My research interests span both groundwater and surface water processes and studying the interface where these two waters meet. I study groundwater and surface water processes by collecting field data and using numerical models to gain insight into the affects of groundwater and surface water interactions on water resources.
Research Areas
Cumulative effects of dam releases over 100-km of river It takes large amounts of time and effort to collect quality field data in river systems. In order to explore a wide range of scenarios, I created "synthetic" experimental river using computer modeling software. This enabled testing of how different types of dam operations affect the river environment and also how the hydrological properties of the connected alluvial aquifer influenced water exchange between the river and connected groundwater.
Surface Water Processes at the Continental Scale I am interested in using large data sets to improve understanding of spatial and temporal (daily, seasonally, annual) surface water processes at the continental scale. I have used temperature data and discharge data to characterize seasonal changes in diel stream temperature conditions across the United States.
Maps of seasonal daily temperature ranges for rivers in the US. Compiled using data from all USGS gauges in the US between 2000 and 2014.
Effect of Dam Releases on Surface Water and Groundwater Processes- Lower Colorado River, TX I am involved on an ongoing project on the Lower Colorado River near Austin, TX studying the effects of flood pulses caused by daily dam releases on groundwater-surface water exchange. I am interested in characterizing what effects these exchanges have on water chemistry, mass transport of solutes, and transient storage of surface water. This project is a large collaborative effort between researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, Utah State University, and Texas A&M.