PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Hydrogeology and Geochemistry
Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Environmental Science
Adjunct Professor, Environmental Health
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
- Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
- M.Sc. University of Toronto
- B. Eng., Chengdu College of Geology
- Post-doctoral Fellowship, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Biographical Highlights
- Leverhulme Visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge, UK, 2023-25 (part-time)
- (co) Executive Editor, Groundwater, 2022-2025
- Visiting sabbatical professor, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), 2022
- Henry Darcy Distinguished Lecturer, the Groundwater Foundation, 2021-2022. Click here for lecture titles (Darcy Lectures).
- Professeur Invité, Toulouse Paul-Sabatier University/French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France, June-July, 2019
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2017
- Fellow, Mineralogical Society of America, 2016-present
- Fulbright Scholarship to Norway, University of Oslo (2009)
- Research Fellow, Okayama University, Japan (2005, 2010)
- Guest Professor, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) - Zurich, Switzerland (2008)
- Sabbatical Professor, University of California - Berkeley (2008)
- The John Hem Excellence in Science and Engineering Award, National Ground Water Association (2006)
- Lilly Freshman Learning Project Fellow (teaching), Indiana University, 2006-
- Fellow, Geological Society of America, 2005-
- Associate and Full Professor of Geological Sciences, Indiana University - Bloomington (2004-2011, 2011-, respectively)
- Guest Professor, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)-Zurich, Switzerland (2004)
- Senior Associateship Award, National Research Council, the National Academy of Sciences (2003)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Critical minerals, CO2 removal and storage, climate change mitigation, water resources, thermodynamics and kinetics, geochemical modeling, water-rock-gas-microbe interactions
I study CO2-water-rock interactions, a ubiquitous Earth process that plays a pivotal role in our society’s urgent efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects. While the core of my research has always been the kinetics, thermodynamics, and geochemical modeling of water-mineral reactions, my current research projects focus on three climate change-related themes:
CO2 Removal and Sequestration: Removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing billions of tons of CO2 in aquifers, minerals, and soils causes myriad CO2-water-rock interactions. My research aims to predict the consequences of these interactions in terms of CO2 storage efficiency and safety. Click this link for our CCUS publications. Our current projects focus on reaction kinetics in multi-mineral systems and use non-traditional stable isotope doping as an innovative experimental technique. We want to know how reactions are coupled, e.g., how clay mineral precipitation can slow down basalt dissolution and compete for divalent metals for carbon sequestration.
Critical Minerals: The transition from fossil fuels to renewable and clean energy demands critical minerals, which were mostly formed as a result of water-rock interaction. Recently, my collaborators and I have embarked on a project on the thermodynamic and transport properties of rare earth elements to better inform the successful exploration of mineral resources.
Climate Impact on Water Resources: Warming climate impacts both water quantity and water quality. My studies of CO2-water-rock interactions inform both water availability and the release mechanisms of contaminants to water. Recently, we have developed a regional-scale hydrological model that predicts a severe reduction of water availability in the historically water-rich Wabash River basin (USA) toward the end of the century (https://FutureWater.indiana.edu). Currently, we are developing models to assess the impact on water quality, using high-performance computers and machine learning tools.