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Kristina M Gutchess

Kristina M Gutchess is a Physical Scientist at the New York Water Science Center.

Kristina is a Physical Scientist with the New York Water Science Center. Her work broadly centers on understanding processes that impact water quality in surface water and groundwater. The primary focus of Kristina’s investigations to date has been to characterize sources of contamination in surface water and groundwater and to elucidate controls on the fate and transport of solutes in watersheds. She combines an understanding of principles controlling the transport, fate, and storage of inorganic solutes with computational and statistical methods to differentiate natural from anthropogenic sources of contamination and drivers of change in freshwater systems.

Professional Experience

  • Physical Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, New York Water Science Center, 2023 – present

  • Environmental Analyst, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2019 – 2023

  • Postdoctoral Associate, Yale University, 2018 - 2019

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D., Earth Sciences, Syracuse University, 2018

  • B.S., Geology, State University of New York College at Cortland, 2013

  • A.A.S., Earth Science Education, Tompkins Cortland Community College, 2011

Science and Products

Non-USGS Publications**

Xiong, B., Soriano, M.A., Gutchess, K., Hoffman, N., Clark, C.J., Siegel, H.G., De Vera, G.A., Li, Y., Brenneis, R.J., Cox, A.J., Ryan, E.C., Sumner, A.J., Deziel, N.C., Saiers, J.E. and Plata, D.L. 2022. Groundwaters in northeastern Pennsylvania near intense hydraulic fracturing activities exhibit few organic chemical impacts. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. 24, 252-64. doi: 10.1039/D1EM00124H
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/EM/D1EM00124H
Clark, C.J., Xiong, B., Soriano, M.A., Gutchess, K., Siegel, H.G., Ryan, E., Johnson, N.P., Cassell, K., Elliott, E.G., Li, Y., Cox, A.J., Bugher, N., Glist, L., Brenneis, R.J., Sorrentino, K.M., Plano, J., Ma, X., Warren, J.L., Plata, D.L., Saiers, J.E., Deziel, N.C. 2022. Assessing unconventional oil and gas exposure in the Appalachian Basin: Comparison of exposure surrogates and residential drinking water measurements. Environmental Science & Technology, 56(2), 1091-103. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05081
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c05081
Fisher, S., Gutchess, K., Lu, W., Siegel, D. I., Lu, Z. 2021. Exploring controls on halogen and methane occurrence in groundwater of New York State. Applied Geochemistry, 130, [104834]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2020.104834
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883292720303267
Li, Y., Thelemaque, N.A., Siegel, H.G., Clark, C.J., Ryan, E., Brenneis, R.J., Gutchess, K., Soriano, M.A., Xiong, B., Deziel, N.C., Saiers, J.E., Plata, D.L. 2021. Groundwater methane in northeastern Pennsylvania attributable to thermogenic sources and hydrogeomorphologic migration pathways. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(24), 16413-422. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05272
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c05272
Soriano, M.A., Siegel, H.G., Johnson, N.P., Gutchess, K., Xiong, B., Li, Y., Clark, C.J., Plata, D.L., Deziel, N.C., Saiers, J.E. 2021. Assessment of groundwater well vulnerability to contamination through physics-informed machine learning. Environmental Research Letters, 16(8), 084013. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac10e0
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac10e0
Soriano, M.A., Siegel, H.G., Gutchess, K.M., Clark, C.J., Li, Y., Xiong, B., Plata, D.L., Deziel, N.C. Saiers, J.E. 2020. Evaluating domestic well vulnerability to contamination from unconventional oil and gas development sites. Water Resources Research, 56(10), e2020WR028005. doi: 10.1029/2020WR028005
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020WR028005
Lautz, L., McCay, D., Driscoll, C., Glas, R., Gutchess, K., Johnson A., Millard, G. 2018. Preparing graduate students for STEM careers outside academia. Eos, 99.
https://eos.org/opinions/preparing-graduate-students-for-stem-careers-outside-academia
Lu, W., Ridgwell, A., Thomas, E., Hardisty, D., Luo, G., Algeo, T., Saltzman, Gill, B., Shen, Y., Ling, H., Edwards, C., Whalen, M., Zhou, X., Gutchess, K., Jin, L., Rickaby, R., Jenkyns, H., Lyons, T., Lenton, T., Kump, L., Lu, Z. 2018. Late inception of a resiliently oxygenated upper ocean. Science, 361(6398).
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aar5372
Gutchess, K., Jin, L., Ledesma, J., Crossman, J., Kelleher, C., Lautz, L., Lu, Z. 2018. Long-term climatic and anthropogenic impacts on stream water salinity in NYS: INCA simulations offer cautious optimism. Environmental Science & Technology, 52 (3).
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.7b04385
Lu, Z., Hoogakker, B., Hillenbrand, C., Zhou, X., Thomas, E., Gutchess, K., Lu, W., Jones, L., Rickaby, R. 2016. Oxygen depletion recorded in upper waters of the glacial Southern Ocean. Nature Communications, 7.
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms11146
Gutchess, K., Jin, L., Lautz, L., Shaw, S., Zhou, X., Lu, Z. 2016. Chloride sources in urban and rural headwater catchments, central NY. Science of the Total Environment, 565.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896971630883X?via%3Dihub

**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.

Science and Products

Non-USGS Publications**

Xiong, B., Soriano, M.A., Gutchess, K., Hoffman, N., Clark, C.J., Siegel, H.G., De Vera, G.A., Li, Y., Brenneis, R.J., Cox, A.J., Ryan, E.C., Sumner, A.J., Deziel, N.C., Saiers, J.E. and Plata, D.L. 2022. Groundwaters in northeastern Pennsylvania near intense hydraulic fracturing activities exhibit few organic chemical impacts. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. 24, 252-64. doi: 10.1039/D1EM00124H
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/EM/D1EM00124H
Clark, C.J., Xiong, B., Soriano, M.A., Gutchess, K., Siegel, H.G., Ryan, E., Johnson, N.P., Cassell, K., Elliott, E.G., Li, Y., Cox, A.J., Bugher, N., Glist, L., Brenneis, R.J., Sorrentino, K.M., Plano, J., Ma, X., Warren, J.L., Plata, D.L., Saiers, J.E., Deziel, N.C. 2022. Assessing unconventional oil and gas exposure in the Appalachian Basin: Comparison of exposure surrogates and residential drinking water measurements. Environmental Science & Technology, 56(2), 1091-103. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05081
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c05081
Fisher, S., Gutchess, K., Lu, W., Siegel, D. I., Lu, Z. 2021. Exploring controls on halogen and methane occurrence in groundwater of New York State. Applied Geochemistry, 130, [104834]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2020.104834
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883292720303267
Li, Y., Thelemaque, N.A., Siegel, H.G., Clark, C.J., Ryan, E., Brenneis, R.J., Gutchess, K., Soriano, M.A., Xiong, B., Deziel, N.C., Saiers, J.E., Plata, D.L. 2021. Groundwater methane in northeastern Pennsylvania attributable to thermogenic sources and hydrogeomorphologic migration pathways. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(24), 16413-422. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05272
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c05272
Soriano, M.A., Siegel, H.G., Johnson, N.P., Gutchess, K., Xiong, B., Li, Y., Clark, C.J., Plata, D.L., Deziel, N.C., Saiers, J.E. 2021. Assessment of groundwater well vulnerability to contamination through physics-informed machine learning. Environmental Research Letters, 16(8), 084013. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac10e0
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac10e0
Soriano, M.A., Siegel, H.G., Gutchess, K.M., Clark, C.J., Li, Y., Xiong, B., Plata, D.L., Deziel, N.C. Saiers, J.E. 2020. Evaluating domestic well vulnerability to contamination from unconventional oil and gas development sites. Water Resources Research, 56(10), e2020WR028005. doi: 10.1029/2020WR028005
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020WR028005
Lautz, L., McCay, D., Driscoll, C., Glas, R., Gutchess, K., Johnson A., Millard, G. 2018. Preparing graduate students for STEM careers outside academia. Eos, 99.
https://eos.org/opinions/preparing-graduate-students-for-stem-careers-outside-academia
Lu, W., Ridgwell, A., Thomas, E., Hardisty, D., Luo, G., Algeo, T., Saltzman, Gill, B., Shen, Y., Ling, H., Edwards, C., Whalen, M., Zhou, X., Gutchess, K., Jin, L., Rickaby, R., Jenkyns, H., Lyons, T., Lenton, T., Kump, L., Lu, Z. 2018. Late inception of a resiliently oxygenated upper ocean. Science, 361(6398).
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aar5372
Gutchess, K., Jin, L., Ledesma, J., Crossman, J., Kelleher, C., Lautz, L., Lu, Z. 2018. Long-term climatic and anthropogenic impacts on stream water salinity in NYS: INCA simulations offer cautious optimism. Environmental Science & Technology, 52 (3).
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.7b04385
Lu, Z., Hoogakker, B., Hillenbrand, C., Zhou, X., Thomas, E., Gutchess, K., Lu, W., Jones, L., Rickaby, R. 2016. Oxygen depletion recorded in upper waters of the glacial Southern Ocean. Nature Communications, 7.
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms11146
Gutchess, K., Jin, L., Lautz, L., Shaw, S., Zhou, X., Lu, Z. 2016. Chloride sources in urban and rural headwater catchments, central NY. Science of the Total Environment, 565.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896971630883X?via%3Dihub

**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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