Hydrogeology Department researchers are developing a quantitative understanding of the main physical and chemical processes that operate in geologic systems, and providing practically useful modeling tools for recovering, storing, and protecting subsurface fluid resources.
Hydrogeology
Overview
Hydrogeology has been an important component of Berkeley Lab’s former Earth Sciences Division (ESD) since its inception in 1977. Together with geophysics and geochemistry researchers, hydrogeologists addressed subsurface energy challenges at that time, which focused on geophysical characterization and numerical modeling of fracture flow, associated first with fundamental geosciences, geothermal energy exploration, and nuclear waste isolation and research activities heavily relied upon understanding flow and transport in the subsurface.
Today, the broad range of cutting-edge research continues in fundamental and applied hydrology. The Hydrogeology Department has expertise in theoretical, experimental, field, and modeling approaches in a variety of research areas, among which are advanced process modeling, reservoir engineering, vadose-zone and fracture hydrology, contaminant hydrology, and coupled nonisothermal, geochemical, and geomechanical processes. Our researchers address national needs in the areas of subsurface energy resources recovery, subsurface remediation, geological CO2 storage, and nuclear waste disposal, with a continued focus on mass and heat transport through porous and fractured earth materials under saturated and unsaturated conditions.
Currently, the majority of the Hydrogeology Department personnel support the Energy Geosciences Division.
Core Capabilities

Contaminant Hydrology
Hydrogeology Department researchers are addressing the national and international need for subsurface contaminant characterization and remediation across a spectrum of approaches—laboratory experiments, field tests, and theoretical and numerical investigations.
Coupled Processes
Hydrogeology Department researchers are addressing the complex field of coupled processes analysis through an integrated experimental and modeling effort, combining laboratory experiments and in situ tests, using advanced monitoring methods with sophisticated modeling analysis.

Reservoir Engineering
Hydrogeology Department researchers are studying ways to enhance production of energy from subsurface reservoirs containing methane gas hydrates, geothermal energy, and oil and gas resources.

Vadose-Zone and Fracture Hydrology
Hydrogeology Department researchers have made significant contributions to identifying the physical mechanisms, and developing modeling approaches and characterization/monitoring techniques, for flow and transport in fractures in both saturated and unsaturated systems.

Sally M. Benson
Guest Senior Scientist
Affiliate
Phone:
[email protected]

Pramod Bhuvankar
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Phone:
[email protected]

Jens Birkholzer
Energy Geosciences Division Director
Senior Scientist
Hydrogeologist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Laura Blanco Martin
Project Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Sharon E. Borglin
Principal Scientific Research Associate

Frederic Cappa
Project Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Chun Chang
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Phone:
[email protected]

Abdullah Cihan
Research Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Julia Correa
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Phone:
[email protected]

William Dietrich
Senior Faculty Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Christine Doughty
Staff Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Boris A. Faybishenko
Staff Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Stefan Finsterle
Guest Scientist
Affiliate

Barry M. Freifeld
Guest Scientist/Mechanical Engineer (Retired)
Affliate
Phone:
[email protected]

Mengsu Hu
Research Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Pierre Jeanne
Project Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Sallie Johnson
Student Assistant
Phone:
[email protected]

Preston D. Jordan
Principal Scientific Engineering Associate
Phone:
[email protected]

Kenzi Karasaki
Guest Scientist
Affiliate
Phone:
[email protected]

Kunhwi Kim
Project Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Tim Kneafsey
Hydrocarbon Resources Program Lead
Staff Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Zhi Li
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Phone:
[email protected]

Robin D. Lopez
Research Associate
Phone:
[email protected]

Michael Manga
Faculty Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

George J. Moridis
Senior Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Michelle Newcomer
Research Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Curtis M. Oldenburg
Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Lead
Senior Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Omotayo A. Omosebi
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Phone:
[email protected]

Lehua Pan
Research Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Alejandro Francisco Queiruga
Project Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Clayton J. Radke
Faculty Scientist/Engineer
Phone:
[email protected]

Matthew T. Reagan
Research Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Antonio Pio Rinaldi
Project Scientist
Phone:
[email protected]

Jonny Rutqvist
Senior Scientist
Hydrogeology Department Head
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Tetsu K. Tokunaga
Hydrogeochemical Research Lab
Senior Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Haruko Murakami Wainwright
Research Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Jiamin Wan
Staff Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Hao Xu
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Phone:
[email protected]

Yingqi Zhang
Staff Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Liange Zheng
Staff Scientist
Nuclear Energy and Waste Program Head
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]

Quanlin Zhou
Staff Scientist
Phone:
Fax:
[email protected]