Richard Wanty is a Scientist Emeritus with the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center.
Research interests center around environmental geochemistry, and coupling of geologic, hydrologic, and geochemical processes. Current research topics include: landscape geochemistry and the relation between soil and ground-water geochemistry; geochemistry of mined or unmined mineral deposits and natural background geochemistry; geochemistry of non-traditional stable isotopes, especially those of iron, copper, and zinc. Past projects have examined the usefulness of data mined from large online databases to evaluating regional geochemical baselines; brines produced with hydrocarbon resources; geochemistry of natural radionuclides in ground-water supplies; ground-water geochemistry in agricultural areas; and geochemistry of sandstone-hosted vanadium-uranium deposits.
Professional Experience
1981 to 2021 - Research Chemist, U.S. Geological Survey
6/80 to 10/81 Assistant Geochemist, Gulf Research and Development Company
6/79 to 6/81 Research Assistant, Colorado School of Mines (Master's Thesis Research)
6/77 to 6/79 Laboratory Assistant, SUNY at Binghamton
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Geochemistry, 1986, Colorado School of Mines. Thesis topic: Field, experimental, and numerical modeling studies of the genesis of vanadium-uranium deposits in Utah, USA
M.S., Geochemistry, 1981, Colorado School of Mines. Thesis topic: Trace- and radioelement geochemistry in sandstone aquifers hosting uranium deposits
B.A., Geochemistry, 1979, State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton. Degree awarded with Distinguished Independent Work in the Geological Sciences
Affiliations and Memberships*
International Association of Geochemistry - Member and Associate Editor of Applied Geochemistry
Vice President 2010-2012
President 2012-2014
Past-President 2014-2016
Council Member 2016-2019The Geochemical Society - Lifetime member
Editorial Board of Chemical Geology - 2014-present
Abstracts and Presentations
Wanty, R.B., Verplanck, P.L., Fey, D.L., Church, S.E., San Juan, C.A., and Swigert, V.A., 2007. Geochemistry of surface water in alpine catchments in central Colorado, USA: An example of sampling scale versus detail. In, Bullen, T.D., and Wang, Y. (eds.), Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 453-456.
Wang, B., Gough, L., Wanty, R.B., Crock, J., Day, W., and Vohden, J., 2007. Landscape geochemistry near mineralized areas of eastern Alaska with a focus on As and Sb. In, Bullen, T.D., and Wang, Y. (eds.), Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 1513-1516.
Wanty, R.B., Verplanck, P.L., Kimball, B.A., Tuttle, M.L., Runkel, R.L., and Berger, B.R., 2004, Resolving natural and anthropogenic sources of solutes to a watershed from historic mining, in, Wanty, R.B., and Seal, R.R. II, eds., Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction: Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 1659-1663.
Verplanck, P.L., Wanty, R.B., Berger, B.R., Tuttle, M.L., Kimball, B.A., and Farmer, G.L., 2004, Hydrogeochemistry of an acidic, alpine watershed, Redwell basin, Colorado, in, Wanty, R.B., and Seal, R.R. II, eds., Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction: Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 1649-1653.
Lorrai, M., Fanfani, L., Lattanzi, P., and Wanty, R.B., 2004, Processes controlling groundwater chemistry of a coastal area in SE Sardinia (Italy), in, Wanty, R.B., and Seal, R.R. II, eds., Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction: Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 439-442.
Chapin, T., and Wanty, R.B., 2004, Diel cycling of Zn, Mn, and Cu in a stream impacted by acid rock drainage, in, Wanty, R.B., and Seal, R.R. II, eds., Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction: Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 1463-1467.
Wanty, R.B., Berger, B.R., Kimball, B.A., Verplanck, P.L., and Tuttle, M.L., 2003, Delineation of environmental tracts in mineralized areas using geologic criteria: Proceedings of the 4th European Conference on Regional Geoscientific Cartography, Bologna, Italy.
Wanty, R.B., Tuttle, M.L., Berger, B.R., Bove, D., and Eppinger, R.G., 2003, Environmental behavior of several porphyry molybdenum and copper deposits in the western US: Proceedings of the 4th European Conference on Regional Geoscientific Cartography.
Chapin, T., Wanty, R.B., 2003, Development of a real-time in situ zinc analyzer and water sampler—Results from high resolution monitoring of a stream impacted by acid rock drainage. Sixth International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage, July 2003, Cairns, Australia, conference proceedings, pp 987-999.
Limpitlaw, D., and Wanty, R.B., 2002, Report of the working group on geoenvironmental models, in Fabbri, A., Gaal, G., and McCammon, R., eds., Proceedings of a NATO Workshop on Resource Exploitation and Environmental Security: Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands.
Wanty, R.B., Berger, B.R., Plumlee, G.S., King, T.V.V., 2002, Geoenvironmental models: An Introduction, in Fabbri, A., Gaal, G., and McCammon, R., eds., Proceedings of a NATO Workshop on Resource Exploitation and Environmental Security: Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands. pp. 3-42.
Wanty, R.B., Berger, B.R., and Tuttle M.L., 2001, Scale versus detail in water-rock investigations 1: A process-oriented framework for studies of natural systems, in Cidu, R., ed., Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, Swets and Zeitlinger (Balkema), Lisse, pp. 221-224.
Berger, B.R., Wanty, R.B., and Tuttle M.L., 2001, Scale versus detail in water-rock investigations 2: Field-scale models of fracture networks in mineral deposits, in Cidu, R., ed., Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, Swets and Zeitlinger (Balkema), Lisse, pp. 137-140.
Witte, K., Ridley, W.I., Wanty, R.B., and Harrison, W.R., 2000, Preliminary assessment of the use of Engelman Spruce (Picea Engelmanii) to monitor historical trends in trace metal movement in a mining-impacted alpine wetland, Waldorf, CO: Proceedings of the 22nd Annual National Association of Abandoned Mine Lands programs Conference, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, September, 2000, 9 pp.
Malem, F., Wanty, R.B., Viellenave, J.H., and Fontana, J.V., 2000, Probe sampling and geophysics applied to ground water evaluation of mine dumps: Tailings and Mine Waste ’00, Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 223-230.
Wanty, R.B., Miller, W.R., Zielinski, R.A., Plumlee, G.S., Bove, D.J., Lichte, F.E., Meier, A.L., Smith, K.S., 1998, Uranium mobility in surface waters draining mineralized areas in the western US, in Arehart, G.B. and Hulston, J.R., eds., Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction: Rotterdam, A.A. Balkema, pp. 1013-1016.
Frishman, D., Day, W.C., Folger, P.F., Wanty, R.B., Briggs, P.H., and Poeter, E., 1993, Bedrock geologic controls on radon abundance in domestic well water, Conifer, Colorado, in The 1993 International Radon Conference, Denver, Colorado, Proceedings: Denver, Colo., 1993, The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists, pp. IV20-IV30.
Wanty, R.B., Folger, P.F., Frishman, D., Briggs, P.H., Day, W.C., and Poeter, E., 1992, Weathering of Pikes Peak Granite: Field, experimental, and modeling observations, in Kharaka, Y.K., and Maest, A.S., Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction: A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 599-602.
Wanty, R.B., Folger, P.F., and Briggs, P.H., 1992, Ground-Water Chemistry of the Coal-Bearing Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Formation, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming, in Keefer, W.R., Metzger, W.J., and Godwin, L.H., eds., Wyoming Geological Association Special Symposium on Oil and Gas Resources of the Wind River Basin, Wyoming: Casper, Wyoming, pp. 271-279.
Wanty, R.B., Rice, C.A., Langmuir, D., Briggs, P.H., and Lawrence, E.P., 1991, Prediction of uranium adsorption by crystalline rocks: the key role of reactive surface area: Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings Series, v. 212, pp. 695-702.
Wanty, R.B., and Gundersen, L.C.S., 1988, Ground water geochemistry and radon 222 distribution in two sites on the Reading Prong, Eastern Pennsylvania, in Marikos, M.A., and Hansman, R.H., eds., Geological Causes of Natural Radionuclide Anomalies: Missouri Department of Natural Resources Special Publication No. 4, pp. 147-156.
Wanty, R.B., and Gundersen, L.C.S., 1987, Radionuclide concentrations in ground water from two areas in the Reading Prong, Eastern Pennsylvania, in GEORAD Conference on Geological Causes of Radionuclide Anomalies: Missouri Department of Natural Resources. St. Louis, MO, April, 1987.
Science and Products
Screening Techniques for Legacy Mine Land (LML) Sites Using Data Mining and Site-specific Studies in the Western U.S.
Chemistry and Flow Data from Headwater Streams Draining Hydrothermally Altered Areas in Colorado
Geochemistry and Environmental Tracer Data for Groundwater, Stream Water, and Soil and Sediment from North Quartz Creek, Colorado
Trace metals in water and biota in and near headwater streams in the Colorado Mineral Belt
Environmental tracer data from surface water and groundwater samples collected in Redwell Basin near Crested Butte, Colorado, 2017-2019
Geochemistry and Environmental Tracer Data for Groundwater, Stream Water, and Ferricrete Samples from Handcart Gulch, Colorado
Maps showing hydrostatic levels and general ground-water quality for an area near Conifer, Colorado
Incorporating streambank wells in stream mass loading studies to more effectively identify sources of solutes in stream water
Regional occurrence of aqueous tungsten and relations with antimony, arsenic and molybdenum concentrations (Sardinia, Italy)
Variation in metal concentrations across a large contamination gradient is reflected in stream but not linked riparian food webs
Direct observation of the depth of active groundwater circulation in an alpine watershed
Using stream-side groundwater discharge for geochemical exploration in mountainous terrain
A 20-year record of water chemistry in an alpine setting, Mount Emmons, Colorado, USA
Aluminum mobility in mildly acidic mine drainage: Interactions between hydrobasaluminite, silica and trace metals from the nano to the meso-scale
Application of hydrologic-tracer techniques to the Casargiu adit and Rio Irvi (SW-Sardinia, Italy): Using enhanced natural attenuation to reduce extreme metal loads
Isotopic insights into biological regulation of zinc in contaminated systems
Contrasting distributions of groundwater arsenic and uranium in the western Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia: Implication for origins and fate controls
Aquatic pollution increases use of terrestrial prey subsidies by stream fish
Environmental effects on the aquatic system and metal discharge to the Mediterranean Sea from a near-neutral zinc-ferrous sulfate mine drainage
Non-USGS Publications**
**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
- Science
Screening Techniques for Legacy Mine Land (LML) Sites Using Data Mining and Site-specific Studies in the Western U.S.
The main goal of this project is to provide a science-based approach for screening legacy mine land (LML) sites for remediation and identifying watersheds where relatively low-cost restoration efforts may yield substantial improvements to stream water quality. We are combing analysis of multiple existing regional data coverages with focused field studies to develop a protocol that land managers... - Data
Chemistry and Flow Data from Headwater Streams Draining Hydrothermally Altered Areas in Colorado
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data release contains stream water chemistry and streamflow data collected in late August and early September, 2021 from 28 sites located throughout Colorado, USA. The sampled streams all drain high-elevation mountain watersheds in areas where the bedrock is hydrothermally altered and contains abundant sulfide minerals. Most sampled streams are therefore affectedGeochemistry and Environmental Tracer Data for Groundwater, Stream Water, and Soil and Sediment from North Quartz Creek, Colorado
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data release contains data from stream water, groundwater, and soil samples collected in 2019 and 2020 in the North Quartz Creek watershed in central Colorado. Fourteen streambank wells were installed in pairs at seven locations in August 2020 to capture the emerging groundwater from the left bank and right banks (relative to downstream-facing direction) and a syTrace metals in water and biota in and near headwater streams in the Colorado Mineral Belt
This data release includes sampling location data, field-collected water chemistry data, cation and anion concentration data for water and tissues of submerged aquatic vegetation, aquatic insect larvae, adult aquatic insects and riparian spiders from 35 first- and second-order sub-alpine streams that ranged over several orders of magnitude in metal concentrations but were similar in elevation, geoEnvironmental tracer data from surface water and groundwater samples collected in Redwell Basin near Crested Butte, Colorado, 2017-2019
This dataset contains environmental tracer data from surface water and groundwater samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in Redwell Basin, an alpine watershed in the Elk Mountains near the town of Crested Butte, Colorado. The basin is underlain by interbedded shale and sandstone that have been variably hydrothermally altered and silicified by local magmatic intrusions. Samples were colleGeochemistry and Environmental Tracer Data for Groundwater, Stream Water, and Ferricrete Samples from Handcart Gulch, Colorado
This data release is part of a study examining the use of near-stream groundwater discharge as a tool for Geochemical Exploration. Handcart Gulch is an unmined alpine watershed in Montezuma Mining District in the Colorado Front Range. The streambed is cemented by deep ferricrete deposits. Stream water, groundwater, and ferricrete samples were collected and analyzed to constrain the location of a p - Maps
Maps showing hydrostatic levels and general ground-water quality for an area near Conifer, Colorado
Static water levels (SWL's) were measured in more than one hundred wells in the study area during April-May 1989. The water levels were monitored for 10-15 minutes to determine if they were static. If a given level was found not to be static, the measurement was repeated at a later data when the level was static. - Publications
Filter Total Items: 114
Incorporating streambank wells in stream mass loading studies to more effectively identify sources of solutes in stream water
Stream synoptic sampling studies that include flow estimates derived from the stream tracer dilution method are now commonly performed to identify sources and processes controlling solute transport to streams. However, a limitation of this mass-loading approach is its inability to identify the side of the stream on which a source is located in the common case where loading is largely from groundwaAuthorsAndrew H. Manning, Robert L. Runkel, Jean Morrison, Richard Wanty, Katherine Walton-DayRegional occurrence of aqueous tungsten and relations with antimony, arsenic and molybdenum concentrations (Sardinia, Italy)
Tungsten (W) is rarely found in natural waters, yet it can be introduced into the food chain and cause potentially toxic effects. Uptake of W by plants and vegetables, or trace presence of W in drinking water are possible vectors for ingestion of W by humans. The latter is recognized as a possible cause of lymphatic leukemia. Increased uses of W might result in a degradation of water resources, wiAuthorsRosa Cidu, Riccardo Biddau, Franco Frau, Richard Wanty, Stefano NaitzaVariation in metal concentrations across a large contamination gradient is reflected in stream but not linked riparian food webs
Aquatic insects link food web dynamics across freshwater-terrestrial boundaries and subsidize terrestrial consumer populations. Contaminants that accumulate in larval aquatic insects and are retained across metamorphosis can increase dietary exposure for riparian insectivores. To better understand potential exposure of terrestrial insectivores to aquatically-derived trace metals, metal concentratiAuthorsJohanna M. Kraus, Richard Wanty, Travis S. Schmidt, David Walters, Ruth E. WolfDirect observation of the depth of active groundwater circulation in an alpine watershed
The depth of active groundwater circulation is a fundamental control on stream flows and chemistry in mountain watersheds, yet it remains challenging to characterize and is rarely well constrained. We collected hydraulic conductivity, hydraulic head, temperature, chemical, noble gas, and 3H/3He groundwater age data from discrete levels in two boreholes 46 and 81 m deep in an alpine watershed, in cAuthorsAndrew H. Manning, Lyndsay B. Ball, Richard Wanty, Kenneth H. WilliamsUsing stream-side groundwater discharge for geochemical exploration in mountainous terrain
Groundwater chemistry has been predominantly used in geochemical exploration studies to identify mineralized targets concealed under transported cover in areas with gentle topography. Another potentially valuable ap-plication that has received little attention is using groundwater chemistry to identify deposits concealed within mountain ridges. A number of geochemical exploration studies have emplAuthorsAndrew H. Manning, Jean Morrison, Richard Wanty, Christopher T. MillsA 20-year record of water chemistry in an alpine setting, Mount Emmons, Colorado, USA
From 1997 to the present, the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies have been collecting water samples for chemical analyses on Mount Emmons in central Colorado, USA. The geology of Mount Emmons is dominated by Upper Cretaceous to Paleogene sediments of marine to continental origin, with felsic intrusive rocks interrupting the sedimentary block. Extensive sulphide-rich alteration accompanied tAuthorsRichard Wanty, Andrew H. Manning, Michaela Johnson, Philip VerplanckAluminum mobility in mildly acidic mine drainage: Interactions between hydrobasaluminite, silica and trace metals from the nano to the meso-scale
Aluminum precipitates control the hydrochemistry and mineralogy of a broad variety of environments on Earth (e.g., acid mine drainage, AMD, coastal wetlands, boreal and alpine streams, tropical acid sulfate soils, laterites and bauxites, …). However, the geochemical and mineralogical processes controlling Al (and other associated metals and metalloids) transport and removal in those environments aAuthorsManuel A. Caraballo, Richard Wanty, Philip Verplanck, Leonardo Navarro-Valdivia, Carlos Ayora, Michael HochellaApplication of hydrologic-tracer techniques to the Casargiu adit and Rio Irvi (SW-Sardinia, Italy): Using enhanced natural attenuation to reduce extreme metal loads
Hydrologic tracer techniques were applied to Rio Irvi (SW Sardinia), a stream affected by mine drainage, allowing the calculation of stream discharge and metal loads and comparison to other streams. The calculated discharge showed a continuous increase from near 21.2 L/s to 29.1 L/s. Cumulative loads of mine-related constituents, including the Casargiu adit inflow, were large, with more than 9900AuthorsGiovanni De Giudici, Daniela Medas, Rosa Cidu, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Francesca Podda, Franco Frau, Nicola Rigonat, Claudia Pusceddu, Stefania Da Pelo, Patrizia Onnis, Pier Andrea Marras, Richard B. Wanty, Briant A. KimballIsotopic insights into biological regulation of zinc in contaminated systems
Aquatic organisms use a variety of biogeochemical reactions to regulate essential and non-essential trace metals. Many of these mechanisms can lead to isotopic fractionation, thus measurement of metal isotopes may yield insights into the processes by which organisms respond to metal exposure. We illustrate these concepts with two case studies, one involving an intra- and the other an extra-cellulaAuthorsRichard B. Wanty, Laurie S. Balistrieri, Jeff S. Wesner, David Walters, Travis S. Schmidt, Francesca Podda, G. De Giudici, Craig A. Stricker, Johanna M. Kraus, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Ruth E. Wolf, R. CiduContrasting distributions of groundwater arsenic and uranium in the western Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia: Implication for origins and fate controls
Although As concentrations have been investigated in shallow groundwater from the Hetao basin, China, less is known about U and As distributions in deep groundwater, which would help to better understand their origins and fate controls. Two hundred and ninety-nine groundwater samples, 122 sediment samples, and 14 rock samples were taken from the northwest portion of the Hetao basin, and analyzed fAuthorsHuaming Guo, Yongfeng Jia, Richard B. Wanty, Yuxiao Jiang, Weiguang Zhao, Wei Xiu, Jiaxing Shen, Yuan Li, Yongsheng Cao, Yang Wu, Di Zhang, Chao Wei, Yilong Zhang, Wengeng Cao, Andrea L. FosterAquatic pollution increases use of terrestrial prey subsidies by stream fish
Stream food webs are connected with their riparian zones through cross-ecosystem movements of energy and nutrients. The use and impact of terrestrial subsidies on aquatic consumers is determined in part by in situ biomass of aquatic prey. Thus, stressors such as aquatic pollutants that greatly reduce aquatic secondary production could increase the need for and reliance of stream consumers on terrAuthorsJohanna M. Kraus, Justin F. Pomeranz, Andrew S. Todd, David M. Walters, Travis S. Schmidt, Richard B. WantyEnvironmental effects on the aquatic system and metal discharge to the Mediterranean Sea from a near-neutral zinc-ferrous sulfate mine drainage
After mine closure in the 1980s and subsequent shutdown of the dewatering system, groundwater rebound led to drainage outflow from the Casargiu gallery (Montevecchio mine, SW Sardinia, Italy) beginning in 1997. Mine drainage had pH 6.0 and dissolved concentrations of sulfate (5000 mg/L) and metals (e.g., 1000 mg/L Zn, 230 mg/L Fe, 150 mg/L Mn) much higher than those previously measured in groundwaAuthorsFranco Frau, Daniela Medas, Stefania Da Pelo, Richard B. Wanty, Rosa CiduNon-USGS Publications**
Wanty, Richard B., 1986, Geochemistry of vanadium in an epigenetic sandstone-hosted vanadium-uranium deposit, Henry basin, Utah: Ph.D. Dissertation, Colorado School of Mines, 198 pp.Wanty, Richard B., 1981, The use of radiogenic elements, and selected trace elements and their solution-mineral equilibria in groundwater as exploration tools for uranium deposits: M.S. Thesis, Colorado School of Mines, 151 pp.Wanty, R.B., Langmuir, D., and Chatham, J.R., 1981, Groundwater prospecting for sandstone-type uranium deposits: The merits of mineral-solution equilibria versus single element tracer methods: U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction Office Report GJO-79-360-E, v. 2, 91 pp.Chatham, J.R., Wanty, R.B., and Langmuir, D., 1981, National Uranium Resource Evaluation. Groundwater prospecting for sandstone-type uranium deposits: the merits of mineral-solution equilibria versus single element tracer methods. Final Report: U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction Office Report GJO-79-360-E, 197 pp.**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.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government