Charles N Alpers
Since 1991, as a Research Chemist with USGS, Dr. Alpers has led numerous water-quality investigations involving the environmental effects of historical mining.
This work has included research on acid mine drainage at the Iron Mountain Superfund site, including documentation of negative-pH water and associated sulfate minerals. Since 1999, he has been lead scientist for several multi-disciplinary studies regarding mercury contamination, transport, and bioaccumulation associated with historical gold mining in the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges of California. He is also investigating arsenic bioavailability and bioaccessibility in gold-mine waste at the Empire Mine in Grass Valley, California as part of a multi-disciplinary team involving USGS and non-USGS scientists.
The overarching theme of Dr. Alpers' research is the environmental geochemistry of metal contamination from historical mining. A secondary theme is the use of mineral deposits and areas contaminated by mining as laboratories for process-oriented research. His career has evolved from an emphasis on acid mine drainage (late 1980s to 2000) to an emphasis on mercury (since 2000) with growing interests in wetlands, arsenic, and lead.
Science and Products
Hydrogeology and geochemistry of acid mine drainage in ground water in the vicinity of Penn Mine and Camanche Reservoir, Calaveras County, California: Summary report, 1993–95
The geochemistry of acid mine waters
Negative pH, efflorescent mineralogy, and consequences for environmental restoration at the iron mountain superfund site, California
The stable isotope geochemistry of jarosite
Geochemical modeling of water-rock interactions in mining environments
Hydrogeology and geochemistry of acid mine drainage in ground water in the vicinity of Penn Mine and Camanche Reservoir, Calaveras County, California: Second-year summary, 1992-93
Hydrogeology and geochemistry of acid mine drainage in ground water in the vicinity of Penn Mine and Camanche Reservoir, Calaveras County, California: First-year summary
Responsibilities and activities of the U.S. Geological Survey related to mining and the environment
Secondary minerals and acid mine-water chemistry
Seasonal variations of Zn/Cu ratios in acid mine water from Iron Mountain, California
Chemical, crystallographic and stable isotopic properties of alunite and jarosite from acid-Hypersaline Australian lakes
Compilation and interpretation of water-quality and discharge data for acidic mine waters at Iron Mountain, Shasta County, California, 1940-91
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Hydrogeology and geochemistry of acid mine drainage in ground water in the vicinity of Penn Mine and Camanche Reservoir, Calaveras County, California: Summary report, 1993–95
No abstract available.AuthorsCharles N. Alpers, S. N. Hamlin, M. P. HunerlachThe geochemistry of acid mine waters
No abstract available.AuthorsD. Kirk Nordstrom, Charles N. AlpersNegative pH, efflorescent mineralogy, and consequences for environmental restoration at the iron mountain superfund site, California
The Richmond Mine of the Iron Mountain copper deposit contains some of the most acid mine waters ever reported. Values of pH have been measured as low as -3.6, combined metal concentrations as high as 200 g/liter, and sulfate concentrations as high as 760 g/liter. Copious quantities of soluble metal sulfate salts such as melanterite, chalcanthite, coquimbite, rhomboclase, voltaite, copiapite, andAuthorsD. Kirk Nordstrom, Charles N. AlpersThe stable isotope geochemistry of jarosite
No abstract available.AuthorsR. O. Rye, Charles N. AlpersGeochemical modeling of water-rock interactions in mining environments
Geochemical modeling is a powerful tool for evaluating geochemical processes in mining environments. Properly constrained and judiciously applied, modeling can provide valuable insights into processes controlling the release, transport, and fate of contaminants in mine drainage. This chapter contains 1) an overview of geochemical modeling, 2) discussion of the types of models and computer programsAuthorsCharles N. Alpers, D. Kirk NordstromHydrogeology and geochemistry of acid mine drainage in ground water in the vicinity of Penn Mine and Camanche Reservoir, Calaveras County, California: Second-year summary, 1992-93
No abstract available.AuthorsScott N. Hamlin, Charles N. AlpersHydrogeology and geochemistry of acid mine drainage in ground water in the vicinity of Penn Mine and Camanche Reservoir, Calaveras County, California: First-year summary
Acid drainage from the Penn Mine in Calaveras County, California, has caused contamination of ground water between Mine Run Dam and Camanche Reservoir. The Penn Mine was first developed in the 1860's primarily for copper and later produced lesser amounts of zinc, lead, silver, and gold from steeply dipping massive sulfide lenses in metamorphic rocks. Surface disposal of sulfidic waste rock and taiAuthorsS. N. Hamlin, Charles N. AlpersResponsibilities and activities of the U.S. Geological Survey related to mining and the environment
No abstract available.AuthorsCharles N. AlpersSecondary minerals and acid mine-water chemistry
No abstract available.AuthorsCharles N. Alpers, D.W Blowes, D. Kirk Nordstrom, J.L. JamborSeasonal variations of Zn/Cu ratios in acid mine water from Iron Mountain, California
Time-series data on Zn/Cu weight ratios from portal effluent compositions [(Zn/Cu)water] at Iron Mountain, California, show seasonal variations that can be related to the precipitation and dissolution of melanterite [(FeII,Zn,Cu)SO4·7H2O]. Mine water and actively forming melanterite were collected from underground mine workings and chemically analyzed. The temperature-dependent solubility of Zn-CuAuthorsCharles N. Alpers, D. Kirk Nordstrom, J. Michael ThompsonChemical, crystallographic and stable isotopic properties of alunite and jarosite from acid-Hypersaline Australian lakes
Chemical, crystallographic and isotopic analyses were made on samples containing alunite and jarosite from the sediments of four acid, hypersaline lakes in southeastern and southwestern Australia. The alunite and jarosite are K-rich with relatively low Na contents based on chemical analysis and determination of unit cell dimensions by powder X-ray diffraction. Correcting the chemical analyses of fAuthorsCharles N. Alpers, R. O. Rye, D. Kirk Nordstrom, L. D. White, B.-S. KingCompilation and interpretation of water-quality and discharge data for acidic mine waters at Iron Mountain, Shasta County, California, 1940-91
No abstract available.AuthorsCharles N. Alpers, D. Kirk Nordstrom, J.M. Burchard - News