Dr. Christian Schmidt
Helmholtz Centre for
Environmental Research
Brueckstrasse 3a, 39114 Magdeburg
Germany
Phone: +49 391 810 9677
Phone: +49 341 235 1983

Research Topics
- Solute transport in coupled stream-groundwater-systems
- Plastic in river systems
- Heat as a hydrological tracer
Publications
2023 (1)
- Kirschke, S., van Emmerik, T.H.M., Nath, S., Schmidt, C., Wendt-Potthoff, K. (2023):
Barriers to plastic monitoring in freshwaters in the Global South
Environ. Sci. Policy 146 , 162 - 170
full text (doi)
2022 (6)
- Ahmadi, P., Elagami, H., Dichgans, F., Schmidt, C., Gilfedder, B.S., Frei, S., Peiffer, S., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2022):
Systematic evaluation of physical parameters affecting the terminal cettling velocity of microplastic particles in lakes using CFD
Front. Environ. Sci. 10 , art. 875220
full text (doi) - Jähkel, A., Graeber, D., Fleckenstein, J.H., Schmidt, C. (2022):
Hydrologic turnover matters – gross gains and losses of six first‐order streams across contrasting landscapes and flow regimes
Water Resour. Res. 58 (7), e2022WR032129
full text (doi) - Jimenez-Fernandez, O., Schwientek, M., Osenbrück, K., Glaser, C., Schmidt, C., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2022):
Groundwater-surface water exchange as key control for instream and groundwater nitrate concentrations along a first-order agricultural stream
Hydrol. Process. 36 (2), e14507
full text (doi) - Laube, G., Schmidt, C., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2022):
A systematic model-based evaluation of the influence of hydraulic conductivity, heterogeneity and domain depth on hyporheic nutrient transformation
Adv. Water Resour. 159 , art. 104087
full text (doi) - Nogueira, G.E.H., Schmidt, C., Partington, D., Brunner, P., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2022):
Spatiotemporal variations in water sources and mixing spots in a riparian zone
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 26 (7), 1883 - 1905
full text (doi) - Sunjidmaa, N., Mendoza-Lera, C., Hille, S., Schmidt, C., Borchardt, D., Graeber, D. (2022):
Carbon limitation may override fine-sediment induced alterations of hyporheic nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics
Sci. Total Environ. 837 , art. 155689
full text (doi)
2021 (5)
- Meijer, L.J.J., van Emmerik, T., van der Ent, R., Schmidt, C., Lebreton, L. (2021):
More than 1000 rivers account for 80% of global riverine plastic emissions into the ocean
Sci. Adv. 7 (18), eaaz5803
full text (doi) - Movahedi, N., Dehghani, A.A., Schmidt, C., Trauth, N., Pasternack, G.B., Stewardson, M.J., Halghi, M.M. (2021):
Hyporheic exchanges due to channel bed and width undulations
Adv. Water Resour. 149 , art. 103857
full text (doi) - Nogueira, G.E.H., Schmidt, C., Brunner, P., Graeber, D., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2021):
Transit-time and temperature control the spatial patterns of aerobic respiration and denitrification in the riparian zone
Water Resour. Res. 57 (12), e2021WR030117
full text (doi) - Nogueira, G.E.H., Schmidt, C., Trauth, N., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2021):
Seasonal and short‐term controls of riparian oxygen dynamics and the implications for redox processes
Hydrol. Process. 35 (2), e14055
full text (doi) - Zhang, Z.-Y., Schmidt, C., Nixdorf, E., Kuang, X., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2021):
Effects of heterogeneous stream-groundwater exchange on the source composition of stream discharge and solute load
Water Resour. Res. 57 (8), e2020WR029079
full text (doi)
2020 (1)
- Schmidt, C., Kumar, R., Yang, S., Büttner, O. (2020):
Microplastic particle emission from wastewater treatment plant effluents into river networks in Germany: Loads, spatial patterns of concentrations and potential toxicity
Sci. Total Environ. 737 , art. 139544
full text (doi)
2019 (4)
- Boodoo, K.S., Schelker, J., Trauth, N., Battin, T.J., Schmidt, C. (2019):
Sources and variability of CO2 in a pre‐alpine stream gravel bar
Hydrol. Process. 33 (17), 2279 - 2299
full text (doi) - Graeber, D., Gücker, B., Wild, R., Wells, N.S., Anlanger, C., Kamjunke, N., Norf, H., Schmidt, C., Brauns, M. (2019):
Biofilm-specific uptake does not explain differences in whole-stream DOC tracer uptake between a forest and an agricultural stream
Biogeochemistry 144 (1), 85 - 101
full text (doi) - Mahmood, M.N., Schmidt, C., Fleckenstein, J.H., Trauth, N. (2019):
Modeling the impact of stream discharge events on riparian solute dynamics
Groundwater 57 (1), 140 - 152
full text (doi) - Wagner, S., Klöckner, P., Stier, B., Römer, M., Seiwert, B., Reemtsma, T., Schmidt, C. (2019):
Relationship between discharge and river plastic concentrations in a rural and an urban catchment
Environ. Sci. Technol. 53 (17), 10082 - 10091
full text (doi)
2018 (3)
- Laube, G., Schmidt, C., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2018):
The systematic effect of streambed conductivity heterogeneity on hyporheic flux and residence time
Adv. Water Resour. 122 , 60 - 69
full text (doi) - Mader, M., Roberts, A.M., Porst, D., Schmidt, C., Trauth, N., van Geldern, R., Barth, J.A.C. (2018):
River recharge versus O2 supply from the unsaturated zone in shallow riparian groundwater: A case study from the Selke River (Germany)
Sci. Total Environ. 634 , 374 - 381
full text (doi) - Newcomer, M.E., Hubbard, S.S., Fleckenstein, J.H., Maier, U., Schmidt, C., Thullner, M., Ulrich, C., Flipo, F., Rubin, Y. (2018):
Influence of hydrological perturbations and riverbed sediment characteristics on hyporheic zone respiration of CO2 and N2
J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeosci. 123 (3), 902 - 922
full text (doi)
2017 (7)
- Boodoo, K., Trauth, N., Schmidt, C., Schelker, J., Battin, T.J. (2017):
Gravel bars are sites of increased CO2 outgassing in stream corridors
Sci. Rep. 7 , art. 14401
full text (doi) - Brandt, T., Vieweg, M., Laube, G., Schima, R., Goblirsch, T., Fleckenstein, J.H., Schmidt, C. (2017):
Automated in situ oxygen profiling at aquatic-terrestrial interfaces
Environ. Sci. Technol. 51 (17), 9970 - 9978
full text (doi) - Krause, S., Lewandowski, J., Grimm, N.B., Hannah, D.M., Pinay, G., McDonald, K., Martí, E., Argerich, A., Pfister, L., Klaus, J., Battin, T., Larned, S.T., Schelker, J., Fleckenstein, J.H., Schmidt, C., Rivett, M.O., Watts, G., Sabater, F., Sorolla, A., Turk, V. (2017):
Ecohydrological interfaces as hot spots of ecosystem processes
Water Resour. Res. 53 (8), 6359 - 6376
full text (doi) - Mader, M., Schmidt, C., van Geldern, R., Barth, J.A.C. (2017):
Dissolved oxygen in water and its stable isotope effects: A review
Chem. Geol. 473 , 10 - 21
full text (doi) - Munz, M., Oswald, S.E., Schmidt, C. (2017):
Coupled long-term simulation of reach-scale water and heat fluxes across the river-groundwater interface for retrieving hyporheic residence times and temperature dynamics
Water Resour. Res. 53 (11), 8900 - 8924
full text (doi) - Munz, M., Schmidt, C. (2017):
Estimation of vertical water fluxes from temperature time series by the inverse numerical computer program FLUX-BOT
Hydrol. Process. 31 (15), 2713 - 2724
full text (doi) - Schmidt, C., Krauth, T., Wagner, S. (2017):
Export of plastic debris by rivers into the sea
Environ. Sci. Technol. 51 (21), 12246 - 12253
full text (doi)
2016 (7)
- Fox, A., Laube, G., Schmidt, C., Fleckenstein, J.H., Arnon, S. (2016):
The effect of losing and gaining flow conditions on hyporheic exchange in heterogeneous streambeds
Water Resour. Res. 52 (9), 7460 - 7477
full text (doi) - Munz, M., Oswald, S.E., Schmidt, C. (2016):
Analysis of riverbed temperatures to determine the geometry of subsurface water flow around in-stream geomorphological structures
J. Hydrol. 539 , 74 - 87
full text (doi) - Musolff, A., Schmidt, C., Rode, M., Lischeid, G., Weise, S.M., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2016):
Groundwater head controls nitrate export from an agricultural lowland catchment
Adv. Water Resour. 96 , 95 - 107
full text (doi) - Newcomer, M.E., Hubbard, S.S., Fleckenstein, J.H., Maier, U., Schmidt, C., Thullner, M., Ulrich, C., Flipo, N., Rubin, Y. (2016):
Simulating bioclogging effects on dynamic riverbed permeability and infiltration
Water Resour. Res. 52 (4), 2883 - 2900
full text (doi) - Schmadel, N.M., Ward, A.S., Kurz, M.J., Fleckenstein, J.H., Zarnetske, J.P., Hannah, D.M., Blume, T., Vieweg, M., Blaen, P.J., Schmidt, C., Knapp, J.L.A., Klaar, M.J., Romeijn, P., Datry, T., Keller, T., Folegot, S., Marruedo Arricibita, A.I., Krause, S. (2016):
Stream solute tracer timescales changing with discharge and reach length confound process interpretation
Water Resour. Res. 52 (4), 3227 - 3245
full text (doi) - Schneidewind, U., van Berkel, M., Anibas, C., Vandersteen, G., Schmidt, C., Joris, I., Seuntjens, P., Batelaan, O., Zwart, J. (2016):
LPMLE3: A novel 1-D approach to study water flow in streambeds using heat as a tracer
Water Resour. Res. 52 (8), 6596 - 6610
full text (doi) - Vieweg, M., Kurz, M.J., Trauth, N., Fleckenstein, J.H., Musolff, A., Schmidt, C. (2016):
Estimating time-variable aerobic respiration in the streambed by combining electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen time series
J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeosci. 121 (8), 2199 - 2215
full text (doi)
2015 (3)
- Musolff, A., Schmidt, C., Selle, B., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2015):
Catchment controls on solute export
Adv. Water Resour. 86 (Part A), 133 - 146
full text (doi) - Trauth, N., Schmidt, C., Vieweg, M., Oswald, S.E., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2015):
Hydraulic controls of in-stream gravel bar hyporheic exchange and reactions
Water Resour. Res. 51 (4), 2243 - 2263
full text (doi) - Vandersteen, G., Schneidewind, U., Anibas, C., Schmidt, C., Seuntjens, P., Batelaan, O. (2015):
Determining groundwater-surface water exchange from temperature-time series: Combining a local polynomial method with a maximum likelihood estimator
Water Resour. Res. 51 (2), 922 - 939
full text (doi)
2014 (2)
- Schmidt, C., Büttner, O., Musolff, A., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2014):
A method for automated, daily, temperature-based vertical streambed water-fluxes
Fundam. Appl. Limnol. 184 (3), 173 - 181
full text (doi) - Trauth, N., Schmidt, C., Vieweg, M., Maier, U., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2014):
Hyporheic transport and biogeochemical reactions in pool-riffle systems under varying ambient groundwater flow conditions
J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeosci. 119 (5), 910 - 928
full text (doi)
2013 (3)
- Tischer, K., Kleinsteuber, S., Schleinitz, K.M., Fetzer, I., Spott, O., Stange, F., Lohse, U., Franz, J., Neumann, F., Gerling, S., Schmidt, C., Hasselwander, E., Harms, H., Wendeberg, A. (2013):
Microbial communities along biogeochemical gradients in a hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer
Environ. Microbiol. 15 (9), 2603 - 2615
full text (doi) - Trauth, N., Schmidt, C., Maier, U., Vieweg, M., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2013):
Coupled 3-D stream flow and hyporheic flow model under varying stream and ambient groundwater flow conditions in a pool-riffle system
Water Resour. Res. 49 (9), 5834 - 5850
full text (doi) - Vieweg, M., Trauth, N., Fleckenstein, J.H., Schmidt, C. (2013):
Robust optode-based method for measuring in situ oxygen profiles in gravelly streambeds
Environ. Sci. Technol. 47 (17), 9858 - 9865
full text (doi)
2012 (1)
- Schmidt, C., Musolff, A., Trauth, N., Vieweg, M., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2012):
Transient analysis of fluctuations of electrical conductivity as tracer in the stream bed
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 16 (10), 3689 - 3697
full text (doi)
2011 (3)
- Munz, M., Oswald, S.E., Schmidt, C. (2011):
Sand box experiments to evaluate the influence of subsurface temperature probe design on temperature based water flux calculation
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 15 (11), 3495 - 3510
full text (doi) - Ravazzani, G., Giudici, I., Schmidt, C., Mancini, M. (2011):
Evaluating the potential of quarry lakes for supplemental irrigation
J. Irrig. Drainage Eng-ASCE 137 (8), 564 - 571
full text (doi) - Schmidt, C., Martienssen, M., Kalbus, E. (2011):
Influence of water flux and redox conditions on chlorobenzene concentrations in a contaminated streambed
Hydrol. Process. 25 (2), 234 - 245
full text (doi)
2010 (1)
- Schornberg, C., Schmidt, C., Kalbus, E., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2010):
Simulating the effects of geologic heterogeneity and transient boundary conditions on streambed temperatures - Implications for temperature-based water flux calculations
Adv. Water Resour. 33 (11), 1309 - 1319
full text (doi)
2009 (2)
- Fleckenstein, J.H., Schmidt, C. (2009):
Themenheft: Grundwasser-Oberflächenwasser-Interaktionen. Theme Note: Ground water-surface water-interactions
Grundwasser 14 (3), 161 - 162
full text (doi) - Kalbus, E., Schmidt, C., Molson, J.W., Reinstorf, F., Schirmer, M. (2009):
Influence of aquifer and streambed heterogeneity on the distribution of groundwater discharge
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 13 (1), 69 - 77
full text (doi)
2008 (2)
- Kalbus, E., Schmidt, C., Reinstorf, F., Krieg, R., Schirmer, M. (2008):
Wie Flussbett-Temperaturdaten zur Ermittlung der Aquifer-Heterogenität beitragen können (How streambed temperatures can contribute to the determination of aquifer heterogeneity)
Grundwasser 13 (2), 91 - 100
full text (doi) - Schmidt, C., Krieg, R., Bayer-Raich, M., Leschik, S., Kalbus, E., Reinstorf, F., Martienssen, M., Schirmer, M. (2008):
Schadstoffmassenströme zwischen Grundwasser, Flussbettsedimenten und Oberflächenwasser am regional kontaminierten Standort Bitterfeld (Contaminant mass flow rates between groundwater, streambed sediments and surface water at the regionally contaminated site Bitterfeld)
Grundwasser 13 (3), 133 - 146
full text (doi)
2007 (3)
- Kalbus, E., Schmidt, C., Bayer-Raich, M., Leschik, S., Reinstorf, F., Balcke, G.U., Schirmer, M. (2007):
New methodology to investigate potential contaminant mass fluxes at the stream-aquifer interface by combining integral pumping tests and streambed temperatures
Environ. Pollut. 148 (3), 808 - 816
full text (doi) - Petelet-Giraud, E., Négrel, P., Gourcy, L., Schmidt, C., Schirmer, M. (2007):
Geochemical and isotopic constraints on groundwater-surface water interactions in a highly anthropized site. The Wolfen/Bitterfeld megasite (Mulde subcatchment, Germany)
Environ. Pollut. 148 (3), 707 - 717
full text (doi) - Schmidt, C., Conant jr., B., Bayer-Raich, M., Schirmer, M. (2007):
Evaluation and field-scale application of an analytical method to quantify groundwater discharge using mapped streambed temperatures
J. Hydrol. 347 (3-4), 292 - 307
full text (doi)
2006 (1)
- Schmidt, C., Bayer-Raich, M., Schirmer, M. (2006):
Characterization of spatial heterogeneity of groundwater-stream water interactions using multiple depth streambed temperature measurements at the reach scale
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 10 (6), 849 - 859
full text (doi)
Curriculum Vitae
05/2009
PhD, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Centre for Hydrogeology and Geothermal Energy (CHYN) Thesis: Water and contaminant fluxes at the stream-groundwater interface
since 02/2008
Researcher at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Hydrogeology
06/2004-02/2008
Ph.D. student, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Hydrogeology
12/2002-05/2004
Graduate assistant, UFZ Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, Department of Applied Landscape Ecology
12/2002
German Diplom (M.Sc.), University of Leipzig, Institute of Geography and Leibnitz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
10/1997–12/2002
Study of Geography, University of Leipzig
Minor subjects: Geology, Chemistry