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D. Kirk Nordstrom

Dr. Nordstrom is a hydrogeochemist (emeritus) with the US Geological Survey whose works covers acid mine drainage, geothermal water chemistry, radioactive waste research, groundwater geochemistry, analytical chemistry, redox species, geochemical modeling, thermodynamic data evaluation, and geomicrobiology.

Dr. Nordstrom has worked on field sites, on laboratory studies, and theoretical calculations having to do with water-rock interactions. Field work includes interpreting the origin, evolution, fate, and consequences of acid mine drainage from metal mining, interpreting groundwater chemistry in a variety of aquifer systems, and interpreting the origins and evolution of geothermal water chemistry. He has contributed to the interpretation of groundwater composition in deep aquifer systems considered for nuclear waste disposal; the development of preservation methods and new analytical techniques for aqueous species, especially redox species, in natural waters; and the application of geochemical modeling to the interpretation of water-rock interactions for both surface and groundwaters. He has contributed to the development of geochemical modeling codes and the evaluation of thermodynamic data used in the codes. He has studied the role of microbes in the rates and processes of oxidation and reduction of redox-sensitive elements. He has focused often on the hydrogeochemical behavior of arsenic and fluoride which are often found as geogenic contaminants in groundwaters. He has worked on four USEPA Superfund sites and close to 100 mine sites.

Professional Experience

  • Assistant Professor, University of Virginia, 1976-80

  • Associate Editor for Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 1986-87

  • Managing Editor for Geochemistry for Earth-Science Reviews, 2006-09

  • Co-editor for “Sulfate Minerals – Crystallography, Geochemistry, and Environmental Significance,” with John Jambor and Charles Alpers, Mineralogical Society of America and Geochemical Society, 2000

  • Editor for “Groundwater Geochemistry: A practical guide to modeling of natural and contaminated systems” by B.J. Merkel and B. Planer-Friedrich, 2005, Springer, Berlin and second edition, 2008

  • Co-editor for “Arsenic: Environmental Geochemistry, Mineralogy, and Microbiology,” with Rob Bowell, Charles Alpers, and Heather Jamieson, Mineralogical Association of America and Geochemical Society, 2014

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. (Geochemistry) Stanford University, 1977

  • M.S.  (Geology) University of Colorado, 1971

  • B.A.  (Chemistry) Southern Illinois University, 1969

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science

  • Member, Geochemical Society

  • Fellow, Geological Society of America, (Hydrogeology Division)

  • Fellow, Mineralogical Society of America

  • Fellow, International Association of Geochemistry

  • Member, International Mine Water Association

  • Member, Board of Radioactive Waste Management, National Academy of Sciences, 1990-96

  • Member, Science Advisory Board, Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, 2000-09

Honors and Awards

  • Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research, 1970

  • Grant from the Anaconda Company, 1970

  • National Science Foundation Fellowship, 1970 71

  • Stanford Scholarship, 1975-76 

  • American Men and Women of Science, 33rd edition

  • Who's Who in the West, 21st edition

  • Adjunct Professor, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, 1991-2004

  • Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lectureship Award, Geological Society of America, 1996

  • Phoebe Apperson Hearst Distinguished Lecturer (University of California Berkeley), 1998

  • Fellow, Mineralogical Society of America, 2000

  • Fellow, Geological Society of America, 2001

  • Meritorious Service Award, US Department of the Interior, 2002

  • Cooperative Conservation Award, US Department of the Interior, 2008

  • International Ingerson Lecture Award, International Association of Geochemistry, 2009

  • Friend of Water-Rock Interaction Award, International Association of Geochemistry, 2010

  • Adrian Smith Lecture Award, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2011

  • USGS Water Research Lecture Award, 2012

  • Adjunct Professor Award, Department of Chemistry, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia 2014-17

  • Brian Hitchon Award, International Association of Geochemistry, 2016 (most cited paper of 2011)

  • Leader of Water-Rock Interaction Award, International Association of Geochemistry, 2016

  • Halbouty Visiting Chair Award, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, March, 2018

Abstracts and Presentations

  • US Geological Survey (1985-2000) Geochemistry of Ground Water Systems 2-week Training Course (w/ others)

  • CIEMAT/ENRESA, Madrid (1994) Short course on Aqueous Geochemistry & Geochemical Modeling

  • CIEMAT/ENRESA, Madrid (1996) Short course on Isotope Hydrogeochemistry (with Niel Plummer)

  • ATSDR, Atlanta, GA (1997) Short course on Geochemical Modeling (with Jim Ball)

  • Porto University, Portugal (2008) Short Course on Arsenic Geochemistry, April 28-May 3

  • State of California Water Board (2009) Short Course on Characterizing, Predicting, and Modeling Water Quality at Mine Sites, May 18-21

  • Wuhan University, Hubei, China (2009) Advances in Hydrogeochemistry, March 23-26

  • University of Concepcion, Chile (2010) Short Course on Mining and Sustainability, October 11-15

  • Society for Economic Geologists (2010) Environmental Geochemistry for Modern Mining, October 29-30, Denver, CO (Annual Meeting of Geological Society of America)

  • EPA Webinar Workshop (2013) Predicting and modeling water chemistry associated with hardrock mine sites, February 13

  • National University of Salta, Argentina, Short Course on the Geochemistry of Acid Mine Drainage

  • Murdoch University, Australia (2015) Master Class: Introduction to Geochemical Modeling, Feb. 24

  • China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China (2015) Half-day seminar on Introduction to PHREEQC

  • Luleå University of Technology (2017) Geochemical modeling for mine site characterization and Luleå, Sweden remediation with PHREEQC exercises, July 3 – 5

  • Texas A&M University (2018) Chemical Elements in Water, March 1 – 31

  • Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China (2018) Chemical Elements in Water, July 16-28

  • Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS (2019) Overview of Groundwater Chemistry: Convergence of Chemistry, Geology and Hydrology

  • More than 250 abstracts presented at professional society meetings, more than 150 presentations within the USGS, other universities, and other national and international institutions (other than courses taught). Numerous briefings to state and federal agencies.

Science and Products

Water-Chemistry and Isotope Data for Selected Springs, Geysers, Streams, and Rivers in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

There are over 10,000 hydrothermal features in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), where waters have pH values ranging from about 1 to 10 and surface temperatures up to 95 °C. Active geothermal areas in YNP provide insight into a variety of processes occurring at depth, such as water-rock and oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions, the formation of alteration minerals, and microbial (thermophile)
By
Volcano Hazards

Field and Laboratory data of pipe scale forming in acid mine drainage pipelines at Iron Mountain and Leviathan Mines, California

Pipelines carrying acid mine drainage at Iron Mountain and Leviathan Mines (CA, USA) develop pipe scale, a precipitate that forms inside the pipelines. The U.S. Geological Survey is studying the composition of the pipe scale and the acid mine drainage water flowing through the pipeline through field samples and laboratory experimentation. This data release provides the data from the studies of the
By
Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Filter Total Items: 161

The source, fate, and transport of arsenic in the Yellowstone hydrothermal system - An overview

The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field (YPVF) contains >10,000 thermal features including hot springs, pools, geysers, mud pots, and fumaroles with diverse chemical compositions. Arsenic (As) concentrations in YPVF thermal waters typically range from 0.005 to 4 mg/L, but an As concentration of 17 mg/L has been reported. Arsenic data from thermal springs, outflow drainages, rivers, and from volcani

Fluoride in thermal and non-thermal groundwater: Insights from geochemical modeling

High fluoride (F) groundwaters (>1 mg/L) have been recognized as a water quality problem for nearly a century and occur in many countries worldwide. The affected aquifers can be sedimentary, metamorphic or igneous rocks, but the process giving rise to high-F concentrations has been studied with geochemical modeling and an examination of the rock sources. The association of high-F with silicic igne
By
Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Fluoride in groundwater

No abstract available.
By
Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Geochemical modeling of iron and aluminum precipitation during mixing and neutralization of acid mine drainage

Geochemical modeling of precipitation reactions in the complex matrix of acid mine drainage is fundamental to understanding natural attenuation, lime treatment, and treatment procedures that separate constituents for potential reuse or recycling. The three main dissolved constituents in acid mine drainage are iron, aluminum, and sulfate. During the neutralization of acid mine drainage (AMD) by mix
By
Volcano Hazards, Volcano Science Center

Formation and prevention of pipe scale from acid mine drainage at Iron Mountain and Leviathan Mines, California, USA

Pipelines carrying acid mine drainage (AMD) to treatment plants commonly form pipe scale, an Fe(III)-rich precipitate that forms inside the pipelines and requires periodic and costly cleanout and maintenance. Pipelines at Iron Mountain Mine (IMM) and Leviathan Mine (LM) in California carry acidic water from mine sources to a treatment plant and have developed pipe scale. Samples of scale and AMD
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Water Resources, California Water Science Center

Sources, fate, and flux of geothermal solutes in the Yellowstone and Gardner Rivers, Yellowstone National Park, WY

The total discharge and thermal output from the numerous hydrothermal features in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) can be estimated from the chloride (Cl) flux in the Madison, Yellowstone, Falls, and Snake Rivers. Monitoring the Cl flux in these four major rivers provides a holistic view of the hydrothermal output from YNP and changes in the Cl flux may indicate changes in geothermal or magmatic ac
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Water Resources

Fate of antimony and arsenic in contaminated waters at the abandoned Su Suergiu mine (Sardinia, Italy)

We investigated the fate of Sb and As downstream of the abandoned Su Suergiu mine (Sardinia, Italy) and surrounding areas. The mined area is a priority in the Sardinian remediation plan for contaminated sites due to the high concentrations of Sb and As in the mining-related wastes, which may impact the Flumendosa River that supplies water for agriculture and domestic uses. Hydrogeochemical surveys

Geochemical modeling for mine site characterization and remediation

Geochemical Modeling for Mine Site Characterization and Remediation is the fourth of six volumes in the Management Technologies for Metal Mining Infl uenced Water series about technologies for management of metal mine and metallurgical process drainage.This handbook describes the important components of hydrogeochemical modeling for mine environments, primarily those mines where sulfi de minerals
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Water Resources

Challenges in recovering resources from acid mine drainage

Metal recovery from mine waters and effluents is not a new approach but one that has occurred largely opportunistically over the last four millennia. Due to the need for low-cost resources and increasingly stringent environmental conditions, mine waters are being considered in a fresh light with a designed, deliberate approach to resource recovery often as part of a larger water treatment evaluati

Sulfolobus islandicus meta-populations in Yellowstone National Park hot springs

Abiotic and biotic forces shape the structure and evolution of microbial populations. We investigated forces that shape the spatial and temporal population structure of Sulfolobus islandicus by comparing geochemical and molecular analysis from seven hot springs in five regions sampled over 3 years in Yellowstone National Park. Through deep amplicon sequencing, we uncovered 148 unique alleles at tw

A geochemical examination of humidity cell tests

Humidity cell tests (HCTs) are long-term (20 to >300 weeks) leach tests that are considered by some to be the among the most reliable geochemical characterization methods for estimating the leachate quality of mined materials. A number of modifications have been added to the original HCT method, but the interpretation of test results varies widely. We suggest that the HCTs represent an underutiliz

Multireaction equilibrium geothermometry: A sensitivity analysis using data from the Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, USA

A multireaction chemical equilibria geothermometry (MEG) model applicable to high-temperature geothermal systems has been developed over the past three decades. Given sufficient data, this model provides more constraint on calculated reservoir temperatures than classical chemical geothermometers that are based on either the concentration of silica (SiO2), or the ratios of cation concentrations. A
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Water Resources

Science and Products

*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