My research goals are (1) to develop reaction-transport models with varying levels of complexity and data requirements, providing guidelines for the appropriate application of these models given field conditions and limited resources; (2) to incorporate the effects of surface-chemistry phenomena into reaction-transport modeling; (3) to develop methods to identify and quantify important chemical and biological reactions affecting transport of inorganic and organic substances; and (4) to compile estimates of reaction rates and reaction-rate laws for chemical and biological reactions.
In addition to model development, the project undertakes field, laboratory, and theoretical studies to investigate field-scale chemical transport in groundwater and watersheds, soil CO2 flux in arid environments, isotope fractionation processes, the thermodynamics of surface complexation and other chemical reactions, and the climate record in Devil's Hole carbonate deposits.
