Bruce Herbert

herbert@geo.tamu.edu
(Phone) 979-845-2405
(Fax) 979-845-6162

Herbert Home Page

Our research group conducts innovative research on the interactions between human society and complex surficial Earth systems, such as soils, wetlands, aquatic sediments, aquifers, and the coastal margin.

As such, our research group works at the interface between biogeochemistry and several other fields, including cognitive science, geomicrobiology, geomorphology and landscape ecology.

You can download Adobe Acrobat (download the free reader) versions of the the papers below. Copyright is a growing issue. Read more.

Ron Parker (Ph.D.-ABD, TAMU) holding gypsum-containing rocks collected near the Weddington uranium mine pit, South Texas.

Peer-reviewed Publications (Chaired Graduate Students have stars next to their name)

Ravi, S. P. D’Odorico, B. Herbert, T. Zobeck, and T.M. Over. Enhancement of wind erosion by fire-induced water repellency. Water Resour. Res. (In review).

Markley, C.T., and B.E. Herbert. Kinetic Modeling of Arsenate Reduction by a Freshwater Cyanobacterium as a Function of Increasing N:P Ratios. Sci. Total Environ. (In review).

Sell, K., B.E. Herbert, and J. Schielack. Use of physical models and information technology to address undergraduate student mental model development of complex environmental systems. J. Geol. Ed. (In review).

Duschl, R.A., and B.E. Herbert. 2005. Immersion units in earth science. Science Education. (In review).

Herbert, B.E. 2005. Student understanding of complex Earth systems. In C.A. Manduca and D.W. Mogk (Eds.) Special Paper 395: Geologists Think and Learn about the Earth. Geological Society of America. Boulder, CO. (In review).

Hefer, A.W., D.N. Little, and B.E. Herbert. 2005. Bitumen Surface Energy Characterization by Inverse Gas Chromatography. ASTM. Journal of ASTM International (JAI) or Cement Concrete and Aggregates or Geotechnical Testing Journal (In review).

Little, D.N., B.E. Herbert, and S.N. Kunagalli.  Ettringite formation in lime-treated soils: Establishing thermodynamic foundations for engineering practice. Transportation Research Board. In press (Accepted with revisions 8/05).

Owens, P.R., L. P. Wilding, L. M. Lee, and B. E. Herbert. 2005. Evaluation of platinum electrodes and three electrode potential standards to determine electrode quality. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69:1541–1550.

Yeager, K.M., Santschi, P.H., Phillips, J.D. and B.E. Herbert. 2005. Suspended sediment sources and tributary effects in the lower reaches of a coastal plain stream as indicated by radionuclides, Loco Bayou, Texas. Environ. Geol. 47(3): 382-395.

Kwon, O., B.E. Herbert, and A.K. Kronenberg. Permeability of illite-bearing shale: 2. Influence of fluid chemistry on flow and functionally connected pores. J. Geophys. Res. 109, B10206, doi:10.1029/2004JB003055.

Kwon, O., A.K. Kronenberg, A.F. Gangi, B. Johnson, and B.E. Herbert. Permeability of illite-bearing shale: 1. Anisotropy and effects of clay content and loading. J. Geophys. Res. 109. B10205, doi:10.1029/2004JB003052.

Lee, J.H., M.A. Schlautman, E.R. Carraway, S. Yim, and B.E. Herbert. 2004. Characterizing Pyrene–Ag(I) Exciplex Formation in Aqueous and Ethanolic Solutions. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry. 167 (2-3):141-148.

Schlautman, M.A., S. Yim, E. R. Carraway, and B.E. Herbert. 2004. Testing a surface tension-based model to predict the salting out of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in model environmental solutions. Water Res. 38 (2004): 3331–3339.

Brandenberger, J., P. Louchouarn, B.E. Herbert, and P, Tissot. 2004. Geochemical and hydrodynamic controls on trace metal cycling in a seasonally stratified US sub-tropical reservoir. Appl. Geochem. 19 (10):1601-1623.

Lee, J.H., M.A. Schlautman, E.R. Carraway, S. Yim, and B.E. Herbert. 2004. Quantifying Ground-State Equilibrium Constants between Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Ag(I) via Fluorescence Quenching. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry. 163(1-2): 165-170.

Zhu, D., B.E. Herbert, M.A. Schlautman and E.R. Carraway. 2004. Cation-pi bonding: a new perspective on the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to hydrated mineral surfaces. J. Environ. Qual. In Press.

Zhu*, D., B.E. Herbert, M.A. Schlautman and E.R. Carraway. 2004. Characterization of cation-pi interactions in aqueous solution using deuterium NMR spectroscopy. J. Environ. Qual. 33:265-275.

Zhu*, D., B.E. Herbert, and M.A. Schlautman. 2003. Sorption of pyridine to suspended soil particles studied by deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 67:1370-1377.

Zhu*, D., B.E. Herbert, and M.A. Schlautman. 2003. Molecular-level investigation of monaromatic compound sorption to suspended soil particles by deuterium NMR. J. Environ. Qual. 32:232-239.

Yeager*, K.M., Santschi, P.H., Phillips, J.D. and B.E. Herbert. 2002. Sources of alluvium in a coastal plain stream based on radionuclide signatures from the 238U and 232Th decay series. Water Resour. Res. 38 (11): 24-1 - 24-11.

Sarkar, S.L., B.E. Herbert, J.-L. Briaud and R. Scharlin. 2000. Injection stabilization of expansive clays using a hydrogen ion exchange chemical. Geotechnical Special Publication No. 99. American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, Va. p. 487-516.

Olson*, J.J., G.L. Mills, B.E. Herbert, and P.J. Morris. 1999. Biodegradation rates of separated diesel components. Environ. Toxic. & Chem. 18(11): 2448-2453.

Stallard, W.M., B. Herbert, H.-C. Choi, and M.Y. Corapcioglu. 1997. Enhanced migration of gasohol fuels in clays. Environ. Eng. Geosci. III(1):45-54.

Batson*, V.L., P.M. Bertsch, and B.E. Herbert. 1996. Transport of anthropogenic uranium from sediments to surface waters during episodic storm events. J. Environ. Qual. 25:1129-1137.

Herbert, B.E., and P.M. Bertsch. 1996. A 19F and 2H NMR spectroscopic investigation of the interaction between nonionic organic contaminants and dissolved humic material. p. 99-121. In. Minear, R.A. and Leenheer, J.A. (eds.) NMR Spectroscopy in Environmental Science and Technology. Keyword Publs., London, England.

Herbert, B.E. and P.M. Bertsch. 1995. Characterization of dissolved and colloidal organic matter in soil solutions: A review. p. 63-88. In Kelly, J.M. and W.W. McFee (eds.) Carbon Forms and Function in Forest Soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am., Madison, WI.

Herbert, B.E., Bertsch, P.M., and Novak, J.M., 1993. Pyrene sorption to water-soluble organic carbon. Environ. Sci. Technol. 27:398-403.

Graham, R.C., B.E. Herbert, and J.O. Ervin. 1988. Mineralogy and incipient pedogenesis of entisols in anorthosite terrane of the San Gabriel Mountains, California. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 52:738-746.

Herbert, B., D. Reinhard, M.J. Saliby, and P.S. Sheridan. 1987. Photo- and thermochemistry of cis-[Cr(en)2F2]+ and cis-[Cr(en)2F(H2O)]2+ in acidic aqueous solution. Inorg. Chem. 26:4024-4029.

Nonpeer-reviewed Publications

Sell*, K., B.E. Herbert, and J. Schielack. 2004. Student Mental Model Development and Inquiry Module Performance in Complex Earth and Environmental Systems. Information Technology in Science (ITS) Center for Teaching and Learning. Texas A&M University. Available online at http://its.tamu.edu/. Download (Adobe Acrobat).

Herbert, B. 2003. The role of scaffolding student metacognition in developing mental models of complex, Earth and environmental systems. DFG-NSF International Workshops on Research and Development in Mathematics and Science Education, November 19-21, 2003, Washington D.C. Available online at http://geoexplorer.tamu.edu/dfgnsf/WG1.html.

Zhu*, D. and B.E. Herbert. 2001. Spectroscopic Evidence for A Cation-pi Sorption Mechanism for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Hydrated Mineral Surfaces. In Preprints of Papers, Division of Environmental Chemistry. Vol. 41(2). American Chemical Society, Chicago, D.C.

Herbert, B.E., S. Bednarz, T. Boyd, S. Blake, V. Harder, and M. Suiter. 1998. Effective integration of the World-Wide Web in earth science education. p. 66-75. In Networking Now. Conf. Proc. of the 5th Annual Dist. Ed. Conf., Austin, TX. 27-30 Jan.. 1998. Center for Distance Learning, Texas A&M University. College Station, TX.

Allan*, K.A., B.E. Herbert, P.J. Morris, and T.J. McDonald. 1997. Biodegradation of petroleum in two soils: Implication for hydrocarbon bioavailability. p. 629-634. In Alleman, B.C., and Leeson, A. (eds.) In Situ and On-site Bioremediation: Papers from the Fourth International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium. New Orleans, April 28-May 1, 1997. Volume 5. Batelle Press, Columbus, OH.

Everett, M.E., C.N. Burden, K. Sananikone, and B.E. Herbert. 1996. Progress in interpretation of transient electromagnetic data. p. 649-658. In R.S. Bell and M.H. Cramer (eds.) Proceedings of the Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, Keystone, CO. Environmental & Engineering Geophysical Soc., Wheat Ridge, CO.

Herbert, B.E., and A. Przepiora. 1995. Particle-mediated transport of nonpoint-source pollutants. p. 367-376. In W. Jordan and R. Jensen (eds.) Proceedings of the 24th Water for Texas Conference. Texas Water Research Institute.

Herbert, B.E. and R.S. Skelton. 1993. Book Review: Zeolites of the World. Bull. Assoc. of Eng. Geol. 30:392.

Recent Presentations

Herbert, B.E., 2005. Professional Learning Community Model for Alternative Pathways in Teaching Science and Math—PLC-MAP. Special Interest Group Session: Alternative Certification/Licensure for Science Teachers. American Education Research Association. Montreal, Canada. April 11, 2005. (Invited talk).

Sell, K.S., Miller, H.R., Hilding-Kronforst, S., Metoyer, S., Butzler, R., Peschel, J.M., Warren, C., Herbert, B.E, Stuessy, C. and Schielack, J. 2005. Transforming the Science PhD Experience: The Role of Educational Partnerships in Developing STEM Education Expertise. National Science Foundation Teaching and Learning Centers (NSF-CTL) Principle Investigator Meeting, Washington DC, Feb. 7-9.

Herbert, B.E., 2004. Cation-pi bonding: A new perspective on the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to hydrated mineral surfaces. In 2004 Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference, Geochemistry Society, Copenhagen, Denmark. June 5-11, 2004.

Herbert, B.E. . 2004. The Geoecology of Arsenic: bioavailability and fate of arsenic in the reactive-iron limited sediments of the coastal plain of South Texas. University of Texas, December 2, 2004.

Herbert, B.E., and J.F. Schielack. 2004. Educator Exploration of Authentic Environmental Issues of the Coastal Margin Through Information Technology. In 2004 AGU Fall Meeting, Section ED-13, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA. December 13-17, 2003.

Sell, K.S., Miller, H.R., and B.E. Herbert. 2004. The use of multiple representations to enhance student mental model development of a complex earth system in an introductory geoscience course. In 2004 AGU Fall Meeting, Section ED-06, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA. December 13-17, 2004.

Sell, K., B.E. Herbert, and J. Schielack. 2004. Use of physical models and information technology to explore student difficulties in developing rich mental models of complex earth & environmental systems. In GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 36, No. 5. The Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO.

Herbert, B.E., and J. Schielack. 2004. The role of scientists in supporting earth & environmental education. In GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 36, No. 5. The Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO.

For more discussion on copyright issues, a growing issue, see

(1) Anon. 2004. ©opyright Management for Scholarship. Change. 36(3):62; (AN 13120856), and

(2) Hodges, M., and B.B. Shaw. 2004. Copyright in the age of photocopies, word processors, and the Internet. Change 35(6):20; (AN 11275240).