Breadcrumb
Bio
My research focuses on interactions between hydrologic, chemical and biological processes in controlling the dynamics in aquatic ecosystems.
This research is carried out through field-scale experiments, modeling, and laboratory characterization of natural substrates. Conducts research focusing on interactions between freshwater biota, trace metals, and natural organic material in diverse freshwater environments, including lakes and streams in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica.
Main field sites are located in the Rocky Mountains and in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica, and include pristine and stressed ecosystems. A co-principal investigator in the McMurdo Dry Valley LTER and in the Niwot Ridge LTER.
Develops interactions with state and local groups involved in mine drainage and watershed issues in the Rocky Mountains.
CU Connections interview "Five Questions for Diane McKnight."
Education
- PhD: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1979
Awards
- Distinguished Professor, University of Colorado System, 2021
- Robert E. Horton Medal, American Geophysical Union, 2021
- AEESP Distinguished Lecturer, Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors Foundation, 2019
- John Dalton Medal, European Geosciences Union, 2015
- Distinguished Research Lectureship, CU Boulder, 2015
- Hydrology Section Award, American Geophysical Union, 2014
- Elected member, National Academy of Engineering, 2012
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2009
- Fellow, American Geophysical Union, 2004
- Meritorious Service Award, U.S. Geological Survey, 1995
Research
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Publications
Recent publications
Phytoplankton Drivers of Dissolved Organic Material Production in Colorado Reservoirs and the Formation of Disinfection By-Products
Publication Date: 2021-07-30
Type: Journal Article
Connectivity: insights from the US Long Term Ecological Research Network
Iwaniec DM; Gooseff M; Suding KN; Samuel Johnson D; Reed DC; Peters DPC; Adams B; Barrett JE; Bestelmeyer BT; Castorani ...
- Iwaniec DM
- Gooseff M
- Suding KN
- Samuel Johnson D
- Reed DC
- Peters DPC
- Adams B
- Barrett JE
- Bestelmeyer BT
- Castorani MCN
Publication Date: 2021-05-01
Type: Journal Article
The Role of Hyporheic Connectivity in Determining Nitrogen Availability: Insights From an Intermittent Antarctic Stream
Publication Date: 2021-05-01
Type: Journal Article
Diatoms in Hyporheic Sediments Trace Organic Matter Retention and Processing in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Publication Date: 2021-02-01
Type: Journal Article
Geochemistry of contrasting stream types, Taylor Valley, Antarctica
Publication Date: 2021-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Geochemistry of aeolian material from the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica: Insights into Southern Hemisphere dust sources
Publication Date: 2020-10-01
Type: Journal Article
Evaluating Alternative Metacommunity Hypotheses for Diatoms in the McMurdo Dry Valleys Using Simulations and Remote Sensing Data
Publication Date: 2020-09-25
Type: Journal Article
Biofuel Burning Influences Refractory Black Carbon Concentrations in Seasonal Snow at Lower Elevations of the Dudh Koshi River Basin of Nepal
Publication Date: 2020-09-16
Type: Journal Article
Silicon Isotopic Composition of Dry and Wet-Based Glaciers in Antarctica
Hatton JE; Hendry KR; Hirst C; Opfergelt S; Henkel S; Silva-Busso A; Welch SA; Wadham JL; Lyons WB; Bagshaw E...
- Hatton JE
- Hendry KR
- Hirst C
- Opfergelt S
- Henkel S
- Silva-Busso A
- Welch SA
- Wadham JL
- Lyons WB
- Bagshaw E
Publication Date: 2020-07-14
Type: Journal Article
Silicon Isotopes Reveal a Non-glacial Source of Silicon to Crescent Stream, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Publication Date: 2020-06-26
Type: Journal Article
Experimental effects of elevated temperature and nitrogen deposition on high-elevation aquatic communities
Publication Date: 2020-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Dynamic changes in dissolved organic matter composition in a Mountain Lake under ice cover and relationships to changes in nutrient cycling and phytoplankton community composition
Publication Date: 2020-01-01
Type: Journal Article
The life aquatic in high relief: shifts in the physical and biological characteristics of alpine lakes along an elevation gradient in the Rocky Mountains, USA
Publication Date: 2020-01-01
Type: Journal Article
The Hydroecology of an Ephemeral Wetland in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Wlostowski AN; Schulte NO; Adams BJ; Ball BA; Esposito RMM; Gooseff MN; Lyons WB; Nielsen UN; Virginia RA; Wall DH...
- Wlostowski AN
- Schulte NO
- Adams BJ
- Ball BA
- Esposito RMM
- Gooseff MN
- Lyons WB
- Nielsen UN
- Virginia RA
- Wall DH
Publication Date: 2019-12-01
Type: Journal Article
Using Humic Fractions to Understand Natural Organic Matter Processes in Soil and Water: Selected Studies and Applications
Publication Date: 2019-11-01
Type: Journal Article
Sabbea gen. nov., a new diatom genus (Bacillariophyta) from continental Antarctica
Bishop J; Kopalova K; Darling JP; Schulte NO; Kohler J; McMinn A; Spaulding SA; Mcknight DM; Van De Vijver B...
- Bishop J
- Kopalova K
- Darling JP
- Schulte NO
- Kohler J
- McMinn A
- Spaulding SA
- Mcknight DM
- Van De Vijver B
Publication Date: 2019-09-23
Type: Journal Article
Diurnal chemistry of two contrasting stream types, Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley Region, Antarctica
Publication Date: 2019-07-21
Type: Conference Proceeding
Environmental and Agricultural Relevance of Humic Fractions Extracted by Alkali from Soils and Natural Waters
Olk DC; Bloom PR; Perdue EM; McKnight DM; Chen Y; Farenhorst A; Senesi N; Chin Y-P; Schmitt-Kopplin P; Hertkorn N...
- Olk DC
- Bloom PR
- Perdue EM
- McKnight DM
- Chen Y
- Farenhorst A
- Senesi N
- Chin Y-P
- Schmitt-Kopplin P
- Hertkorn N
Publication Date: 2019-03-01
Type: Journal Article
Transit Times and Rapid Chemical Equilibrium Explain Chemostasis in Glacial Meltwater Streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Publication Date: 2018-12-28
Type: Journal Article
Aeolian Material Transport and Its Role in Landscape Connectivity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Publication Date: 2018-12-01
Type: Journal Article
Spatial and temporal patterns of microbial mats and associated invertebrates along an Antarctic stream
Publication Date: 2018-10-01
Type: Journal Article
Catch and release: Hyporheic retention and mineralization of N-fixing Nostoc sustains downstream microbial mat biomass in two polar desert streams
Publication Date: 2018-08-01
Type: Journal Article
Global change-driven effects on dissolved organic matter composition: Implications for food webs of northern lakes
Creed IF; Bergstrom A-K; Trick CG; Grimm NB; Hessen DO; Karlsson J; Kidd KA; Kritzberg E; McKnight DM; Freeman EC...
- Creed IF
- Bergstrom A-K
- Trick CG
- Grimm NB
- Hessen DO
- Karlsson J
- Kidd KA
- Kritzberg E
- McKnight DM
- Freeman EC
Publication Date: 2018-08-01
Type: Journal Article
Relationship between dissolved organic matter quality and microbial community composition across polar glacial environments
Publication Date: 2018-07-01
Type: Journal Article
A Tribute to George R. Aiken
Publication Date: 2018-04-17
Type: Journal Article
Pages
Teaching
Current courses
- CVEN 5323: Applied Stream Ecology
Past courses
- CVEN 3434: Introduction to Applied Ecology
- CVEN 3454: Water Chemistry
- CVEN 5454: Environmental Engineering Chemistry
- CVEN 6404: Advanced Aquatic Chemistry
Current students
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