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
Techniques of trend analysis for monthly water quality data Techniques of trend analysis for monthly water quality data
Some of the characteristics that complicate the analysis of water quality time series are non-normal distributions, seasonality, flow relatedness, missing values, values below the limit of detection, and serial correlation. Presented here are techniques that are suitable in the face of the complications listed above for the exploratory analysis of monthly water quality data for monotonie...
Authors
Robert Hirsch, James Slack, Richard Smith
Techniques of trend analysis for monthly water-quality data Techniques of trend analysis for monthly water-quality data
No abstract available.
Authors
Robert Hirsch, James Slack, Richard Smith
Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, August 1978 Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, August 1978
Basic data on the physical and chemical properties measured over the period 21 August through 31 August 1978 on the tidally influenced Potomac River and estuary are presented herein. Forty-two vertical profiles, and approximately 170 surface observations were made of the distributions of salinity, temperature, light transmission, chlorophyll-a fluorescence, dissolved oxygen, partial...
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon
Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, April-May 1978 Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, April-May 1978
Basic data on the physical and chemical properties measured over the period 24 April through 4 May 1978 on the tidally influenced Potomac River and estuary are presented herein. One 28-hour time series, 45 vertical profiles, and approximately 170 surface observations were made of the distributions of salinity, temperature, light transmission, chlorophyll-a fluorescence, dissolved oxygen...
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon
Physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay waters, 1977 Physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay waters, 1977
Basic data on the physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay waters are presented here. Samples were collected over the period March-November 1977 at approximately monthly intervals at 36 stations. The stations were located along the axis of the Bay from Calaveras Point in South San Francisco Bay to the town of Rio Vista on the Sacramento River. The samples were analyzed for...
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon
Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, January 1978 Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, January 1978
No abstract available.
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon
Physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay waters, 1969-1976 Physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay waters, 1969-1976
Basic data on the physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay are presented here. Samples were collected over the period 1969-1976 at approximately six-week intervals at 36 stations. The stations were located along the axis of the Bay from Calaveras Point in South San Francisco Bay to the town of Rio Vista on the Sacramento River. On most cruises vertical profiles of the water...
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon, Dana Harmon
Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, August-September 1977 Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, August-September 1977
No abstract available.
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon
An oilspill risk analysis for the western Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak Island) Outer Continental Shelf lease area An oilspill risk analysis for the western Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak Island) Outer Continental Shelf lease area
An oilspill risk analysis was conducted to determine relative environmental hazards of developing oil in different regions of the Western Gulf of Alaska Outer Continental Shelf lease area. The study analyzed probability of spill occurrence, likely path of pollutants from spills, and locations in space and time of recreational and biological resources likely to be vulnerable. These...
Authors
James Slack, Richard Smith, Timothy Wyant
An oilspill risk analysis for the South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area An oilspill risk analysis for the South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area
No abstract available.
Authors
James Slack, Richard Smith
An oilspill risk analysis for the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area An oilspill risk analysis for the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area
An oilspill risk analysis was conducted to determine relative environmental impacts of developing oil in different regions of the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area. The study analyzed probability of spills, likely path of pollutants from spills, and locations in space and time of recreational and biological resources likely to be vulnerable. These results are combined to...
Authors
Richard Smith, James Slack, Robert Davis
An oilspill risk analysis for the North Atlantic outer continental shelf lease area An oilspill risk analysis for the North Atlantic outer continental shelf lease area
The Federal Government has proposed to lease 1,172,795 acres of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lands on Georges Bank off the New England Coast for oil and gas development. Estimated recoverable petroleum resources for the proposed 206 tract sale area range from 180 to 650 million barrels. Contingent upon actual discovery of this quantity of oil, production is expected to span a period of...
Authors
Richard Smith, James Slack, Robert Davis
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
Techniques of trend analysis for monthly water quality data Techniques of trend analysis for monthly water quality data
Some of the characteristics that complicate the analysis of water quality time series are non-normal distributions, seasonality, flow relatedness, missing values, values below the limit of detection, and serial correlation. Presented here are techniques that are suitable in the face of the complications listed above for the exploratory analysis of monthly water quality data for monotonie...
Authors
Robert Hirsch, James Slack, Richard Smith
Techniques of trend analysis for monthly water-quality data Techniques of trend analysis for monthly water-quality data
No abstract available.
Authors
Robert Hirsch, James Slack, Richard Smith
Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, August 1978 Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, August 1978
Basic data on the physical and chemical properties measured over the period 21 August through 31 August 1978 on the tidally influenced Potomac River and estuary are presented herein. Forty-two vertical profiles, and approximately 170 surface observations were made of the distributions of salinity, temperature, light transmission, chlorophyll-a fluorescence, dissolved oxygen, partial...
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon
Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, April-May 1978 Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, April-May 1978
Basic data on the physical and chemical properties measured over the period 24 April through 4 May 1978 on the tidally influenced Potomac River and estuary are presented herein. One 28-hour time series, 45 vertical profiles, and approximately 170 surface observations were made of the distributions of salinity, temperature, light transmission, chlorophyll-a fluorescence, dissolved oxygen...
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon
Physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay waters, 1977 Physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay waters, 1977
Basic data on the physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay waters are presented here. Samples were collected over the period March-November 1977 at approximately monthly intervals at 36 stations. The stations were located along the axis of the Bay from Calaveras Point in South San Francisco Bay to the town of Rio Vista on the Sacramento River. The samples were analyzed for...
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon
Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, January 1978 Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, January 1978
No abstract available.
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon
Physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay waters, 1969-1976 Physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay waters, 1969-1976
Basic data on the physical and chemical properties of San Francisco Bay are presented here. Samples were collected over the period 1969-1976 at approximately six-week intervals at 36 stations. The stations were located along the axis of the Bay from Calaveras Point in South San Francisco Bay to the town of Rio Vista on the Sacramento River. On most cruises vertical profiles of the water...
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon, Dana Harmon
Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, August-September 1977 Physical and chemical properties of the Potomac River and environs, August-September 1977
No abstract available.
Authors
Richard Smith, Raynol Herndon
An oilspill risk analysis for the western Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak Island) Outer Continental Shelf lease area An oilspill risk analysis for the western Gulf of Alaska (Kodiak Island) Outer Continental Shelf lease area
An oilspill risk analysis was conducted to determine relative environmental hazards of developing oil in different regions of the Western Gulf of Alaska Outer Continental Shelf lease area. The study analyzed probability of spill occurrence, likely path of pollutants from spills, and locations in space and time of recreational and biological resources likely to be vulnerable. These...
Authors
James Slack, Richard Smith, Timothy Wyant
An oilspill risk analysis for the South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area An oilspill risk analysis for the South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area
No abstract available.
Authors
James Slack, Richard Smith
An oilspill risk analysis for the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area An oilspill risk analysis for the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area
An oilspill risk analysis was conducted to determine relative environmental impacts of developing oil in different regions of the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area. The study analyzed probability of spills, likely path of pollutants from spills, and locations in space and time of recreational and biological resources likely to be vulnerable. These results are combined to...
Authors
Richard Smith, James Slack, Robert Davis
An oilspill risk analysis for the North Atlantic outer continental shelf lease area An oilspill risk analysis for the North Atlantic outer continental shelf lease area
The Federal Government has proposed to lease 1,172,795 acres of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lands on Georges Bank off the New England Coast for oil and gas development. Estimated recoverable petroleum resources for the proposed 206 tract sale area range from 180 to 650 million barrels. Contingent upon actual discovery of this quantity of oil, production is expected to span a period of...
Authors
Richard Smith, James Slack, Robert Davis
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.