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D-Index & Metrics

Discipline name D-Index World Ranking Current World Ranking National Ranking Current National Ranking Publications Citations
Environmental Sciences 55 3755 3587 1428 1316 205 37388

John R. Spear publications per year

The chart shows the history of publications by John R. Spear between 1986 and 2025, highlighting the no. of papers published in each year and offering an overview of the publication velocity of this scholar. John R. Spear published across 40 years, from 1986 to 2025, averaging 5.8 papers a year. Output peaked at 21 publications in 2013. 10 of the 233 publications appeared in the last two years.

No. of publications
5 10 15 20
Bar chart. Horizontal axis: year, 1986 to 2025. Vertical axis: number of publications, 0 to 21. Peak 21 publications in 2013. 1986: 1 publication 1987: 0 publications 1988: 0 publications 1989: 0 publications 1990: 0 publications 1991: 0 publications 1992: 0 publications 1993: 0 publications 1994: 0 publications 1995: 0 publications 1996: 0 publications 1997: 0 publications 1998: 0 publications 1999: 1 publication 2000: 2 publications 2001: 1 publication 2002: 1 publication 2003: 2 publications 2004: 2 publications 2005: 4 publications 2006: 4 publications 2007: 4 publications 2008: 8 publications 2009: 6 publications 2010: 11 publications 2011: 12 publications 2012: 14 publications 2013: 21 publications 2014: 12 publications 2015: 13 publications 2016: 18 publications 2017: 10 publications 2018: 15 publications 2019: 12 publications 2020: 11 publications 2021: 13 publications 2022: 13 publications 2023: 12 publications 2024: 6 publications 2025: 4 publications
1986 2025

233 publications in total across all disciplines

View publications per year as a table
John R. Spear: publications per year, 1986 to 2025
Year Publications
1986 1
1987 0
1988 0
1989 0
1990 0
1991 0
1992 0
1993 0
1994 0
1995 0
1996 0
1997 0
1998 0
1999 1
2000 2
2001 1
2002 1
2003 2
2004 2
2005 4
2006 4
2007 4
2008 8
2009 6
2010 11
2011 12
2012 14
2013 21
2014 12
2015 13
2016 18
2017 10
2018 15
2019 12
2020 11
2021 13
2022 13
2023 12
2024 6
2025 4
Total 233
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John R. Spear publications per year - data summary

  • John R. Spear, a Environmental Sciences scholar from Colorado School of Mines, has 233 publications recorded across 40 years, from 1986 to 2025.
  • The oldest publication on record dates to 1986 and the most recent to 2025.
  • The most productive year is 2013, with 21 publications.
  • The least productive years with any output are 1986, 1999, 2001 and 2002, with 1 publication each.
  • 12 of the 40 years in the span carry no publications at all (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and others).
  • The rate of publication averages 5.8 papers per year over the whole span, or 8.3 per year counting only the 28 years with at least one publication.
  • The last 5 years on the chart (2021-2025) hold 48 publications, 21% of the career total.
  • Split into equal eras - 1986-1999: 2 publications (0.1 per year); 2000-2013: 92 publications (6.6 per year); 2014-2025: 139 publications (11.6 per year).
  • Comparing the opening and closing eras, the overall trend of publication is rising.

John R. Spear publication distribution in Environmental Sciences in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Environmental Sciences in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where John R. Spear sits on this spectrum.

No. of scientists
200 400 600
Bar chart with 66 bars. Horizontal axis: publications, 41–50 to 690+. Vertical axis: number of scientists, 0 to 617. Most scientists, 617, have 121–130 publications. The last bar groups every scientist with 690 publications or more. The highlighted bar, 201–210 publications, is where this scientist sits. 41–50 publications: 21 scientists 51–60 publications: 62 scientists 61–70 publications: 133 scientists 71–80 publications: 257 scientists 81–90 publications: 361 scientists 91–100 publications: 440 scientists 101–110 publications: 492 scientists 111–120 publications: 541 scientists 121–130 publications: 617 scientists 131–140 publications: 544 scientists 141–150 publications: 541 scientists 151–160 publications: 539 scientists 161–170 publications: 444 scientists 171–180 publications: 444 scientists 181–190 publications: 400 scientists 191–200 publications: 377 scientists 201–210 publications: 318 scientists 211–220 publications: 282 scientists 221–230 publications: 263 scientists 231–240 publications: 220 scientists 241–250 publications: 217 scientists 251–260 publications: 180 scientists 261–270 publications: 181 scientists 271–280 publications: 155 scientists 281–290 publications: 130 scientists 291–300 publications: 127 scientists 301–310 publications: 130 scientists 311–320 publications: 85 scientists 321–330 publications: 106 scientists 331–340 publications: 80 scientists 341–350 publications: 83 scientists 351–360 publications: 75 scientists 361–370 publications: 69 scientists 371–380 publications: 52 scientists 381–390 publications: 54 scientists 391–400 publications: 56 scientists 401–410 publications: 44 scientists 411–420 publications: 40 scientists 421–430 publications: 36 scientists 431–440 publications: 25 scientists 441–450 publications: 25 scientists 451–460 publications: 32 scientists 461–470 publications: 29 scientists 471–480 publications: 21 scientists 481–490 publications: 26 scientists 491–500 publications: 26 scientists 501–510 publications: 17 scientists 511–520 publications: 19 scientists 521–530 publications: 15 scientists 531–540 publications: 22 scientists 541–550 publications: 12 scientists 551–560 publications: 15 scientists 561–570 publications: 11 scientists 571–580 publications: 19 scientists 581–590 publications: 9 scientists 591–600 publications: 9 scientists 601–610 publications: 7 scientists 611–620 publications: 11 scientists 621–630 publications: 5 scientists 631–640 publications: 5 scientists 641–650 publications: 6 scientists 651–660 publications: 3 scientists 661–670 publications: 3 scientists 671–680 publications: 4 scientists 681–689 publications: 4 scientists 690+ publications: 100 scientists
41–50 publications 690+

This scientist: 205 publications — 66th percentile

66% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 690 publications or more.

View publications distribution as a table
Number of Environmental Sciences scientists by publication count, Research.com 2026 ranking edition. Based on 9,676 ranked scientists.
Publications Scientists This scientist
41–50 21
51–60 62
61–70 133
71–80 257
81–90 361
91–100 440
101–110 492
111–120 541
121–130 617
131–140 544
141–150 541
151–160 539
161–170 444
171–180 444
181–190 400
191–200 377
201–210 318 205
211–220 282
221–230 263
231–240 220
241–250 217
251–260 180
261–270 181
271–280 155
281–290 130
291–300 127
301–310 130
311–320 85
321–330 106
331–340 80
341–350 83
351–360 75
361–370 69
371–380 52
381–390 54
391–400 56
401–410 44
411–420 40
421–430 36
431–440 25
441–450 25
451–460 32
461–470 29
471–480 21
481–490 26
491–500 26
501–510 17
511–520 19
521–530 15
531–540 22
541–550 12
551–560 15
561–570 11
571–580 19
581–590 9
591–600 9
601–610 7
611–620 11
621–630 5
631–640 5
641–650 6
651–660 3
661–670 3
671–680 4
681–689 4
690+ 100
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John R. Spear publication distribution in Environmental Sciences in 2026 - data summary

  • The chart plots the publication count of all 9,676 Environmental Sciences scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026, grouped into 66 ranges running from 41–50 to 690+ publications.
  • John R. Spear, a Environmental Sciences scholar from Colorado School of Mines, records 205 publications - the 66th percentile of the discipline.
  • 66% of ranked Environmental Sciences scientists score the same or lower than John R. Spear, and about 34% score higher.
  • The median of the discipline falls in the 161–170 publications range, and John R. Spear ranks above the median.
  • The most crowded range is 121–130 publications, holding 617 scientists (6% of the field).
  • 67% of the field sits in the lowest quarter of the value range (up to 201–210 publications), so the distribution is heavily right-skewed and high scores are rare.
  • The final bar has no upper bound: it groups every scientist with 690 publications or more, 100 scientists in all (1% of the field).

John R. Spear D-index placement in Environmental Sciences in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Environmental Sciences scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where John R. Spear sits on this spectrum.

No. of scientists
100 200 300
Bar chart with 97 bars. Horizontal axis: D-Index, 30 to 126+. Vertical axis: number of scientists, 0 to 348. Most scientists, 348, have 45 D-Index. The last bar groups every scientist with 126 D-Index or more. The highlighted bar, 55 D-Index, is where this scientist sits. 30 D-Index: 12 scientists 31 D-Index: 26 scientists 32 D-Index: 51 scientists 33 D-Index: 88 scientists 34 D-Index: 123 scientists 35 D-Index: 163 scientists 36 D-Index: 206 scientists 37 D-Index: 267 scientists 38 D-Index: 265 scientists 39 D-Index: 275 scientists 40 D-Index: 321 scientists 41 D-Index: 343 scientists 42 D-Index: 305 scientists 43 D-Index: 336 scientists 44 D-Index: 330 scientists 45 D-Index: 348 scientists 46 D-Index: 291 scientists 47 D-Index: 275 scientists 48 D-Index: 272 scientists 49 D-Index: 273 scientists 50 D-Index: 263 scientists 51 D-Index: 232 scientists 52 D-Index: 266 scientists 53 D-Index: 217 scientists 54 D-Index: 198 scientists 55 D-Index: 177 scientists 56 D-Index: 202 scientists 57 D-Index: 204 scientists 58 D-Index: 166 scientists 59 D-Index: 177 scientists 60 D-Index: 166 scientists 61 D-Index: 152 scientists 62 D-Index: 143 scientists 63 D-Index: 150 scientists 64 D-Index: 124 scientists 65 D-Index: 119 scientists 66 D-Index: 120 scientists 67 D-Index: 118 scientists 68 D-Index: 82 scientists 69 D-Index: 98 scientists 70 D-Index: 94 scientists 71 D-Index: 105 scientists 72 D-Index: 74 scientists 73 D-Index: 84 scientists 74 D-Index: 70 scientists 75 D-Index: 67 scientists 76 D-Index: 78 scientists 77 D-Index: 60 scientists 78 D-Index: 59 scientists 79 D-Index: 52 scientists 80 D-Index: 47 scientists 81 D-Index: 38 scientists 82 D-Index: 48 scientists 83 D-Index: 42 scientists 84 D-Index: 42 scientists 85 D-Index: 43 scientists 86 D-Index: 29 scientists 87 D-Index: 37 scientists 88 D-Index: 29 scientists 89 D-Index: 30 scientists 90 D-Index: 34 scientists 91 D-Index: 20 scientists 92 D-Index: 22 scientists 93 D-Index: 17 scientists 94 D-Index: 19 scientists 95 D-Index: 24 scientists 96 D-Index: 21 scientists 97 D-Index: 20 scientists 98 D-Index: 24 scientists 99 D-Index: 17 scientists 100 D-Index: 17 scientists 101 D-Index: 21 scientists 102 D-Index: 25 scientists 103 D-Index: 18 scientists 104 D-Index: 26 scientists 105 D-Index: 20 scientists 106 D-Index: 15 scientists 107 D-Index: 10 scientists 108 D-Index: 13 scientists 109 D-Index: 15 scientists 110 D-Index: 12 scientists 111 D-Index: 8 scientists 112 D-Index: 7 scientists 113 D-Index: 9 scientists 114 D-Index: 6 scientists 115 D-Index: 12 scientists 116 D-Index: 7 scientists 117 D-Index: 8 scientists 118 D-Index: 3 scientists 119 D-Index: 5 scientists 120 D-Index: 7 scientists 121 D-Index: 2 scientists 122 D-Index: 4 scientists 123 D-Index: 8 scientists 124 D-Index: 7 scientists 125 D-Index: 9 scientists 126+ D-Index: 92 scientists
30 D-Index 126+

This scientist: 55 D-Index — 61st percentile

61% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 126 D-Index or more.

View D-Index distribution as a table
Number of Environmental Sciences scientists by D-index, Research.com 2026 ranking edition. Based on 9,676 ranked scientists.
D-Index Scientists This scientist
30 12
31 26
32 51
33 88
34 123
35 163
36 206
37 267
38 265
39 275
40 321
41 343
42 305
43 336
44 330
45 348
46 291
47 275
48 272
49 273
50 263
51 232
52 266
53 217
54 198
55 177 55
56 202
57 204
58 166
59 177
60 166
61 152
62 143
63 150
64 124
65 119
66 120
67 118
68 82
69 98
70 94
71 105
72 74
73 84
74 70
75 67
76 78
77 60
78 59
79 52
80 47
81 38
82 48
83 42
84 42
85 43
86 29
87 37
88 29
89 30
90 34
91 20
92 22
93 17
94 19
95 24
96 21
97 20
98 24
99 17
100 17
101 21
102 25
103 18
104 26
105 20
106 15
107 10
108 13
109 15
110 12
111 8
112 7
113 9
114 6
115 12
116 7
117 8
118 3
119 5
120 7
121 2
122 4
123 8
124 7
125 9
126+ 92
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John R. Spear D-index placement in Environmental Sciences in 2026 - data summary

  • The chart plots the discipline H-index (D-index) of all 9,676 Environmental Sciences scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026, grouped into 97 ranges running from 30 to 126+ D-Index.
  • John R. Spear, a Environmental Sciences scholar from Colorado School of Mines, records 55 D-Index - the 61st percentile of the discipline.
  • 61% of ranked Environmental Sciences scientists score the same or lower than John R. Spear, and about 39% score higher.
  • The median of the discipline falls in the 51 D-Index range, and John R. Spear ranks above the median.
  • The most crowded range is 45 D-Index, holding 348 scientists (4% of the field).
  • 59% of the field sits in the lowest quarter of the value range (up to 54 D-Index), so the distribution is heavily right-skewed and high scores are rare.
  • The final bar has no upper bound: it groups every scientist with 126 D-Index or more, 92 scientists in all (<1% of the field).

Overview

John R. Spear is affiliated with the Colorado School of Mines in the United States. Their research primarily focuses on environmental science, with significant contributions across subfields such as ecology, environmental chemistry, molecular biology, paleontology, and global and planetary change.

The scientist's work encompasses various key topics including microbial community ecology and physiology, methane hydrates and related phenomena, genomics and phylogenetic studies, paleontology and stratigraphy of fossils, geology and paleoclimatology research, hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis, and atmospheric and environmental gas dynamics.

John R. Spear has published extensively in several scientific venues. The most frequent publication outlets include:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • Frontiers in Microbiology
  • Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America
  • The ISME Journal
  • Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Recent noteworthy papers include:

  • "Ancestral Absence of Electron Transport Chains in Patescibacteria and DPANN," 2020, Frontiers in Microbiology
  • "Insights into the dynamics between viruses and their hosts in a hot spring microbial mat," 2020, The ISME Journal
  • "Accessing the Subsurface Biosphere Within Rocks Undergoing Active Low-Temperature Serpentinization in the Samail Ophiolite (Oman Drilling Project)," 2021, Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences
  • "Diversification of methanogens into hyperalkaline serpentinizing environments through adaptations to minimize oxidant limitation," 2020, The ISME Journal
  • "Molecular Evidence for an Active Microbial Methane Cycle in Subsurface Serpentinite-Hosted Groundwaters in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman," 2020, Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Frequent coauthors in their collaborative research include Alexis S. Templeton, Frank A. Corsetti, Blake W. Stamps, Victoria A. Petryshyn, and Kalen Rasmussen. These collaborations reflect a sustained network of scientific inquiry and publication.

Best Publications

  • Reproducible, interactive, scalable and extensible microbiome data science using QIIME 2

    Evan Bolyen;Jai Ram Rideout;Matthew R. Dillon;Nicholas A. Bokulich

  • Author Correction: Reproducible, interactive, scalable and extensible microbiome data science using QIIME 2.

    Evan Bolyen;Jai Ram Rideout;Matthew R. Dillon;Nicholas A. Bokulich

  • A genomic catalog of Earth’s microbiomes

    Stephen Nayfach;Simon Roux;Rekha Seshadri;Daniel Udwary

  • Unexpected diversity and complexity of the Guerrero Negro hypersaline microbial mat.

    Ruth E. Ley;J. Kirk Harris;Joshua Wilcox;John R. Spear

  • Sulfate reducing bacteria in microbial mats: Changing paradigms, new discoveries

    L. K. Baumgartner;R. P. Reid;C. Dupraz;A. W. Decho

  • BugBase predicts organism-level microbiome phenotypes

    Ward T;Larson J;Meulemans J;Hillmann B

  • Hydrogen and bioenergetics in the Yellowstone geothermal ecosystem.

    John R. Spear;Jeffrey J. Walker;Thomas M. McCollom;Norman R. Pace

  • Bacterial diversity and sulfur cycling in a mesophilic sulfide-rich spring.

    Mostafa S. Elshahed;John M. Senko;Fares Z. Najar;Stephen M. Kenton

  • Geobiology of a microbial endolithic community in the Yellowstone geothermal environment

    Jeffrey J. Walker;John R. Spear;Norman R. Pace

  • Phylogenetic stratigraphy in the Guerrero Negro hypersaline microbial mat.

    J Kirk Harris;J Gregory Caporaso;Jeffrey J Walker;John R Spear

  • Phylogenetic diversity and ecology of environmental Archaea.

    Charles E Robertson;J Kirk Harris;John R Spear;Norman R Pace

  • Millimeter-scale genetic gradients and community-level molecular convergence in a hypersaline microbial mat.

    Victor Kunin;Jeroen Raes;J Kirk Harris;John R Spear

  • Modeling Reduction of Uranium U(VI) under Variable Sulfate Concentrations by Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria

    John R. Spear;Linda A. Figueroa;Bruce D. Honeyman

  • Subsurface Microbial Diversity in Deep-Granitic-Fracture Water in Colorado

    Jason W. Sahl;Raleigh Schmidt;Elizabeth D. Swanner;Kevin W. Mandernack

  • The deep, hot biosphere: Twenty-five years of retrospection.

    Daniel R. Colman;Saroj Poudel;Blake W. Stamps;Eric S. Boyd;Eric S. Boyd

  • Diversity and Stratification of Archaea in a Hypersaline Microbial Mat

    Charles E. Robertson;John R. Spear;J. Kirk Harris;Norman R. Pace

  • Disturbance and temporal partitioning of the activated sludge metacommunity

    David C Vuono;Jan Benecke;Jochen Henkel;William C Navidi

  • Modeling the Removal of Uranium U(VI) from Aqueous Solutions in the Presence of Sulfate Reducing Bacteria

    John R. Spear;Linda A. Figueroa;Bruce D. Honeyman

  • Ancestral Absence of Electron Transport Chains in Patescibacteria and DPANN.

    Jacob P. Beam;Eric D. Becraft;Eric D. Becraft;Julia M. Brown;Frederik Schulz

  • Microbial diversity in modern marine stromatolites, Highborne Cay, Bahamas

    Laura K. Baumgartner;John R. Spear;Daniel H. Buckley;Norman R. Pace

  • Deciphering Biosignatures in Planetary Contexts

    Marjorie A. Chan;Nancy W. Hinman;Sally L. Potter-McIntyre;Keith E. Schubert

  • Complexity in Natural Microbial Ecosystems: The Guerrero Negro Experience

    John R. Spear;Ruth E. Ley;Alicia B. Berger;Norman R. Pace

  • Microbial Community Biofabrics in a Geothermal Mine Adit

    John R. Spear;Hazel A. Barton;Charles E. Robertson;Christopher A. Francis

  • [FeFe]-hydrogenase in Yellowstone National Park: Evidence for dispersal limitation and phylogenetic niche conservatism

    Eric S Boyd;Trinity L Hamilton;John R Spear;Matthew Lavin

  • Diverse capacity for 2-methylhopanoid production correlates with a specific ecological niche

    Jessica N Ricci;Maureen L Coleman;Maureen L Coleman;Paula V Welander;Paula V Welander;Alex L Sessions

  • Microbial Life in the Underworld: Biogenicity in Secondary Mineral Formations

    Hazel A. Barton;John R. Spear;Norman R. Pace

Frequent Co-Authors

Frank A. Corsetti
Frank A. Corsetti University of Southern California
William M. Berelson
William M. Berelson University of Southern California
Alexis S. Templeton
Alexis S. Templeton University of Colorado Boulder
Norman R. Pace
Norman R. Pace University of Colorado Boulder
Eric S. Boyd
Eric S. Boyd Montana State University
Stephen E. Grasby
Stephen E. Grasby Geological Survey of Canada
Ruth E. Ley
Ruth E. Ley Max Planck Society
Ramunas Stepanauskas
Ramunas Stepanauskas Bigelow Laboratory For Ocean Sciences
Jörg E. Drewes
Jörg E. Drewes Technical University of Munich
Charles E. Robertson
Charles E. Robertson University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

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