Thursday, April 14, 2022 in BE 241/ Zoom 4-5PM
Abstract: Chemical and isotopic processes occur in every segment of the hydrological cycle. Hydrogeochemistry—the groundwater subdiscipline that studies these processes—has seen a transformation from “witch’s brew” into a credible science. In particular, we have seen tremendous progress in four research areas: the use of isotopic and chemical tracers to quantify groundwater recharge and submarine groundwater discharge, the kinetics of chemical reactions in aquifers, the mineral-water interface’s control of contaminant fate and transport, and microbial processes’ effects on groundwater chemistry.
In the decades ahead, the siting of geological repositories for nuclear waste, geological carbon sequestration, intensified agriculture and nutrient runoff, and rapid urbanization in the less-developed world will challenge the sustainability of water resources in a warming climate. Hydrogeochemistry is front and center in efforts to address many important issues related to these challenges. As the research progresses, we will likely see watershed-scale models that closely link hydrogeochemistry to atmospheric processes and biogeochemical cycles. Technological breakthroughs in mass spectrometers, synchrotron-based techniques, remote logging using geochemical sensors, and big data science will help hydrogeochemistry play a bigger role in water resources management.
2021 HENRY DARCY DISTINGUISHED LECTURE: Chen Zhu is a Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Indiana University. He is also an adjunct professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and School of Public Health at Indiana University. He specializes in water’s reactions with minerals and rocks. Zhu holds a Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University, an MSc from the University of Toronto, a BS from the Chengdu College of Geology, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Zhu was a Fulbright Scholar and the 2006 recipient of the John Hem Award from the National Ground Water Association. Zhu has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Mineralogical Society of America, and the Geological Society of America. His book with Greg Anderson, Environmental Applications of Geochemical Modeling published by Cambridge University Press, is used as a textbook at universities around the world.
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