Earth Science Department Seminar

Friday, February 15, 2019 10:00 am - 10:00 am EST (GMT -05:00)

Water Resources Research in the West: Striving for Sustainability

Presenter
Dr. Andrea Brookfield
Kansas Geological Survey
University of Kansas

Abstract
Water availability in the American West is at a breaking point. After many years of drought, states are being forced to reduce water use in an effort to sustain the resource, in some cases, through this decade. With dry streambeds, steep declines in aquifer levels, harmful algal blooms, and interstate water right conflicts, Kansas’ water issues exemplify the difficulties and complexities involved in striving for sustainability. This makes water resources research in Kansas relevant to the American West and many other parts of the world experiencing water stress. Here, research applying quantitative tools to understand the sources, sinks, and management of surface and subsurface water resources across a variety of spatial scales in Kansas will be presented. These tools, ranging from computationally frugal statistical methods to complex numerical models, demonstrate innovative approaches towards addressing the challenge of sustainability in water resources.