Donald L. Sparks
S. Hallock du Pont Chair of Soil and Environmental Chemistry; and Francis Alison Professor; Department of Plant and Soil Sciences; University of Delaware
Univ. Delaware - University of Delaware
Sparks's Univ. Delaware page
Director, Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN)
DENIN - Delaware Environmental Institute
Ph.D., Soil Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1979
Research in the Environmental Soil Chemistry Laboratory focuses on how toxic metals such as arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) and plant nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) are bound (sorbed) on soils. We conduct these studies under different environmental and experimental conditions (pH, time, temperature, hydration state, presence of microbes) to best represent the natural environment. We use bright light sources generated at syncrotron facilities (associated with National Laboratories) to determine the forms (species) of the metals and nutrients in the soil at the molecular scale.
Phone/Address
302.831.6378Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, 153A Townsend Hall, Newark, DE 19716
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CZO Publications
Papers/Books
2015 (In Press)
Multi-elemental scanning transmission X-ray microscopy–near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy assessment of organo–mineral associations in soils from reduced environments. Chen, C. and D.L. Sparks (2015): Environmental Chemistry
2014
Properties of Fe-organic matter associations via coprecipitation versus adsorption. Chen, C., J. Dynes, J. Wang and D.L. Sparks (2014): Environ. Sci. Technol. 48 (23):13751–13759
2014
Soft X-ray Spectromicroscopy Study of Mineral-Organic Matter Associations in Pasture Soil Clay Fractions. Chen, C., J. Dynes, J. Wang, T. Regier, C. Karunakaran, and D.L. Sparks (2014): Environ. Sci. Technol., 2014, 48 (12), pp 6678–6686
Papers and books that explicitly acknowledge a CZO grant are highlighted in PALE ORANGE.
Other CZO Publications
2013
Sustaining Earth's Critical Zone - Basic Science and Interdisciplinary Solutions for Global Challenges. Banwart, S., Chorover, J., Gaillardet, J., Sparks, D., White, T., et al. (2013): The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, ISBN: 978-0-9576890-0-8 Cross-CZO National
2012
Sustaining Earth's Critical Zone. Banwart, S., Chorover, J., Sparks, D., White, T. (2012): Report of the International Critical Zone Observatory Workshop. 8th-11th November, 2011, U. Delaware (USA). National
2012
Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs): Integrating measurements and models of Earth surface processes to improve prediction of landscape structure, function and evolution (Invited). Chorover J., Anderson S. P., Bales R. C., Duffy C., Scatena F. N., Sparks D. L., White T. (2012): Abstract GCS4A-05 presented at 2012 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 3-7 Dec (Talk) Cross-CZO National
2012
Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs): Integrating measurements and models of Earth surface processes to improve prediction of landscape structure, function and evolution (Invited). Chorover, J., Anderson, S.P., Bales, R.C., Duffy, C., Scatena, F.N., Sparks, D.L., and White, T. (2012): Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2012. Abstract GC54A-05. National
2012
The Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory (CRB-CZO): Quantifying carbon sequestration by integrating spatial and temporal carbon and mineral fluxes. J. Kan, D. Karwan, O. Lazareva, C. Rosier, A. Aufdenkampe, D. L. Sparks, L. A. Kaplan, J. Pizzuto, K. Yoo (2012): The 2nd International Conference of Geobiology-Critical Zone Observatories for sustainable soil development and beyond. Sept 4-8, 2012, Wuhan, China.
2012
Biogeochemical Transformation of Fe- and Mn- Along a Redox Gradient: Implications for Carbon Sequestration within the Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory. Lazareva, O., D.L. Sparks, A. Aufdenkampe, K. Yoo, S. Hicks and J. Kan. (2012): DENIN Research Symposium, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, January
2012
Biogeochemical transformation of Fe- and Mn- along a redox gradient: Implications for carbon sequestration within the Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory. Olesya Lazareva, Donald L. Sparks, Anthony Aufdenkampe, Jinjun Kan, Steven Hicks, Joshua LeMonte, Weinan Pan, Chunmei Chen (2012): 243rd ACS National Meeting and Exposition, San Diego, California, March 25 - 29.
2012
Biogeochemical Dynamics of Aqueous Fe and Mn in Soil Pore-Waters and Stream with Respect to Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) Quantity and Quality. Olesya Lazareva, Sparks, D.L., Pan, W., Kan, J., Aufdenkampe, A. (2012): Goldschmidt Conference, Montreal, Canada, June 24-29.
2012
2012 CRB-CZO Annual Report to National Science Foundation. Sparks, D., Aufdenkampe, A., Kaplan, L., Pizzuto, J., and Yoo, K. (2012): NSF Award #0724971
2012
The role of metal redox coupling processes in carbon cycling and stabilization. Sparks, D.L., Chen, C., Lazareva, O., LeMonte, J., Wang, J., Regier, T., and Dynes, J.J. (2012): Goldschmidt Conference, Montreal, Canada, June 24-29.
2011
Distribution and Speciation of Soil Organic Carbon along Hillslope Transects: Importance of Fe-redox Cycling . Chen, C. Leinweber, P., Aufdenkampe, A.K. and Sparks, D.L.. (2011): CZO National Meeting, Tuscon, Arizona, May 8-12
2011
Soil Organic Matter-Mineral Interactions Along Hillslope Transects: Importance of Iron-Redox Coupling Processes. Chen, C., Leinweber, P., Aufdenkampe, A., Wang, J., Dynes, J. J., and Sparks, D.L. (2011): ASA-CSSA-SSSA 2011 International Annual Meetings, "Fundamental for Life: Soil, Crop, & Environmental Sciences," San Antonio, TX, Oct. 16-19.
2011
A wireless environmental sensor network based on open-source electronics for the Christina River Basin CZO. Hicks, S., Aufdenkampe, A., Lazareva, O., Montgomery, D., Kaplan, L., Newbold, D., Levia, D., Sparks, D.L. (2011): CZO National Meeting, Tucson, Arizona
2011
Role of Fe- and Mn- Redox Coupling on the Carbon Cycle in a Mixed Land Use Watershed. Lazareva, O., D.L. Sparks, A.. Aufdenkamp, K. Yoo, S. Hicks and J. Kan. (2011): CZO National Meeting, Tuscon, Arizona, May 8-12
2011
Role of Fe- and Mn- redox coupling on the carbon cycle in a mixed land use watershed: Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory. Lazareva, O., D.L. Sparks, A.. Aufdenkampe, K. Yoo, S. Hicks and J. Kan. (2011): Goldschmidt 2011 conference, Prague, Czech Republic, August 14-19. p. 1279.
2011
2011 CRB-CZO Annual Report to National Science Foundation. Sparks, D., Aufdenkampe, A., Kaplan, L., Pizzuto, J., and Yoo, K. (2011): NSF Award #0724971
2011
Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory (CRB-CZO): Wireless environmental sensor network. Sparks, D.L., Aufdenkampe, A., Lazareva, O., Hicks, S., Montgomery, D., Arscott, D., Kaplan, L., Newbold, D., Levia, D. (2011): University of Delaware on the Hill. Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, March.
2011
Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory (CRB-CZO): Wireless environmental sensor network. Sparks, D.L., Aufdenkampe, A., Lazareva, O., Hicks, S., Montgomery, D., Arscott, D., Kaplan, L., Newbold, D., Levia, D. (2011): EPSCoR Annual Meeting, Dover, Delaware, April.
2011
Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory: Carbon-mineral interactions from molecular to basin scales in the Anthropocene. Yoo, K., Aufdenkampe, A., Chen, C. and Sparks, D.L.. (2011): Invited Talk, Goldschmidt 2011 conference, Prague, Czech Republic, August 14-19. p. 1224.
2010
Future Directions for Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) Science. Anderson, R.S., Anderson, S., Aufdenkampe, A.K., Bales, R., Brantley, S., Chorover, J., Duffy, C.J., Scatena, F.N., Sparks, D.L., Troch, P.A., Yoo, K. (2010): CZO Community, December 29, 2010 Cross-CZO National
2010
Christina River Basin CZO: a whole watershed approach to quantifying human modification of critical zone carbon sequestration. Aufdenkampe, A.K., D.L. Sparks (2010): Invited Talk at the University of Delaware's Academy of Lifelong Learning, June 15, Wilmington, DE
2010
Christina River Basin CZO: Spatial and temporal integration of carbon and mineral fluxes: a whole watershed approach to quantifying anthropogenic modification of critical zone carbon sequestration. Aufdenkampe, A.K., D.L. Sparks, L.A. Kaplan, J.E. Pizzuto, K. Yoo (2010): Invited Talk at the quarterly meeting of the Christina River Basin Task Force, Dec. 3, Newark, DE
2010
Spatial And Temporal Integration Of Carbon And Mineral Fluxes: A Whole Watershed Approach To Quantifying Anthropogenic Modification Of Critical Zone Carbon Sequestration. Aufdenkampe, A.K., Sparks, D.L., Yoo, K., Kaplan, L. A., and Pizzuto, J.E. (2010): 3rd Annual National CZO PI meeting, Boulder, CO, September 13-15.
2010
Distribution, Speciation, and Elemental Associations of Soil Organic Carbon under Varying Landscape Topographic Positions at the Molecular Scale. Chen, C., Aufdenkampe, A.K., Yoo K., and Sparks D.L. (2010): 3rd Annual National CZO PI meeting, Boulder, CO, September 13-15.
2010
2010 CRB-CZO Annual Report to National Science Foundation. Sparks, D., Aufdenkampe, A., Kaplan, L., Pizzuto, J., and Yoo, K. (2010): NSF Award #0724971
2010
The Pathways and Processes Utilized to Develop the Critical Zone Observatories. Sparks, D.L. (2010): Invited Tallk, ASA-CSSA-SSSA 2010 International Annual Meetings, "Green Revolution 2.0: Food + Energy and Environmental Security," Long Beach, CA, Oct. 31 - Nov. 3
2010
Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory: Preliminary Results from the Vegetation Survey for Validation of Airborne LiDAR Imagery. Van Stan, J., S. Stotts, D. Levia, J. Pizzuto, D. Sparks (2010): 3rd Annual National CZO PI meeting, Boulder, CO, September 13-15
2010
Case Study: The Role of Pedology In Christina River Basin CZO. Yoo, K., Aufdenkampe, A., and. Sparks, D.L. (2010): Invited Talk, ASA-CSSA-SSSA 2010 International Annual Meetings, "Green Revolution 2.0: Food + Energy and Environmental Security," Long Beach, CA, Oct. 31 - Nov. 3.
2006
Frontiers in Exploration of the Critical Zone: Report of a workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), October 24-26, 2005. Brantley, S., White, T.S., White, A.F., Sparks, D., Richter, D., Pregitzer, K., Derry, L., Chorover, J., Chadwick, O., April, R., Anderson, S., Amundson, R., (2006): Newark, DE, 30 pp. National
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News
Sustaining Earth’s Critical Zone - Report from 2011 International CZ Meeting
29 Jul 2013 - International CZ science community outlines interdisciplinary research needed to address land use changes, climate change, and biodiversity decline
International Innovation Publishes August Edition with Special Focus on US Critical Zone Program
30 Aug 2012 - The European magazine, International Innovation Environment, published bi-annually, focused the August issue on "How science must lead the way to a...
A critical workshop - Landmark international workshop for critical zone scientists held at UD
18 Jan 2012 - International collaboration in critical zone science took a giant step forward in November when about 80 researchers from the U.S., Europe, China...
Critical research: Understanding complex interactions within Earth’s critical zone
15 Dec 2011 - Donald Sparks, Anthony Aufdenkampe, and Lou Kaplan reveal their progress in understanding the complex interactions within the Earth's critical zone
A SMART move: Doctoral student receives prestigious SMART Scholarship
09 Sep 2011 - Josh LeMonte, a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Delaware, has been awarded a...
For the love of trees: Levia edits major book on forest hydrology and biogeochemistry
25 Jul 2011 - Delphis (Del) Levia, associate professor of geography at the University of Delaware, has always loved trees. Growing up on his parents' 93-acre...
CZO Presented to DNREC for Inaugural EcoCafe workshop
15 Mar 2011 - The University of Delaware and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) have created a new avenue to connect...
Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory Featured in NSF Video
22 Jun 2010 - The National Science Foundation’s Science360 daily news service website has posted a video that includes a segment on the Christina River...
Team to study human effect on watershed
19 Oct 2009 - The narrow creek that runs behind the Stroud Water Research Center has witnessed plenty of changes over the centuries. Hundreds of years ago,...
New Critical Zone Observatory seeks to answer climate change questions
28 Sep 2009 - The University of Delaware, in collaboration with Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, Pa., has received a $4.3 million grant from the National...
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