Richard L. Smith, Ph.D.
Dr. Richard L. Smith is an Emeritus Microbial Ecologist with expertise in biogeochemistry with the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Dr. Richard L. Smith is a microbial ecologist with expertise in biogeochemistry. His research interests have focused upon quantifying in situ rates of microbial processes within aquatic environments and the factors controlling these processes, particularly within the context of the ecosystem. One major study topic has been carbon and nitrogen cycling in groundwater and at the groundwater-surface water interface. These studies have also included characterizing the physiological state of groundwater bacteria, the effect bacteria have upon aquifer geochemistry, developing techniques to assess microbial processes in situ, nitrogen cycling, and bioremediation. Other research areas include biogeochemical processes in freshwater lakes and rivers, agricultural drainages, and in an amictic Antarctic lake.
Education
- BS (Biology) Western Michigan University, 1974
- MS (Biology) Western Michigan University, 1976
- PhD (Microbial Ecology) Michigan State University, 1981
Work Experience
- Postdoc. NRC Postdoctoral Fellow, US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA 1981-1983
- Research Hydrologist. USGS, Arvada, CO, 1983-1988
- Research Hydrologist. USGS, Boulder, CO, 1988-2016
- Research Hydrologist. Earth System Processes Division, USGS, Boulder, CO, 2016-2019
- Emeritus Scientist. Earth System Processes Division, USGS, Boulder, CO, 2019-present
Professional affiliations or activities
- American Society for Microbiology
- American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
- American Geophysical Union
- International Society for Microbial Ecology
- Geological Society of America
- International Committee of the Symposium for Subsurface Microbiology, 1999-present
- Executive Committee AGU Biogeosciences Section, 1999-2004
- AGU Award Committee for Excellence in Science Journalism Features, 2000-2004
- AGU Award Committee for Excellence in Science Journalism News, 2000-2004
- USGS Water Resour. Div. Ecology Research Advisor, 1998-2000; Assistant Ecology Research Advisor, 1994-1997
- Co-chair, 1999 International Symposium on Subsurface Microbiology
Honors, awards
- 2020: Geologic Society of America Fellowship
- 2011-2018: USGS, Performance Awards
- 2005: USGS, Superior Service Award
- 2002: USGS, Meritorious Service Award
- 1999 & 2001: USGS, STAR Award
- 1998: AGU Editor’s Citation for Excellence in Refereering
- 1981: National Acad. Sci. Postdoctoral Fellowship
Patents
- U.S. Patent, Small-Scale Hydrogen Oxidizing Denitrifying Bioreactor for Treatment of Nitrate-Contaminated Drinking Water
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 98
Grand challenges for integrated USGS science — A workshop report Grand challenges for integrated USGS science — A workshop report
Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a long history of advancing the traditional Earth science disciplines and identifying opportunities to integrate USGS science across disciplines to address complex societal problems. The USGS science strategy for 2007–2017 laid out key challenges in disciplinary and interdisciplinary arenas, culminating in a call for increased focus...
Authors
Karen E. Jenni, Martin Goldhaber, Julio Betancourt, Jill Baron, Sky Bristol, Mary Cantrill, Paul Exter, Michael Focazio, John Haines, Lauren Hay, Leslie Hsu, Victor Labson, Kevin Lafferty, K. Ludwig, Paul Milly, Toni Morelli, Suzette Morman, Nedal T. Nassar, Timothy R. Newman, Andrea Ostroff, Jordan Read, Sasha Reed, Carl Shapiro, Richard Smith, Ward Sanford, Terry Sohl, Edward Stets, Adam Terando, Donald Tillitt, Michael Tischler, Patricia Toccalino, David Wald, Mark Waldrop, Anne Wein, Jake Weltzin, Christian Zimmerman
Anoxic nitrate reduction coupled with iron oxidation and attenuation of dissolved arsenic and phosphate in a sand and gravel aquifer Anoxic nitrate reduction coupled with iron oxidation and attenuation of dissolved arsenic and phosphate in a sand and gravel aquifer
Nitrate has become an increasingly abundant potential electron acceptor for Fe(II) oxidation in groundwater, but this redox couple has not been well characterized within aquifer settings. To investigate this reaction and some of its implications for redox-sensitive groundwater contaminants, we conducted an in situ field study in a wastewater-contaminated aquifer on Cape Cod. Long-term...
Authors
Richard Smith, Douglas Kent, Deborah Repert, J. K. Böhlke
Hydrologic controls on nitrogen cycling processes and functional gene abundance in sediments of a groundwater flow-through lake Hydrologic controls on nitrogen cycling processes and functional gene abundance in sediments of a groundwater flow-through lake
The fate and transport of inorganic nitrogen (N) is a critically important issue for human and aquatic ecosystem health because discharging N-contaminated groundwater can foul drinking water and cause algal blooms. Factors controlling N-processing were examined in sediments at three sites with contrasting hydrologic regimes at a lake on Cape Cod, MA. These factors included water...
Authors
Deborah L. Stoliker, Deborah Repert, Richard Smith, Bongkeun Song, Denis LeBlanc, Timothy McCobb, Christopher Conaway, Sung Hyun, Dong-Chan Koh, Hee Moon, Douglas Kent
Role of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in nitrogen removal from a freshwater aquifer Role of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in nitrogen removal from a freshwater aquifer
Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) couples the oxidation of ammonium with the reduction of nitrite, producing N2. The presence and activity of anammox bacteria in groundwater were investigated at multiple locations in an aquifer variably affected by a large, wastewater-derived contaminant plume. Anammox bacteria were detected at all locations tested using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and
Authors
Richard Smith, John Bohlke, B. Song, C. Tobias
Tracing the cycling and fate of the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in coastal marine systems with a stable isotopic tracer, 15N-[TNT] Tracing the cycling and fate of the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in coastal marine systems with a stable isotopic tracer, 15N-[TNT]
2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) has been used as a military explosive for over a hundred years. Contamination concerns have arisen as a result of manufacturing and use on a large scale; however, despite decades of work addressing TNT contamination in the environment, its fate in marine ecosystems is not fully resolved. Here we examine the cycling and fate of TNT in the coastal marine systems...
Authors
Richard Smith, Penny Vlahos, J.K. Bohlke, Thivanka Ariyarathna, Mark Ballentine, Christopher Cooper, Stephen Fallis, Thomas Groshens, Craig Tobias
The river as a chemostat: fresh perspectives on dissolved organic matter flowing down the river continuum The river as a chemostat: fresh perspectives on dissolved organic matter flowing down the river continuum
A better understanding is needed of how hydrological and biogeochemical processes control dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition from headwaters downstream to large rivers. We examined a large DOM dataset from the National Water Information System of the US Geological Survey, which represents approximately 100 000 measurements of DOC
Authors
Irena F. Creed, Diane McKnight, Brian Pellerin, Mark B. Green, Brian Bergamaschi, George Aiken, Douglas Burns, Stuart Findlay, James Shanley, Robert Striegl, Brent Aulenbach, David Clow, Hjalmar Laudon, Brian McGlynn, Kevin McGuire, Richard Smith, Sarah Stackpoole
Net ecosystem production and organic carbon balance of U.S. East Coast estuaries: A synthesis approach Net ecosystem production and organic carbon balance of U.S. East Coast estuaries: A synthesis approach
Net ecosystem production (NEP) and the overall organic carbon budget for the estuaries along the East Coast of the United States are estimated. We focus on the open estuarine waters, excluding the fringing wetlands. We developed empirical models relating NEP to loading ratios of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to total organic carbon, and carbon burial in the sediment to estuarine water...
Authors
Maria Herrmann, Raymond G. Najjar, W. Kemp, Richard Alexander, Elizabeth Boyer, Wei-Jun Cai, Peter Griffith, Kevin Kroeger, S. McCallister, Richard Smith
Spatially explicit modeling to evaluate regional stream water quality Spatially explicit modeling to evaluate regional stream water quality
Spatially referenced regressions on watershed attributes (SPARROW) models have been developed and applied over the past two decades to address the need for large-scale, spatially explicit information on stream water quality conditions. The strength of SPARROW models is that they describe the primary environmental processes that affect the supply and transport of contaminant mass in...
Authors
Stephen Preston, Richard Alexander, Gregory Schwarz, Richard Smith
Nitrogen cycling processes and microbial community composition in bed sediments in the Yukon River at Pilot Station Nitrogen cycling processes and microbial community composition in bed sediments in the Yukon River at Pilot Station
Information on the contribution of nitrogen (N)-cycling processes in bed sediments to river nutrient fluxes in large northern latitude river systems is limited. This study examined the relationship between N-cycling processes in bed sediments and N speciation and loading in the Yukon River near its mouth at the Bering Sea. We conducted laboratory bioassays to measure N-cycling processes...
Authors
Deborah Repert, Jennifer C. Underwood, Richard Smith, Bongkeun Song
Long-term groundwater contamination after source removal—The role of sorbed carbon and nitrogen on the rate of reoxygenation of a treated-wastewater plume on Cape Cod, MA, USA Long-term groundwater contamination after source removal—The role of sorbed carbon and nitrogen on the rate of reoxygenation of a treated-wastewater plume on Cape Cod, MA, USA
The consequences of groundwater contamination can remain long after a contaminant source has been removed. Documentation of natural aquifer recoveries and empirical tools to predict recovery time frames and associated geochemical changes are generally lacking. This study characterized the long-term natural attenuation of a groundwater contaminant plume in a sand and gravel aquifer on...
Authors
Richard Smith, Deborah Repert, Larry Barber, Denis LeBlanc
Potential For Denitrification near Reclaimed Water Application Sites in Orange County, Florida, 2009 Potential For Denitrification near Reclaimed Water Application Sites in Orange County, Florida, 2009
The potential for denitrification was tested in water samples from four Upper Floridan aquifer wells near a reclaimed water application site, in west Orange County Florida, and two adjacent springs. Results of the study indicate that denitrifying bacteria are present in the groundwater and spring water samples, and that these bacteria can readily denitrify the waters when suitable...
Authors
Michael Byrne, Richard Smith, Deborah Repert
MERGANSER: an empirical model to predict fish and loon mercury in New England lakes MERGANSER: an empirical model to predict fish and loon mercury in New England lakes
MERGANSER (MERcury Geo-spatial AssessmeNtS for the New England Region) is an empirical least-squares multiple regression model using mercury (Hg) deposition and readily obtainable lake and watershed features to predict fish (fillet) and common loon (blood) Hg in New England lakes. We modeled lakes larger than 8 ha (4404 lakes), using 3470 fish (12 species) and 253 loon Hg concentrations...
Authors
James Shanley, Richard Moore, Richard Smith, Eric Miller, Alison Simcox, Neil Kamman, Diane Nacci, Keith Robinson, John Johnston, Melissa Hughes, Craig Johnston, David Evers, Kate Williams, John Graham, Susannah King
Non-USGS Publications**
Smith, R. L., Kent, D. B., Repert, D. A., and Böhlke, J.K., 2017, Anoxic nitrate reduction coupled with iron oxidation and attenuation of dissolved arsenic and phosphate in a sand and gravel aquifer, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 196:102-120, doi: http//dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.09.025.
**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
Filter Total Items: 98
Grand challenges for integrated USGS science — A workshop report Grand challenges for integrated USGS science — A workshop report
Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a long history of advancing the traditional Earth science disciplines and identifying opportunities to integrate USGS science across disciplines to address complex societal problems. The USGS science strategy for 2007–2017 laid out key challenges in disciplinary and interdisciplinary arenas, culminating in a call for increased focus...
Authors
Karen E. Jenni, Martin Goldhaber, Julio Betancourt, Jill Baron, Sky Bristol, Mary Cantrill, Paul Exter, Michael Focazio, John Haines, Lauren Hay, Leslie Hsu, Victor Labson, Kevin Lafferty, K. Ludwig, Paul Milly, Toni Morelli, Suzette Morman, Nedal T. Nassar, Timothy R. Newman, Andrea Ostroff, Jordan Read, Sasha Reed, Carl Shapiro, Richard Smith, Ward Sanford, Terry Sohl, Edward Stets, Adam Terando, Donald Tillitt, Michael Tischler, Patricia Toccalino, David Wald, Mark Waldrop, Anne Wein, Jake Weltzin, Christian Zimmerman
Anoxic nitrate reduction coupled with iron oxidation and attenuation of dissolved arsenic and phosphate in a sand and gravel aquifer Anoxic nitrate reduction coupled with iron oxidation and attenuation of dissolved arsenic and phosphate in a sand and gravel aquifer
Nitrate has become an increasingly abundant potential electron acceptor for Fe(II) oxidation in groundwater, but this redox couple has not been well characterized within aquifer settings. To investigate this reaction and some of its implications for redox-sensitive groundwater contaminants, we conducted an in situ field study in a wastewater-contaminated aquifer on Cape Cod. Long-term...
Authors
Richard Smith, Douglas Kent, Deborah Repert, J. K. Böhlke
Hydrologic controls on nitrogen cycling processes and functional gene abundance in sediments of a groundwater flow-through lake Hydrologic controls on nitrogen cycling processes and functional gene abundance in sediments of a groundwater flow-through lake
The fate and transport of inorganic nitrogen (N) is a critically important issue for human and aquatic ecosystem health because discharging N-contaminated groundwater can foul drinking water and cause algal blooms. Factors controlling N-processing were examined in sediments at three sites with contrasting hydrologic regimes at a lake on Cape Cod, MA. These factors included water...
Authors
Deborah L. Stoliker, Deborah Repert, Richard Smith, Bongkeun Song, Denis LeBlanc, Timothy McCobb, Christopher Conaway, Sung Hyun, Dong-Chan Koh, Hee Moon, Douglas Kent
Role of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in nitrogen removal from a freshwater aquifer Role of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in nitrogen removal from a freshwater aquifer
Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) couples the oxidation of ammonium with the reduction of nitrite, producing N2. The presence and activity of anammox bacteria in groundwater were investigated at multiple locations in an aquifer variably affected by a large, wastewater-derived contaminant plume. Anammox bacteria were detected at all locations tested using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and
Authors
Richard Smith, John Bohlke, B. Song, C. Tobias
Tracing the cycling and fate of the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in coastal marine systems with a stable isotopic tracer, 15N-[TNT] Tracing the cycling and fate of the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in coastal marine systems with a stable isotopic tracer, 15N-[TNT]
2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) has been used as a military explosive for over a hundred years. Contamination concerns have arisen as a result of manufacturing and use on a large scale; however, despite decades of work addressing TNT contamination in the environment, its fate in marine ecosystems is not fully resolved. Here we examine the cycling and fate of TNT in the coastal marine systems...
Authors
Richard Smith, Penny Vlahos, J.K. Bohlke, Thivanka Ariyarathna, Mark Ballentine, Christopher Cooper, Stephen Fallis, Thomas Groshens, Craig Tobias
The river as a chemostat: fresh perspectives on dissolved organic matter flowing down the river continuum The river as a chemostat: fresh perspectives on dissolved organic matter flowing down the river continuum
A better understanding is needed of how hydrological and biogeochemical processes control dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition from headwaters downstream to large rivers. We examined a large DOM dataset from the National Water Information System of the US Geological Survey, which represents approximately 100 000 measurements of DOC
Authors
Irena F. Creed, Diane McKnight, Brian Pellerin, Mark B. Green, Brian Bergamaschi, George Aiken, Douglas Burns, Stuart Findlay, James Shanley, Robert Striegl, Brent Aulenbach, David Clow, Hjalmar Laudon, Brian McGlynn, Kevin McGuire, Richard Smith, Sarah Stackpoole
Net ecosystem production and organic carbon balance of U.S. East Coast estuaries: A synthesis approach Net ecosystem production and organic carbon balance of U.S. East Coast estuaries: A synthesis approach
Net ecosystem production (NEP) and the overall organic carbon budget for the estuaries along the East Coast of the United States are estimated. We focus on the open estuarine waters, excluding the fringing wetlands. We developed empirical models relating NEP to loading ratios of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to total organic carbon, and carbon burial in the sediment to estuarine water...
Authors
Maria Herrmann, Raymond G. Najjar, W. Kemp, Richard Alexander, Elizabeth Boyer, Wei-Jun Cai, Peter Griffith, Kevin Kroeger, S. McCallister, Richard Smith
Spatially explicit modeling to evaluate regional stream water quality Spatially explicit modeling to evaluate regional stream water quality
Spatially referenced regressions on watershed attributes (SPARROW) models have been developed and applied over the past two decades to address the need for large-scale, spatially explicit information on stream water quality conditions. The strength of SPARROW models is that they describe the primary environmental processes that affect the supply and transport of contaminant mass in...
Authors
Stephen Preston, Richard Alexander, Gregory Schwarz, Richard Smith
Nitrogen cycling processes and microbial community composition in bed sediments in the Yukon River at Pilot Station Nitrogen cycling processes and microbial community composition in bed sediments in the Yukon River at Pilot Station
Information on the contribution of nitrogen (N)-cycling processes in bed sediments to river nutrient fluxes in large northern latitude river systems is limited. This study examined the relationship between N-cycling processes in bed sediments and N speciation and loading in the Yukon River near its mouth at the Bering Sea. We conducted laboratory bioassays to measure N-cycling processes...
Authors
Deborah Repert, Jennifer C. Underwood, Richard Smith, Bongkeun Song
Long-term groundwater contamination after source removal—The role of sorbed carbon and nitrogen on the rate of reoxygenation of a treated-wastewater plume on Cape Cod, MA, USA Long-term groundwater contamination after source removal—The role of sorbed carbon and nitrogen on the rate of reoxygenation of a treated-wastewater plume on Cape Cod, MA, USA
The consequences of groundwater contamination can remain long after a contaminant source has been removed. Documentation of natural aquifer recoveries and empirical tools to predict recovery time frames and associated geochemical changes are generally lacking. This study characterized the long-term natural attenuation of a groundwater contaminant plume in a sand and gravel aquifer on...
Authors
Richard Smith, Deborah Repert, Larry Barber, Denis LeBlanc
Potential For Denitrification near Reclaimed Water Application Sites in Orange County, Florida, 2009 Potential For Denitrification near Reclaimed Water Application Sites in Orange County, Florida, 2009
The potential for denitrification was tested in water samples from four Upper Floridan aquifer wells near a reclaimed water application site, in west Orange County Florida, and two adjacent springs. Results of the study indicate that denitrifying bacteria are present in the groundwater and spring water samples, and that these bacteria can readily denitrify the waters when suitable...
Authors
Michael Byrne, Richard Smith, Deborah Repert
MERGANSER: an empirical model to predict fish and loon mercury in New England lakes MERGANSER: an empirical model to predict fish and loon mercury in New England lakes
MERGANSER (MERcury Geo-spatial AssessmeNtS for the New England Region) is an empirical least-squares multiple regression model using mercury (Hg) deposition and readily obtainable lake and watershed features to predict fish (fillet) and common loon (blood) Hg in New England lakes. We modeled lakes larger than 8 ha (4404 lakes), using 3470 fish (12 species) and 253 loon Hg concentrations...
Authors
James Shanley, Richard Moore, Richard Smith, Eric Miller, Alison Simcox, Neil Kamman, Diane Nacci, Keith Robinson, John Johnston, Melissa Hughes, Craig Johnston, David Evers, Kate Williams, John Graham, Susannah King
Non-USGS Publications**
Smith, R. L., Kent, D. B., Repert, D. A., and Böhlke, J.K., 2017, Anoxic nitrate reduction coupled with iron oxidation and attenuation of dissolved arsenic and phosphate in a sand and gravel aquifer, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 196:102-120, doi: http//dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.09.025.
**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.