WMU Department of Geosciences

Western Michigan University has a long history of applied research in hydrogeology, including producing the Hydrogeologic Atlas of Michigan. Three faculty focus particularly on hydrogeology: Kehew, Hampton and Cassidy. Dr. Alan Kehew has ongoing funding to map the glacial sediments that form the surficial aquifers in southwest Michigan. Additional students work with him on issues of groundwater contamination and hydrogeochemistry. He and Dr. Ronald Chase have a large multi-year Army Corps of Engineers research project to reduce failure of the bluff along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan by draining groundwater perched above clay layers. He has a collaborative project with two Egyptian universities to research groundwater supply and contamination problems in Egypt. Dr. Duane Hampton has ongoing interests in field-testing new methods of dealing with PCB-contaminated river and lake sediments. Hampton's focus is covering PCB hot spots with a geotextile fabric topped with an anchoring granular layer to cut off the food chain from the contaminated sediments. He is also researching slug tests and improved methods of building wells to monitor and recover spilled fuels and solvents. Dr. Daniel Cassidy develops new methods of bioremediating soils contaminated with organic chemicals. He is the lead researcher in using chemical oxidants to break down PCBs in contaminated river sediments.

Currently ten Geosciences faculty are engaged in research in this area as summarized above and below, and participate in the doctoral program in hydrogeology. Dr. R. V. Krishnamurthy guides students who use stable isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon or nitrogen to help answer hydrogeological questions. Dr. Carla Koretsky studies the biogeochemistry of wetlands, including the effects of biota on pore-water chemistry. Dr. William Sauck applies geophysical methods such as GPR and electrical methods to shallow targets to help solve hydrogeological problems. Dr. Mohamed Sultan uses remote sensing to provide information on groundwater issues, particularly in Egypt. Dr. Johnson Haas is studying microbial interaction with uranium, which is one means of dealing with uranium-contaminated groundwater. Dr. David Barnes has monitored groundwater conditions around the new Engineering College campus, and is researching attributes of the Saginaw Formation, which serves as the major bedrock aquifer in Michigan. Dr. Michael Barcelona, chair of the WMU Chemistry Department, is an internationally-known expert on hydrogeology. He is recognized for his work on sampling and monitoring. He is also working on in-situ treatment of contaminated groundwater using permeable reactive barriers.

The Geosciences Department has a substantial amount of research equipment. We have a small all-terrain drill rig that can place wells using hollow-stem auger or mud rotary. We have a boat which has been useful for coastal and river work. The department has many pumps, transducers, and monitoring and sampling equipment, including a sampling van. We have a Keck gamma-ray well logging unit. The department has a soils lab with extensive testing equipment. We have a field site around a lake near campus with over 100 wells in three well fields.