Project Info
Hydrostratigraphy of the New England Continental Margin
Brandon Dugan | dugan@mines.edu
Max Silver | mmsilver@mymail.mines.edu (HSE PhD student in Dugan group)
This project will help constrain freshwater resources in coastal environments, where water stresses continue to increase due to growing population and changing sea level. Currently, few dedicated studies have been done to understand the volumes of freshwater that are stored in sediments beneath the ocean. In this project, we will used existing data that has been collected for other studies (e.g., hydrocarbon exploration, geohazards) and re-interpret it to develop an understanding of where fluid flow is likely and how it could allow for freshwater recharge and storage over human and geological time scales. We will focus on the New England continental margin as part of a larger project to understand this system and to apply the knowledge worldwide. Outputs will be used in 3D models that couple fluid flow, sea-level variations and glaciation, so the undergraduate researcher will be trained in a multi-disciplinary way that integrates geophysics, hydrogeology, and process-based modeling. Ultimately this research could lead to better resource control for coastal communities in need.
Here are some resource to learn more about this project and related projects worldwide. We will interface with all of these collaborators.
1) New England Margin freshwater resource studies upon which we will build to better understand offshore freshwater
a) https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014GC005569
b) https://ngwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2009.00627.x
c) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44611-7
2) The proposed research will also support three drilling proposal to sample and validate the interpretations.
a) https://docs.iodp.org/Proposal_Cover_Sheets/637-Full2_Person_cover.pdf
b) https://docs.iodp.org/Proposal_Cover_Sheets/972-APL_Dugan_cover.pdf
c) International Continental Drilling Proposal FRESHH20 [abstract available via email dugan@mines.edu]
3) Related international project with whom we will collaborate
a) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14770-7
b) http://www.marcan.eu/
c) https://smart.geomar.de/
Grand Challenge: Provide access to clean water
Student Preparation
Qualifications
The student should have basic understanding of introductory physics and introductory geology. They should also be comfortable working with electronic data on a computer workstation.
Time Commitment
4-5 hours/week
Skills/Techniques Gained
I will work closely with the student to ensure that their knowledge base grows in physics, geophysics, seismic interpretation, and hydrogeology. Specifically they will learn seismic interpretation software, how to interpret hydrologic properties from geophysical data, and how to develop numerical models of fluid flow based on geological interpretations.
Mentoring Plan
I will use a multi-pronged mentoring approach. At the start of the project, I will work closely with the student to define our goals and to make sure they understand how their contributions are valuable to the larger proposals and research related to offshore freshwater. We will also set up weekly meetings with milestones for each week. The student will also be encouraged to attend weekly group meetings and to present in them to get exposure working as a team member and presenting progress updates. One of the goals will also be for the student to present their results at a conference such as the fall American Geophysical Union meeting. When it comes time to this, I will work carefully with the student on written and oral communication skills.