Burke Minsley
Burke Minsley is a Research Geophysicist with the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center.
Burke Minsley joined the USGS in 2008 as a Research Geophysicist with the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center in Denver, Colorado. After receiving a B.S. in Applied Physics from Purdue University in 1997, Burke began his career as a field geophysicist working on offshore seismic vessels before receiving a Ph.D. in Geophysics from MIT in 2007. His work involves the development and implementation of innovative ground-based and airborne geophysical methods used in interdisciplinary studies to improve our understanding of Earth's geosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere. Burke's projects are interdisciplinary and geographically diverse, including permafrost mapping in Alaska, critical zone studies in a mountain headwater system in Colorado, and a large regional water availability study in the lower Mississippi River valley. He also works on development of computational methods for uncertainty quantification in geophysical datasets and associated geologic or hydrologic interpretations. In 2012, Burke received the PECASE award for his fundamental research on advancing airborne electromagnetic survey methodology and its use in studying permafrost. He is currently serving as President of the Near-Surface Geophysics Section of AGU from 2021-2022.
Professional Experience
2008 - present: Research geophysicist, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO
2007 - 2008: Postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
2002 - 2007: Research assistant, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
1997 - 2002: Field geophysicist with WesternGeco, offshore
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Geophysics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007
B.S. Applied Physics, Purdue University, 1997
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union: President of the Near-Surface Geophysics Section of AGU from 2021-2022
Honors and Awards
USGS Unit Award for Excellence of Service - LandCarbon team member, 2017
Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering (PECASE), 2012
USGS Superior Service Award, 2012
Paper one of 'Ten Best of SAGEEP' 2010, 2011
Outstanding Student Paper Award, Near Surface section, Fall AGU, 2006
Martin Family Society Fellowship for Sustainability, MIT, 2004 - 2005
Science and Products
Alaska permafrost characterization: Geophysical and related field data collected from 2016-2017
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data and inverted resistivity models, western Yukon Flats, Alaska, February 2016
Fire impacts on permafrost in Alaska: Geophysical and other field data collected in 2014
Multi-scale geophysical mapping of deep permafrost change after disturbance in interior Alaska, USA
Airborne electromagnetic imaging of permafrost for hydrologic and infrastructure studies
Airborne geophysical characterizationof geologic structure in a mountain headwater system, upper East River, Colorado
Mapping protected groundwater adjacent to oil and gas fields, San Joaquin Valley, California
Three-dimensional geophysical mapping of shallow water saturated altered rocks at Mount Baker, Washington: Implications for slope stability
Hydrogeophysics at societally relevant scales: Airborne electromagnetic applications and model structural uncertainty quantification
Comparing measurement response and inverted results of electrical resistivity tomography instruments
Hydrogeophysical investigations of earthen dams – Two California case studies
Automatic mapping of the base of aquifer — A case study from Morrill, Nebraska
Generation of 3-D hydrostratigraphic zones from dense airborne electromagnetic data to assess groundwater model prediction error
In situ nuclear magnetic resonance response of permafrost and active layer soil in boreal and tundra ecosystems
Semiautomatic mapping of permafrost in the Yukon Flats, Alaska
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
Alaska permafrost characterization: Geophysical and related field data collected from 2016-2017
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data and inverted resistivity models, western Yukon Flats, Alaska, February 2016
Fire impacts on permafrost in Alaska: Geophysical and other field data collected in 2014
Multi-scale geophysical mapping of deep permafrost change after disturbance in interior Alaska, USA
Airborne electromagnetic imaging of permafrost for hydrologic and infrastructure studies
Airborne geophysical characterizationof geologic structure in a mountain headwater system, upper East River, Colorado
Mapping protected groundwater adjacent to oil and gas fields, San Joaquin Valley, California
Three-dimensional geophysical mapping of shallow water saturated altered rocks at Mount Baker, Washington: Implications for slope stability
Hydrogeophysics at societally relevant scales: Airborne electromagnetic applications and model structural uncertainty quantification
Comparing measurement response and inverted results of electrical resistivity tomography instruments
Hydrogeophysical investigations of earthen dams – Two California case studies
Automatic mapping of the base of aquifer — A case study from Morrill, Nebraska
Generation of 3-D hydrostratigraphic zones from dense airborne electromagnetic data to assess groundwater model prediction error
In situ nuclear magnetic resonance response of permafrost and active layer soil in boreal and tundra ecosystems
Semiautomatic mapping of permafrost in the Yukon Flats, Alaska
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.
*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