Past Projects

The global Surface Water Chemistry (SWatCh) database
Publication: Rotteveel, Lobke, Franz Heubach, and Shannon M. Sterling. "The Surface Water Chemistry (SWatCh) database: a standardized global database of water chemistry to facilitate large-sample hydrological research." Earth System Science Data 14.10 (2022): 4667-4680. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4667-2022

Aluminum concentrations in groundwater in Nova Scotia
Publication: Hart, K. A., Kennedy, G. W., & Sterling, S. M. (2021). Distribution, drivers, and threats of aluminum in groundwater in Nova Scotia, Canada. Water, 13(11), 1578. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13111578

Ionic aluminium concentrations exceed thresholds for aquatic health in Nova Scotian rivers, even during conditions of high dissolved organic carbon and low flow
Publication: Sterling, S., MacLeod, S., Rotteveel, L., Hart, K., Clair, T. A., Halfyard, E. A., O'Brien, N. L. (2020). Ionic aluminium concentrations exceed thresholds for aquatic health in Nova Scotian rivers, even during conditions of high dissolved organic carbon and low flow. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 24(10), 4763-4775. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4763-2020

Seasonal patterns of aluminium concentrations in Nova Scotian rivers
Publication: Rotteveel, L. and Sterling, S. M. (2020). Five Aluminum Seasonality Regimes Identified in Chronically Acidified Rivers of Nova Scotia. Environmental Science and Technology. 54, 807-817. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b04872

Terrestrial Liming Guidebook for South Western Nova Scotia
Document: Sterling Hydrology Research Group, Coastal Action, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Canada, Nova Scotia Government. Posted on website of NS Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture: PDF.

Effects of helicopter limestone application on freshwater chemistry
Publication: Rotteveel, L., Sterling, S. M., Halfyard, E. A. (2018). Effects of partial-catchment helicopter liming on stream water chemistry in West River Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia. Halifax: Dalhousie University. PDF.

Nova Scotia Watershed Assessment Project (NSWAP)
Publication: Sterling, S. M., Garroway, K., Guan, Y., Ambrose, S. M., Horne, P., Kennedy, G. W. (2014). A new watershed assessment framework for Nova Scotia: a high-level, integrated approach for regions without a dense network of monitoring stations. Journal of Hydrology. 519, 2596-2612.


Terrestrial liming in Maria Brook research catchment
Publication: Sterling, S. M., Angelidis, C., Armstrong, M., Biagi, K. M., Clair, T. A., Jackson, N., Breen, A. (2014). Terrestrial liming to promote Atlantic Salmon recovery in Nova Scotia - approaches needed and knowledge gained after a trial application. Hydrology and Earth Systems Sciences Discussions, 11, 10117-10156.
Media Coverage.

Acid rain mitigation planning
Publication: Geddes. M., Sterling, S. M. (2012). A new method for prioritizing catchments for terrestrial liming: a case study in Nova Scotia. Halifax: Dalhousie University. PDF.

Setbacks and vegetated buffers in Nova Scotia
Publication: Rideout, E., Sterling, S. M. (2010). Riparian buffer removal and associated land use in the Sackville River watershed, Nova Scotia, Canada. Halifax: Dalhousie University. PDF.

Global land cover change and the terrestrial water cycle
Publication: Sterling, S. M., Ducharne, A. (2008). Comprehensive data set of global land cover change for land surface model applications. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 22(3).