Computational Hydrogeologist 5

• Jan 2023 - Present

Senior Computational Scientist, Environmental Subsurface Science

• Oct 2020 - Jan 2023

Developing deep learning models to accelerate risk assessment of geologic carbon storage. Leading the field application of risk assessment tools to carbon storage sites, including CarbonSAFE.

Senior Computational Scientist, Subsurface Science & Technology

• 2017 - Oct 2020

Developing machine learning regression models of wellbore leakage and groundwater impacts from CO2 and brine leakage for NRAP Phase II IAM, an open source Python code for quantifying the risks associated with geologic carbon sequestration. Leading the field application of OpenIAM and other NRAP tools to carbon storage sites.

Senior Research Scientist IV, Hydrology Group

• 2012 - 2017

Designed a user interface for geochemical reactions in Akuna, a software architecture and user environment, funded under the Department of Energy ASCEM project, that provides a set of tools for environmental modeling and simulation of subsurface processes using advanced simulators running on supercomputers. Modified an enhanced oil recovery simulator (STOMP-EOR) to include competitive sorption/desorption of CO2 and CH4 on clays and organic matter to assess the effectiveness of CO2 as a working fluid for enhanced shale gas recovery. Designed a user-friendly preprocessor for geochemical reactions in the STOMP simulator. Led the development of reduced order models of groundwater impacts related to CO2 and brine leakage from underlying formations for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Risk Assessment Program (NRAP). Led the development of a multithreaded, multicomponent version of the STOMP simulator that has been applied to the problem of co-sequestration of CO2 along with other contaminants, such as H2S and SO2. Conducted a critical review of numerical and analytical models that have been applied to CO2 sequestration, as well as frameworks for risk analysis. Show less

Senior Research Scientist III, Hydrology Group

• 1997 - 2012

Led the application and contributed to the development of a CO2 sequestration simulator (STOMP-CO2) for a pilot project at American Electric Power’s Mountaineer Site in West Virginia. Validated the simulator against a 10,000 metric ton CO2 injection at the Gaylord, Michigan Phase II Site for the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership. Developed reactive transport simulations of CO2 and SO2 co-sequestration in Dolomite/Sandstone formations in the Ohio River Valley. In support of the Hanford Tank Low-activity Waste Glass Performance Assessment, developed and applied a coupled nonisothermal, multiphase flow and reactive transport simulator (STORM) designed to run in parallel on high-performance computing clusters. Show less

Research Scientist II, Hydrology Group

• 1989 - 1997

Developed a computer code to model the three-dimensional transport of radon gas in unsaturated porous media, including transient airflow, radon advection and diffusion, heterogeneous soil properties, discrete planar cracks. Used the code to conduct sensitivity analyses on the importance of various input parameters such as crack size and density, linear and periodic atmospheric pressure changes, soil properties (porosity, permeability, tortuosity), and soil moisture content. Validated the model using measurements of radon flux, radon soil concentration, atmospheric pressure changes, and various soil properties from field sites in Socorro, New Mexico and Poamoho, Hawaii. Applied the model to data collected from a Spokane home to determine the effectiveness of a passive subslab ventilation system in reducing radon concentrations. Show less

Scientist I, Hydrology Group

• 1986 - 1989

Participated in HYDROCOIN, an International Project for Studying Ground Water Hydrology Modeling Strategies. Completed two of the Level 3 HYDROCOIN problems. Case 1 involved using both deterministic and statistical methods to predict sensitivity and uncertainty of travel times from and flow rates through a shallow land waste disposal facility, as modeled using the Coupled Fluid, Energy, and Solute Transport code (CFEST). Case 3 was a test application of a stochastic inverse version of CFEST, CFEST-INV, to calibrate a two-dimensional, vertical cross-section model of the Palo Duro Basin. Simulated unsaturated zone moisture and vapor movement induced by temperature variations in asphalt barrier field lysimeters using the TOUGH simulator. Show less