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.
more about Douglas A Burns
Science and Products
Acidic deposition along the Appalachian Trail corridor and its effects on acid-sensitive terrestrial and aquatic resources
An empirical approach to modeling methylmercury concentrations in an Adirondack stream watershed
Evaluation of high-frequency mean streamwater transit-time estimates using groundwater age and dissolved silica concentrations in a small forested watershed
Mercury in the soil of two contrasting watersheds in the eastern United States
Evaluating the efficiency of environmental monitoring programs
Hydrogeomorphology explains acidification-driven variation in aquatic biological communities in the Neversink Basin, USA
Specific ultra-violet absorbance as an indicator measurement of merucry sources in an Adirondack River basin
Fluvial transport of mercury, organic carbon, suspended sediment, and selected major ions in contrasting stream basins in South Carolina and New York, October 2004 to September 2009
Intra- and inter-basin mercury comparisons: Importance of basin scale and time-weighted methylmercury estimates
Mercury bioaccumulation studies in the National Water-Quality Assessment Program--biological data from New York and South Carolina, 2005-2009
Shallow groundwater mercury supply in a coastal plain stream
Landscape controls on total and methyl Hg in the Upper Hudson River basin, New York, USA
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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Acidic deposition along the Appalachian Trail corridor and its effects on acid-sensitive terrestrial and aquatic resources
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT), a unit of the National Park Service (NPS), spans nearly 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, encompassing a diverse range of ecosystems. Acidic deposition (acid rain) threatens the AT’s natural resources. Acid rain is a result of sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) compounds produced from fossil fuel combustion, motor vehicles, and agricultural practices. The AT iAuthorsGregory B. Lawrence, Timothy J. Sullivan, Douglas A. Burns, Scott W. Bailey, Bernard J. Cosby, Martin Dovciak, Holly A. Ewing, Todd C. McDonnell, Rakesh Minocha, Rachel Riemann, Juliana Quant, Karen C. Rice, Jason Siemion, Kathleen C. WeathersAn empirical approach to modeling methylmercury concentrations in an Adirondack stream watershed
Inverse empirical models can inform and improve more complex process-based models by quantifying the principal factors that control water quality variation. Here we developed a multiple regression model that explains 81% of the variation in filtered methylmercury (FMeHg) concentrations in Fishing Brook, a fourth-order stream in the Adirondack Mountains, New York, a known “hot spot” of Hg bioaccumuAuthorsDouglas A. Burns, Elizabeth A. Nystrom, David M. Wolock, Paul M. Bradley, Karen Riva-MurrayEvaluation of high-frequency mean streamwater transit-time estimates using groundwater age and dissolved silica concentrations in a small forested watershed
Many previous investigations of mean streamwater transit times (MTT) have been limited by an inability to quantify the MTT dynamics. Here, we draw on (1) a linear relation (r 2 = 0.97) between groundwater 3H/3He ages and dissolved silica (Si) concentrations, combined with (2) predicted streamwater Si concentrations from a multiple-regression relation (R 2 = 0.87) to estimate MTT at 5-min intervalsAuthorsNorman E. Peters, Douglas A. Burns, Brent T. AulenbachMercury in the soil of two contrasting watersheds in the eastern United States
Soil represents the largest store of mercury (Hg) in terrestrial ecosystems, and further study of the factors associated with soil Hg storage is needed to address concerns about the magnitude and persistence of global environmental Hg bioaccumulation. To address this need, we compared total Hg and methyl Hg concentrations and stores in the soil of different landscapes in two watersheds in differenAuthorsDouglas A. Burns, Laurel G. Woodruff, Paul M. Bradley, William F. CannonEvaluating the efficiency of environmental monitoring programs
Statistical uncertainty analyses can be used to improve the efficiency of environmental monitoring, allowing sampling designs to maximize information gained relative to resources required for data collection and analysis. In this paper, we illustrate four methods of data analysis appropriate to four types of environmental monitoring designs. To analyze a long-term record from a single site, we appAuthorsCarrie R. Levine, Ruth D. Yanai, Gregory G. Lampman, Douglas A. Burns, Charles T. Driscoll, Gregory B. Lawrence, Jason Lynch, Nina SchochHydrogeomorphology explains acidification-driven variation in aquatic biological communities in the Neversink Basin, USA
Describing the distribution of aquatic habitats and the health of biological communities can be costly and time-consuming; therefore, simple, inexpensive methods to scale observations of aquatic biota to watersheds that lack data would be useful. In this study, we explored the potential of a simple “hydrogeomorphic” model to predict the effects of acid deposition on macroinvertebrate, fish, and diAuthorsAdrian A. Harpold, Douglas A. Burns, M. Walter, Tammo S. SteenhuisSpecific ultra-violet absorbance as an indicator measurement of merucry sources in an Adirondack River basin
The Adirondack region of New York has been identified as a hot spot where high methylmercury concentrations are found in surface waters and biota, yet mercury (Hg) concentrations vary widely in this region. We collected stream and groundwater samples for Hg and organic carbon analyses across the upper Hudson River, a 493 km2 basin in the central Adirondacks to evaluate and model the sources of varAuthorsDouglas A. Burns, George R. Aiken, Paul M. Bradley, Celeste A. Journey, Jakob SchelkerFluvial transport of mercury, organic carbon, suspended sediment, and selected major ions in contrasting stream basins in South Carolina and New York, October 2004 to September 2009
A spatially extensive assessment of the environmental controls on mercury transport and bioaccumulation in stream ecosystems in New York and South Carolina was conducted as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program and included the determination of fluvial transport of mercury and associated constituents during water years 2005–2009. (A water year extends from OcAuthorsCeleste A. Journey, Douglas A. Burns, Karen Riva-Murray, Mark E. Brigham, Daniel T. Button, Toby D. Feaster, Matthew D. Petkewich, Paul M. BradleyIntra- and inter-basin mercury comparisons: Importance of basin scale and time-weighted methylmercury estimates
To assess inter-comparability of fluvial mercury (Hg) observations at substantially different scales, Hg concentrations, yields, and bivariate-relations were evaluated at nested-basin locations in the Edisto River, South Carolina and Hudson River, New York. Differences between scales were observed for filtered methylmercury (FMeHg) in the Edisto (attributed to wetland coverage differences) but notAuthorsPaul M. Bradley, Celeste A. Journey, Mark E. Bringham, Douglas A. Burns, Daniel T. Button, Karen Riva-MurrayMercury bioaccumulation studies in the National Water-Quality Assessment Program--biological data from New York and South Carolina, 2005-2009
The U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program conducted a multidisciplinary study from 2005–09 to investigate the bioaccumulation of mercury in streams from two contrasting environmental settings. Study areas were located in the central Adirondack Mountains region of New York and the Inner Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Fish, macroinvertebrates, periphyton (attached algaeAuthorsKaren M. Beaulieu, Daniel T. Button, Barbara C. Scudder Eikenberry, Karen Riva-Murray, Lia C. Chasar, Paul M. Bradley, Douglas A. BurnsShallow groundwater mercury supply in a coastal plain stream
Fluvial methylmercury (MeHg) is attributed to methylation in up-gradient wetland areas. This hypothesis depends on efficient wetland-to-stream hydraulic transport under nonflood and flood conditions. Fluxes of water and dissolved (filtered) mercury (Hg) species (FMeHg and total Hg (FTHg)) were quantified in April and July of 2009 in a reach at McTier Creek, South Carolina to determine the relativeAuthorsPaul M. Bradley, Celeste A. Journey, Mark A. Lowery, Mark E. Brigham, Douglas A. Burns, Daniel T. Button, Francis H. Chapelle, Michelle A. Lutz, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Karen Riva-MurrayLandscape controls on total and methyl Hg in the Upper Hudson River basin, New York, USA
Approaches are needed to better predict spatial variation in riverine Hg concentrations across heterogeneous landscapes that include mountains, wetlands, and open waters. We applied multivariate linear regression to determine the landscape factors and chemical variables that best account for the spatial variation of total Hg (THg) and methyl Hg (MeHg) concentrations in 27 sub-basins across the 493AuthorsDouglas A. Burns, K. Riva-Murray, P. M. Bradley, G. R. Aiken, M. E. BrighamNon-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.