Richard Canavan

e-mail: rcanavan@gmail.com

E-mail to my previous address r.canavan@geo.uu.nl is being temporarily forwarded to the above address.

This page will not be updated after April 3, 2007.

 

On October 17th, 2006 I successfully defended my PhD thesis entitled:

Biogeochemical Cycling of Nutrients and Trace Metals in the Sediment of Haringvliet Lake: Response to Salinization

 

My thesis is available electronically at:

http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2006-1017-200048/index.htm

 

In May, 2007 I will begin working as a Senior Environmental Scientist at CME Associates in Woodstock CT USA

 

PhD Research
Promotor: Philippe Van Cappellen
Co-promotor: Caroline Slomp

Goals: Characterize the present-day cycles of nutrients and trace metals in the sediments of the Haringvliet. Identify and quantify the expected effects of progressive salinization on the cycles of phosphorus, nitrogen and trace metals in Haringvliet sediments and their release to the water column.

Study Site: Haringvliet (south-western Netherlands)
The Haringvliet was a brackish water estuary until 1970 when it was closed to the North Sea by the construction of a flood control dam. Since that time the Haringvliet has lost nearly all of its tidal and saline characteristics and is now a freshwater lake. The RIZA (Netherlands Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Water Treatment) will alter their management of the dam to allow for the restoration of estuarine conditions in portions of the Haringvliet. RIZA is a sponsor and partner in the research work conducted as part of the RESIN project. (for more information regarding the Haringvliet project visit www.haringvlietsluizen.nl )

Project Components:

Field Work: Three research cruises were conducted between 2001-2003 with the NIOZ research vessel RV Navicula. The goal of the cruises was to obtain information about existing conditions of trace metal and nutrients in the sediments. A large number of chemical species in the sediment and sediment pore water were analysed as part of this field work, resulting in a large geochemical database for the site. Many members of our research group participated and helped with the three sampling cruises and the analysis of samples. Innovative sampling/analysis techniques were attempted during the cruises including DET/DGT diffusive gel samplers, and voltametric electrodes (Ralf Haese).

Experimentation: Flow through reactor studies were conducted on Haringvliet sediment to determine potential reaction rates of denitrification (with Anniet Laverman) and sulfate reduction (with Celine Pallud). Additional experiments with these reactors which examined the response of trace metals to increased salinity and to sulfate reduction were conducted with masters student Madelon van den Hooven.

Modeling: The Biogeochemical Reaction Network Simulator (BRNS) model (developed by D. R. Aguilera, P. Jourabchi, C. Meile and P. Regnier – (former) members of the biogeochemistry research group) has been applied to the geochemical database collected during the research cruises. We developed a 1-D sediment model to describe the major primary and secondary redox reactions in the sediment. This model has been further adapted to examine phosphorus, nitrogen, and trace metal processes.

Publications:

R.W. Canavan, C.P. Slomp, P. Jourabchi, P. Van Cappellen, A.M. Laverman, and G.A. van den Berg. 2006. Organic Matter Mineralization in Sediment of a Coastal Freshwater Lake and Response to Salinization. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 70: 2836–2855.

 

R.W. Canavan, G.A. van den Berg, P. Van Cappellen, C.P. Slomp, J.G.G. Zwolsman. Geochemistry of trace metals in a fresh water sediment: field results and diagenetic modeling. in press Science of the Total Environment.

 

A.M. Laverman, R.W. Canavan, C.P. Slomp, and P.Van Cappellen. Nitrogen Transformations in Coastal Freshwater Sediments and Response to Salinization. in press Water Resources.

 

R.W. Canavan, A.M. Laverman, and C.P. Slomp. Modeling Nitrogen Cycling in a Coastal Freshwater Sediment. in press Hydrobiologia.

 

R.W. Canavan and C.P. Slomp. Phosphorus Cycling in Sediment of a Coastal Freshwater Lake. to be submitted to Aquatic Geochemistry

 

Presentations/Posters:

R.W. Canavan. ‘Sediment Biogeochemical Response to Salinization: Estuarine Restoration at the Haringvliet (The Netherlands)’ August 2006. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department. Woods Hole, Mass. USA.

 

C.P. Slomp, R.W. Canavan, P. Van Cappellen. Phosphorus Cycling in Coastal Freshwater Sediments and Response to Salinization. June, 2006. ASLO Summer Meetings, Victoria B.C., Canada.

 

R.W. Canavan, C.P. Slomp, P. Van Cappellen, G. A. van den Berg, J. J. G. Zwolsman. ‘Trace metal geochemistry in a fresh water lake sediment’ April, 2006. EGU General Assembly. Vienna, Austria.

 

R.W. Canavan, C.P. Slomp, P. Van Cappellen, A. M. Laverman, C. Pallud, C. Meile, Y. van Lith, P. Jourabchi, and A.M.D. Los. ‘Organic Matter Mineralizationin a Freshwater Sediment: Experiments and Modeling’ 2005 Netherlands Sedimentary Geology Symposium. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Poster.

 

R.W. Canavan, A. M. Laverman, C. P. Slomp, G. A. van den Berg, J. J. G. Zwolsman, P. Van Cappellen. ‘Estuarine restoration of a coastal freshwater lake: Potential response of sediment nutrient cycles to salinization’ 2005 Shallow Lakes. Dalfsen, The Netherlands.

 

R.W. Canavan, C.P. Slomp, P. Van Cappellen. ‘Biogeochemical Response of Sediments to Estuarine Restoration’ 2004 INTECOL International Wetlands Conference. Utrecht, Netherlands.

 

R.W. Canavan, C.P Slomp, and P. Van Cappellen,  and P.A.G. Regnier ‘Biogeochemical dynamics in sediments of a coastal fresh water lake’ Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 68 (11S): pA392 2004 Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference. Copenhagen, Denmark.

R.W. Canavan. ‘Estuarine restoration of a coastal freshwater lake: Potential response of sediment nutrient cycles to salinization’ June 2004 Utrecht University Geochemistry seminar series. Utrecht, The Netherlands.

R.W. Canavan, C.P. Slomp, and P. Van Cappellen ‘Trace metal dynamics in freshwater sediment: The Haringvliet’ Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 66 (15A): pA117. 2002 Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference. Davos, Switzerland. Poster.