Northern China is one of the most densely populated and agriculturally productive regions of the world, but also one of its driest and most water-stressed. The productivity of this region and the livelihoods of its people over recent decades have been critically dependent upon high rates of groundwater extraction from a range of major aquifer systems, which provide water for irrigation, industry and domestic consumption. Geochemical tools such as stable and radiogenic isotope tracers offer important insights into the sustainability of groundwater usage from both quantity and quality viewpoints. Using these tools to determining information regarding aquifer recharge rates, groundwater residence times and vulnerability to contamination has significant implications for large scale water resource planning, environmental health, and both national and global food security. This talk will present case studies from a range of recent hydrogeology research projects in which Dr. Matt Currell has been involved, where geochemistry has been employed to better understand these and other issues relating to sustainability of groundwater usage in this critically water stressed region.
About the speaker
Dr. Matt Currell began studying geology in the School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, and completed his Honours degree in 2006, specialising in hydrogeochemistry. At the same time, he completed a major in Chinese Language. Between 2007 and 2010 undertook a PhD at Monash University in the School of Geosciences, employing geochemical methods to better understand groundwater quality and quantity issues in water supply aquifers in northern China, collaborating with researchers at the China Academy of Sciences, and Australia-China Centre for Water Resources Research. Following completion of his PhD, he worked briefly at SKM on a number of groundwater and salinity related projects, before joining RMIT in early 2011 as a lecturer in environmental engineering.
Come join us
Date: 17 July 2012
Time: 5:30pm meet and greet for a 6pm start
Location: GHD (8/180 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne)
No need to RSVP
Click below for a link to the presentation:
