Rob Runkel
Rob is a Research Hydrologist with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center in Lakewood, CO.
Rob began his career with the USGS while he was a graduate student in Environmental Engineering at the University of Colorado. Rob's expertise and experience includes the development and application of models to simulate constituent transport, the characterization of small watersheds affected by acid mine drainage, and the use of tracers to quantify constituent transport in surface waters.
Professional Experience
1992-Present Research Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado
1989-1992 Research Engineer, University of Colorado, Center for Advanced Decision Support in Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES), Boulder, Colorado
1987-1989 Hydrologist, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Education and Certifications
Bachelor of Science, Summa Cum Laude, 1985, Computer Science and Environmental Studies, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Master of Environmental Management, 1987, Water Resources, Duke University: Monte Carlo Analysis of the Surface Water Component for Land Disposal Restriction Determinations
Doctor of Philosophy, 1993, Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado: Development and Application of an Equilibrium-based Simulation Model for Reactive Solute Transport in Small Streams
Affiliations and Memberships*
Associate Editor, Water Resources Research, 2006–2014
Member, American Geophysical Union
Member, Society for Freshwater Science
Member, European Geosciences Union
Science and Products
Synoptic sampling data from Illinois Gulch and Iron Springs near Breckenridge, Colorado, August 2016 and September 2017
Hydrologic, biogeochemical, and radon data collected within and adjacent to the Little Wind River near Riverton, Wyoming
Rhodamine concentration data, Kootenai River, near Bonners Ferry, Idaho, 2008
A simple low-cost approach for transport parameter determination in mountain rivers
Effects of hydrologic variability and remedial actions on first flush and metal loading from streams draining the Silverton caldera, 1992–2014
Assessment of a conservative mixing model for the evaluation of constituent behavior below river confluences, Elqui River Basin, Chile
Water-quality change following remediation using structural bulkheads in abandoned draining mines, upper Arkansas River and upper Animas River, Colorado USA
Critical shifts in trace metal transport and remediation performance under future low river flows
Transport and speciation of uranium in groundwater-surface water systems impacted by legacy milling operations
Exploring the potential of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to measure the extent of chronic disturbance in peatlands: Examples from acid mine drainage and peat fire
Cinnamon gulch revisited: Another look at separating natural and mining-impacted contributions to instream metal load
Exploration of diffuse and discrete sources of acid mine drainage to a headwater mountain stream in Colorado, USA
Synoptic sampling and principal components analysis to identify sources of water and metals to an acid mine drainage stream
A software tool to assess uncertainty in transient-storage model parameters using Monte Carlo simulations
The precipitation of indium at elevated pH in a stream influenced by acid mine drainage
Science and Products
Synoptic sampling data from Illinois Gulch and Iron Springs near Breckenridge, Colorado, August 2016 and September 2017
Hydrologic, biogeochemical, and radon data collected within and adjacent to the Little Wind River near Riverton, Wyoming
Rhodamine concentration data, Kootenai River, near Bonners Ferry, Idaho, 2008
A simple low-cost approach for transport parameter determination in mountain rivers
Effects of hydrologic variability and remedial actions on first flush and metal loading from streams draining the Silverton caldera, 1992–2014
Assessment of a conservative mixing model for the evaluation of constituent behavior below river confluences, Elqui River Basin, Chile
Water-quality change following remediation using structural bulkheads in abandoned draining mines, upper Arkansas River and upper Animas River, Colorado USA
Critical shifts in trace metal transport and remediation performance under future low river flows
Transport and speciation of uranium in groundwater-surface water systems impacted by legacy milling operations
Exploring the potential of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to measure the extent of chronic disturbance in peatlands: Examples from acid mine drainage and peat fire
Cinnamon gulch revisited: Another look at separating natural and mining-impacted contributions to instream metal load
Exploration of diffuse and discrete sources of acid mine drainage to a headwater mountain stream in Colorado, USA
Synoptic sampling and principal components analysis to identify sources of water and metals to an acid mine drainage stream
A software tool to assess uncertainty in transient-storage model parameters using Monte Carlo simulations
The precipitation of indium at elevated pH in a stream influenced by acid mine drainage
*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