Laurie Balistrieri

Western Mineral Resources

Laurie Balistrieri

Interests:

Aqueous and environmental geochemistry

Chemical oceanography and limnology

Adsorption processes

My research examines the physical and biogeochemical processes that influence the concentration, speciation, distribution, mobility, and availability of metals in aquatic systems

Contact:

Phone: (206) 543-8966

Fax: (206) 685-3351

email: balistri@usgs.gov

Education

1974 B.S., Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

1977 M.S., Chemical oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Experience

I worked as a chemical oceanographer in the School of Oceanography at the University of Washington early in my career, and did various coastal and open-ocean cruises. I helped with porewater work during this time and did research that examined adsorption of metals onto synthetic metal oxide phases and natural particles. When I joined the USGS in 1986, I continued my adsorption research and got involved in field studies that examined the behavior of metals in terrestrial ecosystems. I studied metal cycling in Terrace Reservoir and wetlands downstream of the Summitville mine in Colorado, carbon cycling in wetlands in Louisiana, metal cycling in numerous natural and pit lakes in the northern United States, the composition of hydrothermal vents in Yellowstone Lake and their effect on lake chemistry, and the behavior of contaminants resulting from historical mining within the Coeur d' Alene River basin. I also am an affiliate professor in the School of Oceanography at the University of Washington, where I help teach classes and advise students.

Current Activities

Understanding metal cycling in ecosystems containing mineralized deposits

This research evaluates physical and biogeochemical processes controlling the distribution, speciation, mobility, and bioavailability of metals in large-scale ecosystems affected by mining activities using a combination of traditional and emerging analytical techniques, integrated laboratory and field studies, and thermodynamic and coupled physical-biogeochemical models. See Pathways of Metal Transfer from Mineralized Sources to Bioreceptors Project and Development of Mineral Environmental Assessment Methodologies Project for additional information. Also see Assessing Element Speciation, Bioavailability, and Cycling using Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films (DGT) within the Aqueous Geochemistry Research and Development Project.

Mobilization, transport, and fate of elements in pit lakes

This research involves collecting spatial and temporal data in pit lakes and developing, applying, and validating modeling approaches for describing the physical and geochemical evolution of the lakes.

Tracing metal cycling in the environment using stable metal isotopes

This research combines field and laboratory studies to advance our limited understanding of isotopic values for stable metals (Fe, Cu, and Zn) in environmental samples and of isotopic fractionation factors for specific processes.

Other Western Region Mineral Resources offices

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://minerals.usgs.gov/west/spokane/laurie.htm
Page Contact Information: WMRT Webmaster
Page Last Modified: 14-Feb-2008@11:52

	Publications listing
	Interests:	Aqueous and environmental geochemistry
		Chemical oceanography and limnology
		Adsorption processes
		My research examines the physical and biogeochemical processes that influence the concentration, speciation, distribution, mobility, and availability of metals in aquatic systems

	Contact:	Phone: (206) 543-8966
		Fax: (206) 685-3351
		email: balistri@usgs.gov
Education
1974 B.S., Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
1977 M.S., Chemical oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Experience
I worked as a chemical oceanographer in the School of Oceanography at the University of Washington early in my career, and did various coastal and open-ocean cruises. I helped with porewater work during this time and did research that examined adsorption of metals onto synthetic metal oxide phases and natural particles. When I joined the USGS in 1986, I continued my adsorption research and got involved in field studies that examined the behavior of metals in terrestrial ecosystems. I studied metal cycling in Terrace Reservoir and wetlands downstream of the Summitville mine in Colorado, carbon cycling in wetlands in Louisiana, metal cycling in numerous natural and pit lakes in the northern United States, the composition of hydrothermal vents in Yellowstone Lake and their effect on lake chemistry, and the behavior of contaminants resulting from historical mining within the Coeur d' Alene River basin. I also am an affiliate professor in the School of Oceanography at the University of Washington, where I help teach classes and advise students.
Current Activities
Understanding metal cycling in ecosystems containing mineralized deposits This research evaluates physical and biogeochemical processes controlling the distribution, speciation, mobility, and bioavailability of metals in large-scale ecosystems affected by mining activities using a combination of traditional and emerging analytical techniques, integrated laboratory and field studies, and thermodynamic and coupled physical-biogeochemical models. See Pathways of Metal Transfer from Mineralized Sources to Bioreceptors Project and Development of Mineral Environmental Assessment Methodologies Project for additional information. Also see Assessing Element Speciation, Bioavailability, and Cycling using Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films (DGT) within the Aqueous Geochemistry Research and Development Project. Mobilization, transport, and fate of elements in pit lakes This research involves collecting spatial and temporal data in pit lakes and developing, applying, and validating modeling approaches for describing the physical and geochemical evolution of the lakes. Tracing metal cycling in the environment using stable metal isotopes This research combines field and laboratory studies to advance our limited understanding of isotopic values for stable metals (Fe, Cu, and Zn) in environmental samples and of isotopic fractionation factors for specific processes.

Mineral Resources	Eastern / Central / Western / Alaska / Minerals Information
	Crustal Imaging & Characterization / Spatial Data