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 Faculty & Researchers
Group Chair:
Brian Arbic Also See
Environmental Science Institute Geoscience/ Environmental Research at the Bureau of Economic Geology Center for International Energy & Environmental Policy Sistema Zacaton,
 
The Hydrogeology & Environmental Geology groups at the Jackson School reflect the strong connections between the land, water, and atmosphere. The Jackson School excels in land-atmosphere interactions, hydroclimatology, hydrometeorology, isotope hydrology of groundwater and surface water systems, geomicrobiology, physical hydrogeology, hydrogeology of urban environments, and karst hydrogeology. Overall, Jackson School researchers working in hydrogeology and environmental geology are motivated by several overarching questions: How is the surface of the Earth changing? What has been the impact of human activity on the Earth? How sustainable are our water resources? How will climate change affect the land surface (e.g., water resources, air quality, high-latitude water storage, and albedo)? Environmental geology overlaps with major research topics pursued by scientists in Climate Science, such as: How realistic are climate models? How can we improve them? And how uncertain are climate-model predictions? The University of Texas at Austin campus is close to many unique and beautiful hydrogeological features which offer students and researchers ample opportunities for research. These include the Edwards Aquifer, Barton Springs, Hamilton Pool, Bull Creek, Colorado River, San Marcos River and Springs, and Salado Springs. The city of Austin itself is located in a karst discharge area undergoing rapid urbanization. Farther afield, the State of Texas offers a wide variety of hydrogeological settings which include arid basins in the west, the Ogallala aquifer of the High Plains, Precambrian rocks of the Llano Uplift, and the large Gulf Coast aquifers. One focus in hydrogeology is to characterize the geologic and hydrologic controls on subsurface microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure, and the geochemical consequences of microbial biochemical processes. Students and researchers also investigate silicate dissolution kinetics, karst and cave formation, sediment transport in karst aquifers, and contaminant transport in fractured rock aquifers, including the fate of pharmaceuticals in karst aquifers. In physical hydrogeology, researchers investigate regional groundwater flow systems in Texas; pressure-thermal-salinity evolution of deep basins and related coastal subsidence; groundwater flow in fractured media; the hydrogeologic properties of partially welded and densely welded tuffs; the role of fracture skins in contaminant transport; characterizing and modeling the effects of urbanization on groundwater flow; characterization of surface roughness in fractures; the effect of utility trenches on groundwater flow; and urban induced recharge. Other avenues of investigation include the origin and evolution of carbonate rocks, groundwater, surface water, and the oceans. These subjects are explored using a range of approaches that include field studies, petrography, isotope and trace element geochemistry, geochronology, and modeling. Examples of research projects using these approaches are studies of cave deposits as records of the links between climate change and hydrology, studies of carbonate rocks as records of the chemistry of ancient oceans, and studies of modern aquifers in urbanizing environments.
Three research units conduct much of the environmental research at the university. The Environmental Science Institute is a multi-disciplinary institute for basic scientific research in global and local environmental studies. Locally, there is heightened awareness of the numerous environmental problems facing the State of Texas and the Texas-Mexico borderlands. These include the contamination and depletion of water supplies, contamination of the atmosphere, and the encroachment of non-native species, all in the face of one of the most rapidly growing populations in the country. The Bureau of Economic Geology‚s researchers are developing programs that relate energy and the environment, including a major initiative in sequestration of greenhouse gases. The group investigates characteristics and processes of shallow Earth systems and impacts of human activities on those systems. The Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy supports research informing governments and corporations worldwide on the formulation of policies and strategies on energy and the environment, studies of carbonate rocks as records of the chemistry of ancient oceans, and studies of modern aquifers in urbanizing environments.
Researchers run climate and hydrogeology models on the computers of the Texas
Advanced Computing Center, including the Lonestar Supercomputer, a cluster
capable of a peak performance of 55.5 Teraflops.
Support & Opportunities
Students in hydrogeology, environment and climate change have the opportunity
to conduct significant field research. One example is analysis of cave
deposits from the Caribbean, the Western Pacific Warm Pool, and central Texas.
A recent research project focused on understanding the hydrogeology and
speleogenesis of one of the deepest and most fascinating underwater caves in
the world, Sistema Zacatón in Mexico. |
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