EES Guest Speaker - Dr. Jeffery McKenzie

This week’s seminar speaker is Dr. Jeffery McKenzie.  Please join us Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 3pm in room 351 Nat Sci.

Talk Title: Cryohydrogeology: Croundwater, Cold Regions, and a Changing Climate

The study of groundwater in cold regions, cryrohydrogeology, is an emerging research field of particularly importance considering Arctic and Subarctic regions are warming two to four times faster than the global average rate. The presentation will discuss our current understanding of the interactions of groundwater and permafrost, and how this coupled system is changing. Due to a general lack of Arctic groundwater data, the research focuses on the use of numerical models that simulate groundwater flow, energy transport, and dynamic freeze-thaw processes. The implication of the results for Northern communities that rely on groundwater for their drinking water supply is provided, demonstrating the increase in groundwater vulnerability because of climate change.