David P Krabbenhoft
David Krabbenhoft is a Scientist Emeritus with the Upper Midwest Water Science Center.
David Krabbenhoft received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1988 and has been a research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey since. He has general research interests are in biogeochemistry and hydrogeology of aquatic ecosystems. Dave began working on environmental mercury cycling, transformations, and fluxes in aquatic ecosystems with the Mercury in Temperate Lakes project in 1988; since then, the topic has consumed his professional life. In 1994, Dave established the USGS’s Mercury Research Laboratory, which includes a team of multi-disciplinary mercury investigators and a state-of-the-art analytical facility strictly dedicated to low-level speciation analysis of mercury. In 1995 he initiated the multi-agency Aquatic Cycling of Mercury in the Everglades (ACME) project, which is still ongoing. More recently, Dave has been a Primary Investigator on the internationally conducted Mercury Experiment To Assess Atmospheric Loadings in Canada and the US (METAALICUS) project, which is a novel effort to examine the ecosystem-level response to loading an entire watershed with mercury. Currently, Dave’s research team is active on projects that span environments as far ranging as the Pacific Ocean to freshwater systems in Alaska to Florida, and from California to New England. In recent years, the Mercury Research Team entered into the realm of atmospheric research by constructing and deployed the USGS Mobile Atmospheric Mercury Lab, which has the capability for rapid deployment and advanced study of mercury in the atmosphere. Since 1990, he has authored or coauthored over 100 papers on mercury in the environment. In August 2006, Dave served as the Co-Chair for the 8th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant.
Professional Experience
Research Hydrologist/Geochemist, U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, Wisconsin, July 1988 to present.
Adjunct, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2001 to present.
USGS Mercury Research Lab, Team Leader, 1994 to present.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 1988, University of Wisconsin-Madsion, Department of Geology and Geophysics; research emphasis isotope geochemistry, limnology, and hydrogeology
M.S. 1984, University of Wisconsin-Madsion, Department of Geology and Geophysics; research emphasis geochemistry and hydrogeology
B.S. 1982, North Dakota St. University, Major: Geology, Minor: Chemistry
Honors and Awards
Shoemaker Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Science Communications (October 2013)
USGS performance awards (received on 24 occasions from 1988-2013)
Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, In Recognition for Meritorious Service (2003)
Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, In Recognition for Superior Service (1997)
Exxon Research Scholarship, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1982)
Summa Cum Laude, North Dakota State University (19
Science and Products
Methyl mercury dynamics in littoral sediments of a temperate seepage lake
System controls on the aqueous distribution of mercury in the northern Florida Everglades
Trophic transfer of methyl mercury in the northern Florida Everglades
The hyporheic zone as a source of dissolved organic carbon and carbon gases to a temperate forested stream
Using stable isotopes of water and strontium to investigate the hydrology of a natural and a constructed wetland
Assessing hydrogeochemical heterogeneity in natural and constructed wetlands
Resolution of matrix effects on analysis of total and methyl mercury in aqueous samples from the Florida Everglades
Groundwater inflow measurements in wetland systems
Kinetic and mineralogic controls on the evolution of groundwater chemistry and 87Sr/86Sr in a sandy silicate aquifer, northern Wisconsin, USA
Mercury cycling in the Allequash Creek watershed, northern Wisconsin
Mercury contamination of aquatic ecosystems
Transient hydrogeological controls on the chemistry of a seepage lake
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Methyl mercury dynamics in littoral sediments of a temperate seepage lake
The sites and rates of methyl mercury (MeHg) production and transport in littoral zone sediments were investigated at Pallette Lake in northern Wisconsin. In littoral areas where groundwater inflow occurs, sulfate supply from groundwater creates profiles of electron acceptors (sulfate) and donors (methane, sulfide) that are reversed from those found in sediments whose sulfate supply is delivered fAuthorsD. P. Krabbenhoft, C.C. Gilmour, J.M. Benoit, Christopher L. Babiarz, A.W. Andren, J.P. HurleySystem controls on the aqueous distribution of mercury in the northern Florida Everglades
The forms and partitioning of aqueous mercury species in the canals and marshes of the Northern Florida Everglades exhibit strong spatial and temporal variability. In canals feeding Water Conservation Area (WCA) 2A, unfiltered total Hg (HgT(U)) is less than 3 ng L-1 and relatively constant. In contrast, methyl mercury (MeHg) exhibited a strong seasonal pattern, with highest levels entering WCA-2AAuthorsJ.P. Hurley, D. P. Krabbenhoft, L.B. Cleckner, M.L. Olson, G. R. Aiken, P.S. RawlikTrophic transfer of methyl mercury in the northern Florida Everglades
There are spatial differences in methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations in biota in Water Conservation Areas 2 and 3 in the Everglades, with higher concentrations generally found in the southern areas. Fish and hemipterans had the most MeHg on a wet weight basis, with levels exceeding 30 ng g-1. The magnitude of MeHg accumulation in biota varies seasonally and does not always appear to be associatedAuthorsL.B. Cleckner, P.J. Garrison, J.P. Hurley, M.L. Olson, D. P. KrabbenhoftThe hyporheic zone as a source of dissolved organic carbon and carbon gases to a temperate forested stream
The objective of this study was to examine chemical changes in porewaters that occur over small scales (cm) as groundwater flows through the hyporheic zone and discharges to a stream in a temperate forest of northern Wisconsin. Hyporheic-zone porewaters were sampled at discrete depths of 2, 10, 15, 61, and 183 cm at three study sites in the study basin. Chemical profiles of dissolved organic carboAuthorsJ.E. Schindler, D. P. KrabbenhoftUsing stable isotopes of water and strontium to investigate the hydrology of a natural and a constructed wetland
Wetlands cannot exist without water, but wetland hydrology is difficult to characterize. As a result, compensatory wetland mitigation often only assumes the proper hydrology has been created. In this study, water sources and mass transfer processes in a natural and constructed wetland complex were investigated using isotopes of water and strontium. Water isotope profiles in the saturated zone reveAuthorsR. J. Hunt, T.D. Bullen, D. P. Krabbenhoft, C. KendallAssessing hydrogeochemical heterogeneity in natural and constructed wetlands
While 'water quality function' is cited as an important wetland function to design for and preserve, we demonstrate that the scale at which hydrochemical samples are collected can significantly influence interpretations of biogeochemical processes in wetlands. Subsurface, chemical profiles for both nutrients and major ions were determined at a site in southwestern Wisconsin that contained areas ofAuthorsR. J. Hunt, D. P. Krabbenhoft, M.P. AndersonResolution of matrix effects on analysis of total and methyl mercury in aqueous samples from the Florida Everglades
Aqueous samples from the Florida Everglades present several problems for the analysis of total mercury (HgT) and methyl mercury (MeHg). Constituents such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and sulfide at selected sites present particular challenges due to interferences with standard analytical techniques. This is manifested by 1) the inability to discern when bromine monochloride (BrCl) addition iAuthorsM.L. Olson, L.B. Cleckner, J.P. Hurley, D. P. Krabbenhoft, T.W. HeelanGroundwater inflow measurements in wetland systems
Our current understanding of wetlands is insufficient to assess the effects of past and future wetland loss. While knowledge of wetland hydrology is crucial, groundwater flows are often neglected or uncertain. In this paper, groundwater inflows were estimated in wetlands in southwestern Wisconsin using traditional Darcy's law calculations and three independent methods that included (1) stable isotAuthorsRandy J. Hunt, David P. Krabbenhoft, Mary P. AndersonKinetic and mineralogic controls on the evolution of groundwater chemistry and 87Sr/86Sr in a sandy silicate aquifer, northern Wisconsin, USA
Substantial flowpath-related variability of 87Sr/86Sr is observed in groundwaters collected from the Trout Lake watershed of northern Wisconsin. In the extensive shallow aquifer composed of sandy glacial outwash, groundwater is recharged either by seepage from lakes or by precipitation that infiltrates the inter-lake uplands. 87Sr/86Sr of groundwater derived mainly as seepage from a precipitation-AuthorsT.D. Bullen, D. P. Krabbenhoft, C. KendallMercury cycling in the Allequash Creek watershed, northern Wisconsin
Although there have been recent significant gains in our understanding of mercury (Hg) cycling in aquatic environments, few studies have addressed Hg cycling on a watershed scale in particular, attention to Hg species transfer between watershed components (upland soils, groundwater, wetlands, streams, and lakes) has been lacking. This study describes spatial and temporal distributions of total HgAuthorsD. P. Krabbenhoft, J.M. Benoit, Christopher L. Babiarz, J.P. Hurley, A.W. AndrenMercury contamination of aquatic ecosystems
Mercury has been well known as an environmental pollutant for several decades. As early as the 1950's it was established that emissions of mercury to the environment could have serious effects on human health. These early studies demonstrated that fish and other wildlife from various ecosystems commonly attain mercury levels of toxicological concern when directly affected by mercury-containing emiAuthorsDavid P. Krabbenhoft, David A. RickertTransient hydrogeological controls on the chemistry of a seepage lake
A solute mass balance method was used to estimate groundwater inflow and outflow rates for Nevins Lake, Michigan, a seepage lake in the upper peninsula that historically has shown extremely variable water chemistry compared with most other seepage lakes. A 4-year study (1989–1992) of the hydrology and geochemistry of Nevins Lake and its contiguous groundwater system revealed that changes in the maAuthorsDavid P. Krabbenhoft, Katherine E. Webster - Web Tools
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