Douglas A Burns
Doug is a Research Hydrologist currently working as the Coordinator of the Delaware River Basin Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS).
Doug holds an M.S. in Environmental Sciences from the Univ. of Virginia, and a Ph.D. in Water Resources Management from the State Univ. of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry. His disciplinary background is primarily in biogeochemistry and hydrology with a focus on understanding the processes that control the cycling of chemical elements through watersheds and ecosystems. An emphasis on the cycling of atmopsheric pollutants and their environmental effects is noteworthy. He has worked as a Research Hydrologist in the New York Water Science Center since 1987 on studies that include the effects of acid rain on ecosystems, the cycling of nitrogen in watersheds, and environmental mercury cycling. His investigations have also included the environmental effects of landscape disturbance such as suburban land use, climate change, and forest harvesting. A recent interest is studying the effects of ongoing and future climate change on streamflow, with an emphasis on high flows. He works collaboratively, often with several investigators from the USGS, and other agencies and universities. Study approaches applied include monitoring of water and soil chemistry, quantifying the rates of key cycling processes, experimental manipulations of landscapes, use of natural and applied isotope tracers, and statistical and process-level models. He is also active in professional societies, has organized conferences at regional, national, and international levels, and has served in leadership roles in many organizations and agencies. Other activities include chairing a proposal evaluation panel for a federal agency, working at the science-policy interface by serving as Director of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, and serving on an EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Panel, as well as serving on program evaluation and advisory panels for several agencies and science organizations.
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Science and Products
Streams in Catskill Mountains still susceptible to acid rain
Streams in catskill mountains still susceptible to acid rain
Effects of a beaver pond on runoff processes: comparison of two headwater catchments
Retention of NO3/- in an upland stream environment: A mass balance approach
Effects of forest harvesting on nitrogen-cycling processes in headwaters of the Neversink River, New York
Combining digital spatial data with hydrologic measurements to interpret controls of stream chemistry in large watersheds
Hydrological processes - Letters: Topographic controls on subsurface storm flow at the hillslope scale for Two hydrologically distinct small catchments
Effect of whole catchment liming on the episodic acidification of two Adirondack streams
The effects of liming an Adirondack lake watershed on downstream water chemistry: Effects of liming on stream chemistry
Work plan of the Neversink watershed study in the Catskill Mountains of southeastern New York
Water-quality studies in the Catskill region of New York
Speciation and equilibrium relations of soluble aluminum in a headwater stream at base flow and during rain events
Non-USGS Publications**
66. Burns, D.A., Lawrence, G.B., and Murdoch, P.S., 1998, Catskill streams still susceptible to acid rain, Northeastern Geology and Environmental Sciences, 20: 294-298.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Streams in Catskill Mountains still susceptible to acid rain
Precipitation in North America has become less acidic over the past 2 decades because of reduced power plant emissions and compliance with the Clean Air Act Amendments [Sirois, 19937rsqb;. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments were developed to reduce the acidity of sensitive surface waters, which are primarily in upland forested environments, where acidified waters and associated high aluminum concenAuthorsDouglas A. Burns, G. B. Lawrence, Peter S. MurdochStreams in catskill mountains still susceptible to acid rain
[No abstract available]AuthorsDouglas A. Burns, G. B. Lawrence, Peter S. MurdochEffects of a beaver pond on runoff processes: comparison of two headwater catchments
Natural variations in concentrations of 18O, D, and H4SiO4 in two tributary catchments of Woods Lake in the west-central Adirondack Mountains of New York were measured during 1989–1991 to examine runoff processes and their implications for the neutralization of acidic precipitation by calcium carbonate treatment. The two catchments are similar except that one contained a 1.3 ha beaver pond. EvaporAuthorsDouglas A. Burns, Jeffery J. McDonnellRetention of NO3/- in an upland stream environment: A mass balance approach
Models of the effects of atmospheric N deposition in forested watersheds have not adequately accounted for the effects of aquatic and near-stream processes on the concentrations and loads of NO3/- in surface waters. This study compared the relative effects of aquatic and near-stream processes with those from the terrestrial ecosystem on the retention and transport of NO3/- in two contrasting streaAuthorsDouglas A. BurnsEffects of forest harvesting on nitrogen-cycling processes in headwaters of the Neversink River, New York
No abstract available.AuthorsDouglas A. Burns, Natalie A. Karouna, Peter S. MurdochCombining digital spatial data with hydrologic measurements to interpret controls of stream chemistry in large watersheds
No abstract available.AuthorsYvonne H. Baevsky, Gregory B. Lawrence, David M. Wolock, Douglas A. Burns, Peter S. MurdochHydrological processes - Letters: Topographic controls on subsurface storm flow at the hillslope scale for Two hydrologically distinct small catchments
No abstract available.AuthorsJ. Freer, J. McDonnell, K.J. Beven, D. Brammer, D. Burns, R. P. Hooper, C. KendalEffect of whole catchment liming on the episodic acidification of two Adirondack streams
During the fall of 1989 7.7Mg/ha of calcium carbonate was applied on two tributary catchments (40 ha and 60 ha) to Woods Lake, a small (25 ha) acidic headwater lake in the western Adirondack region of New York. Stream-water chemistry in both catchment tributaries responded immediately. Acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) increased by more than 200 μeq/L in one of the streams and more than 1000 μeq/LAuthorsR. M. Newton, Douglas A. Burns, V. L. Blette, C. T. DriscollThe effects of liming an Adirondack lake watershed on downstream water chemistry: Effects of liming on stream chemistry
Calcite treatment of chronically acidic lakes has improved fish habitat, but the effects on downstream water quality have not previously been examined. In this study, the spatial and temporal effects of watershed CaCO3 treatment on the chemistry of a lake outlet stream in the Adirondack Mountains of New York were examined. Before CaCO3 treatment, the stream was chronically acidic. During spring snAuthorsDouglas A. BurnsWork plan of the Neversink watershed study in the Catskill Mountains of southeastern New York
No abstract available.AuthorsGregory B. Lawrence, Douglas A. Burns, Peter S. Murdoch, Barry P. Baldigo, Y. H. BaevskyWater-quality studies in the Catskill region of New York
No abstract available.AuthorsDouglas A. Burns, Peter S. Murdoch, Gregory B. LawrenceSpeciation and equilibrium relations of soluble aluminum in a headwater stream at base flow and during rain events
In a small watershed in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, the short-term dynamics of soluble aluminum in stream water sampled during rain events differed significantly from stream water sampled during base flow conditions. Three fractions of dissolved aluminum were measured. The inorganic monomeric fraction made up approximately two thirds of the total reactive aluminum at base flow, followeAuthorsDouglas A. BurnsNon-USGS Publications**
Harpold, A.A., Burns, D.A., Walter, T., Shaw, S.B., and Steenhuis, T.S., 2010, Relating hydrogeomorphologic properties to stream buffering chemistry in the Neversink River Watershed, New York State, USA, Hydrological Processes, 24: 3759-3771.Vidon, P., Allan, C., Burns, D., Duval, T., Gurwick, N., Inamdar, S., Lowrance, R., Okay, J., Scott, D., Sebestyen, S., 2010, Hot spots and hot moments in riparian zones: Potential for improved water quality management, Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 46: 278-298.Kerr, J.G., Eimers, M.C., Creed, I.F., Adams, M.B., Beall, F., Burns, D., Campbell, J.L., Christopher, S.F., Clair, T.A., Couchesne, F., Duchense, L., Fernandez, I., Houle, D., Jeffries, D.S., Likens, G.E., Mitchell, M.J., Shanley, J., Yao, H., 2012, The effect of seasonal drying on sulphate dynamics in streams across southeastern Canada and the northeastern USA, Biogeochemistry, 111: 393-409.Burns, D.A., Blett, T., Haeuber, R., Pardo, L., 2008, Critical loads as a policy tool for protecting ecosystems from the effects of air pollutants, Frontiers of Ecology and the Environment, 6: 156-159.Elliott, E.M., Kendall, C., Boyer, E.W., Burns, D.A., Wankel, S.D., Bain, D.J., Harlin, K., Butler, T.J., Carlton, R., 2007, An isotopic tracer of stationary source NOx emissions across the midwestern and northeastern United States, Environmental Science and Technology, 41: 7661-7667.Burns, D.A., Plummer, L.N., McDonnell, J.J., Busenberg, E., Casile, G.C., Kendall, C., Hooper, R.P., Freer, J.E., Peters, N.E., Beven, K., and Schlosser, P., 2003, The geochemical evolution of groundwater in a forested Piedmont catchment, Ground Water, 41: 913-925.Burns, D.A., and Nguyen, L., 2002, Nitrate movement and removal along a shallow groundwater flow path in a riparian wetland within a sheep-grazed pastoral catchment: results of a tracer study, New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 36: 371-385.Vitvar, T., Burns, D.A., Lawrence, G.B., McDonnell, J.J., and Wolock, D.M., 2002, Estimation of groundwater residence times in watersheds from the recession of the runoff-hydrograph: method and application in the Neversink watershed, Catskill Mountains, New York, Hydrological Processes, 16: 1871-1877.Burns, D.A., Lawrence, G.B., and Murdoch, P.S., 1998, Catskill streams still susceptible to acid rain, Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 79: 197, 200-201.
66. Burns, D.A., Lawrence, G.B., and Murdoch, P.S., 1998, Catskill streams still susceptible to acid rain, Northeastern Geology and Environmental Sciences, 20: 294-298.Driscoll, C.T., Cirmo, C.P., Fahey, T.J., Blette, V.L., Bukaveckas, P.A., Burns, D.A., Gubala, C.P., Leopold, D.J., Newton, R.M., Raynal, D.J., Schofield, C.L., Yavitt, J.B., and Porcella, D.B., 1996, The experimental watershed liming study: Comparison of lake and watershed neutralization strategies, Biogeochemistry, 32: 143-174.McDonnell, J.J., Freer, J., Hooper, R., Kendall, C., Burns, D., Beven, K., and Peters, J., 1996, New method developed for studying flow on hillslopes, Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 77: 465 and 472.Clair, T.C., Burns, D.A., Perez, I.R., Blais, J., and Percy, K., 2011, Ecosystems, in: Technical Challenges of Multipollutant Air Quality Management, Hidy, G., Brook, J.R., Demerjian, K.L., Molina, L.T., Pennell, W.T., and Scheffe, R. (eds.), Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands, Ch. 6, p. 139-229.Nguyen, L., Rutherford, K., and Burns, D., 1999, Denitrification and nitrate removal in two contrasting riparian wetlands, in: Proceedings of the 20th New Zealand Land Treatment Collective Technical Session, M. Tomer, M Robinson, and G Gielen (eds.), New Plymouth, New Zealand, p. 127-131.Kendall, C., Silva, S.R., Chang, C.C.Y., Burns, D.A.., Campbell, D.H., and Shanley, J.B., 1996, Use of the d18O and d15N of nitrate to determine sources of nitrate in early spring runoff in forested catchments, in: Isotopes in Water Resources Management, Proceedings of the Symposium on Isotopes in Water Resources Management, March 20-24, 1995, Volume 1, IAEA-SM-336/29, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, p. 167-176.Kendall, C., Campbell, D.H., Burns, D.A., Shanley, J.B., Silva, S.R., Chang, C.C.Y., 1995, Tracing sources of nitrate in snowmelt runoff using the oxygen and nitrogen isotopic compositions of nitrate, in: Biogeochemistry of Seasonally Snow-Covered Catchments, K.A. Tonnessen, M.W. Williams, M. Trantner, M. (eds.), International Association of Hydrological Sciences Proceedings, July 3-14, 1995, Boulder, CO, I.A.H.S. Publication 228, Wallingford, U.K., p. 339-347.Hendrey, G.R., Galloway, J.N., Norton, S.A., Schofield, C.L., Burns, D.A., and Shaffer, P.W., 1980, Sensitivity of the eastern United States to acid precipitation impacts on surface waters, in: Drablos, D., and Tollan, A. (eds.), Ecological Impact of Acid Precipitation, SNSF Proceedings, Oslo, p. 216-217.Allen, G., Burns, D.A., Negra, C., and Thurston, G.D., 2009, Indicator measurements for assessing the impacts of anthropogenic air pollutants on human health and ecosystems, EM: The Magazine for Environmental Managers, Oct. 2009, p. 20-25, Air and Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA.Burns, D.A., 2005, What do hydrologists mean when they use the term flushing? Hydrological Processes, 19: 1325-1327.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.