III, and Szabo, Zoltan, 2014, The quality of our Nation’s waters—Water quality in the Principal Aquifers of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Valley and Ridge regions, eastern United States, 1993–2009: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1354, 107 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/cir1354.
Year Published: 2014
Spectral masking of goethite in abandoned mine drainage systems: implications for Mars
Remote sensing studies of the surface of Mars use visible- to near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy to identify hydrated and hydroxylated minerals, which can be used to constrain past environmental conditions on the surface of Mars. However, due to differences in optical properties, some hydrated phases can mask others in VNIR spectra, complicating...
Cull, Selby; Cravotta, Charles A.; Klinges, Julia Grace; Weeks, ChloeAttribution: Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Water Resources, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
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Spectral masking of goethite in abandoned mine drainage systems: implications for Mars; 2014; Article; Journal; Earth and Planetary Science Letters; Cull, Selby; Cravotta, Charles A.; Klinges, Julia Grace; Weeks, Chloe
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.