Current Research Interests

Acid suflate soil
Soil carbon sequestration
Sulfide and iron mineral biogeochemistry

Research Expertise

• Acid sulfate soil chemistry, risk assessment, and management
• Carbon sequestration in soil
• Sulfur and iron biogeochemistry

Recent Professional Experience

• Chair, International Union of Soil Sciences Acid Sulfate Soil Working Group. (from Sept. 2002).
• Co-director, Centre for Acid Sulfate Soil Research (CASSR) (from Feb. 1999)
• Member (Academic), National Council on Acid Sulfate Soil (NatCASS) (from Jan. 2004)
• Member of the Organising Committee and the Science Committee for the 19th World Soils Congress in 2010
• Member, Natural Sequence Farming International Reference Panel (from Nov. 2006)
• Member, National Technical Committee for Sulfidic Sediment Management in Inland Wetlands (from March 2007)
• Coordinator Pre- and Post-Conference Field tours for the 19th World Soils Congress in 2010
• Co-convenor, Symposium 88 at 17th V.M. Goldschmidt Conference, Koln, Germany
• Associate editor, Applied Geochemistry (from October 2006)
• Member, Editorial Panel, Pedosphere  (from October 2006)
• Director, RISATEC Pty Ltd. (from September 2000)
• Director, PLANTSTONE Pty Ltd. (from April 2006)

Academic Qualifications

• 1982 University of Sydney. Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) with Honours.
• 1988 University of Sydney. Doctor of Philosophy

Professional Society Memberships

• Member, Australian Society of Soil Science.
• Member, International Unions of Soil Sciences
• Member, Geochemical Society.
• Member, Soil Science Society of America

Publications Summary

2 Books

28 Book Chapters

54 International Refereed Journal papers

112 conference papers

Selection of 20 of the more significant publications:

1. Burton, E. D., Bush, R. T., Sullivan, L. A. and Mitchell, D.R.G. (2007). Reductive transformation of iron and sulfur in schwertmannite-rich accumulations associated with acidified coastal lowlands. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 71, 4456-4473.
2. Burton, E. D., Bush, R. T., and Sullivan, L. A. (2006). Sedimentary iron geochemistry in acidic waterways associated with coastal lowland acid sulfate soils. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 70, 5455-5468.
3. Parr, J. F. and Sullivan, L. A. (2005). Soil carbon sequestration in phytoliths. Soil Biology And Biochemistry, 37, 117-124.
4. Ahern C.R., Mcelnea, A.E., and Sullivan, L.A. (2004). Acid Sulfate Soil Laboratory Methods Guidelines. Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Indooroopilly, Queensland. 186 pp.
5. Sullivan, L.A. and Bush, R.T. (2004). Iron precipitate accumulations associated with waterways in drained coastal acid sulfate landscapes of eastern Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 55, 727-736.
6. Burton, E. D., Bush, R. T., and Sullivan, L. A. (2006) Reduced inorganic sulfur speciation in drain sediments from acid-sulfate soil landscapes. Environmental Science & Technology, 40, 888–893
7. Burton, E. D., Bush, R. T., and Sullivan, L. A. (2006) Acid-volatile sulfide oxidation in coastal floodplain drains: iron-sulfur cycling and effects on water quality. Environmental Science & Technology 40, 1217 –1222.
8. Burton, E. D., Bush, R. T., and Sullivan, L. A. (2006). Elemental sulfur in drain sediments associated with acid sulfate soils. Applied Geochemistry 21, 1240-1247.
9. Burton, E. D., Bush, R. T., Sullivan, L. A. (2006) Fractionation and extractability of sulfur, iron and trace elements in sulfidic sediments. Chemosphere 64:1421-8
10. Sullivan, L.A. (1994). Structural pore pedofeatures: influence on some soil processes. In 'Soil Micromorphology: Studies in Management and Genesis'. Developments in Soil Science 22. A. Ringrose-Voase and G.H. Humphries (Eds.), Elsevier, Amsterdam. pp. 613-622.
11. Sullivan, L.A., Bush, R.T., and Fyfe, D. (2002). Acid sulfate soil drain ooze: distribution, behaviour and implications for acidification and deoxygenation of waterways. In 'Acid sulfate soils in Australia and China.'(Eds C. Lin, M. Melville and L.A. Sullivan)(Science Press, Beijing.)  pp. 91-99.
12. Sullivan,  L.A. and Koppi, A.J. (1994). Submicroscopy of undulating lustrous-faced peds from some clayey soils. Soil Science.  158:218-223.
13. Sullivan,.A., Bush, R.T., And Mcconchie, D., (2000).  A modified chromium reducible sulfur method for reduced inorganic sulfur: optimum reaction time in acid sulfate soil. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 38, 729-34.
14. Sullivan, L.A. and Koppi, A.J. (1987). In situ soil organic matter studies using scanning electron microscopy and low temperature ashing. Geoderma. 40:317-332.
15. Sullivan, L.A. (1990). Soil organic matter, air encapsulation and water-stable aggregation. Journal of Soil Science 41:529-534.
16. Johnston, S.G., Slavich, P.G., Sullivan, L.A. and Hirst, P (2003). The contribution of artificial drainage of coastal floodplain backswamps to an oxygen depletion event in the Clarence River estuary, Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 54, 781-795.
17. Bush, R.T., Sullivan, L.A. and Fyfe, D. (2004).  Occurrence and abundance of monosulfidic black oozes in coastal acid sulfate soil landscapes. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 42, 609-616.
18. Ward, N.J., Sullivan, L.A., Fyfe, D.M., Bush, R.T. and Ferguson, A.J.P. (2004). The process of sulfide oxidation in some acid sulfate soil materials. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 42, 29-37.
19. Eyre, B, D. Kerr, G. and Sullivan, L.A. (2006). Deoxygenation potential of the lower Richmond River floodplain, northern NSW, Australia. River, Research and Applications. 22, 981-992.
20. Ward, N.J.,Sullivan, L.A. and Bush, R.T. (2004).  Soil pH, oxygen availability and the rate of sulfide oxidation in acid sulfate soil materials: implications for environmental hazard assessment. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 42, 509-514.