Graduate Research
Analyzing aquatic macroinvertebrates as an indicator of stream health.
Water chemistry sampling.
Analyzing aquatic macroinvertebrates as an indicator of stream health.
Non-point Source Pollution Mitigation
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Non-point source (NPS) pollution is the biggest threat to water quality in the Midwestern United States. MST students are investigating which agricultural best management practices are most effective in reducing NPS pollution, use GIS databases to refine sampling and modeling for NPS sources, and generate new conceptual models for NPS loading to improve management decisions.
Acquiring GPR data in an alfalfa field.
Ground-truth measurements of permeability.
Acquiring GPR data in an alfalfa field.
Agricultural Geophysics
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Agriculture is the largest consumptive use of water, and many agricultural communities are mining groundwater for irrigation at an unsustainable rate. This research uses near-surface geophysics, satellite data, and UAVs to characterize the hydrological properties of agricultural soils, understand how agricultural management practices affect water quality and quantity, and find strategies for reducing the volumes of irrigation applied and excess agricultural runoff.
Dry season
Wet season
Dry season
Rainwater Harvesting in North-central Iraq
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Iraq is a country with plentiful rainfall and floods for one season, but very limited precipitation during the growing season. This project uses satellite imagery and hydrological modeling to determine how much precipitation or floodwater might be available for rainwater harvesting, estimate infiltration rates, and find optimal locations for groundwater recharge sites or surface impoundments.
This is a place-holder image. Rachel is currently in Uganda and will bring pictures when she returns!
This is a place-holder image. Rachel is currently in Uganda and will bring pictures when she returns!
Humanitarian Groundwater Exploration within the East African Rift
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Uganda is a country recovering from decades of civil war, and rural water supplies are often unsanitary and difficult to obtain. This project uses INSAR and LIDAR data obtained from satellites and UAVs to predict favorable locations for groundwater exploration in the Obalango Village of east-central Uganda. Ground-based geophysical methods (GPR and NMR) are used in conjunction with the remotely sensed data to further refine potential drilling locations.
Relief wells downgradient of a levee.
Relief wells downgradient of a levee.
Relief Well Design
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Underseepage pressure on the downstream side of dams and levees can compromise the stability of these structures. This research project uses field measurements and numerical models to consider variables such as well line position, well losses, tailwater position, and partial well penetration to suggest improvements to current relief well design recommendations.
250 MHz antennas in the experimental tank.
250 MHz antennas in the experimental tank.
Dispersive GPR Wave Analysis
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Dispersive GPR waves can be used to estimate both the thickness and the water content of near-surface layers. This research uses data acquired in a controlled tank experiment to determine the effects of water content, soil type, layer thickness, and GPR frequency on the formation and analysis of guided waves.