SELECTED AREAS OF RESEARCH
Scott W. Tyler
Click here for pdf's of most publications listed below
VADOSE ZONE HYDROLOGY
Development of Environmental Tracers for Water and Solute Transport in Arid Vadose Zones: National Science Foundation This research focused on the use of stable chloride and 36Cl to investigate recharge processes in the Great Basin province of the United States and role of paleoclimate in controlling recharge. Core analysis of deep vadose zone samples along with numerical analysis of flow and transport in very dry soils will be conducted. Chloride and 36Cl paleofluxes were estimated from interpretation of age dated groundwater.
PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT
Gee, G.W., Z.F. Zhang, S.W. Tyler, W.H. Albright and M. J. Singleton. 2005. Chloride-mass balance for predicting increased recharge after land use change. Vadose Zone J. 4:72 – 78.
Constanz, J., S.W. Tyler and E Kwicklis. 2003. Temperature-Profile Methods for Estimating Percolation Rates in Arid Environments. Vadose Zone Journal 2:12-24.
Walvoord, M.A., F.M. Phillips, S.W. Tyler and P.C. Hartsough. 2002. Deep arid system hydrodynamics Part 2: Application to paleohydrologic reconstruction using vadose zone profiles from the Northern Mojave Desert. Water Resour. Res. 38 (12), 1291, doi:10.1029/2001WR000825.
Edmunds, W.M. and S.W.Tyler, 2002. Unsaturated zones as archives of paleoclimate: Towards a new proxy for continental regions. Hydrogeology Journ. 10: 216-228.
Hartsough, P., S.W. Tyler, J. Sterling and M. Walvoord. 2001. A 14.6 kyr record of nitrogen flux from desert soil profiles as inferred from vadose zone pore waters. Geophysical Research Letters. Vol. 28(15):2955-2958.
Scanlon, B.R., S.W. Tyler and P. J. Wierenga. 1997. Review of Unsaturated Hydrologic Studies in Arid Regions. Reviews of Geophysics. Vol 35(4): 461-490
Tyler, S.W., B.R. Scanlon, G.W. Gee and G.B. Allison. 1999. Water and Solute Transport in Arid Vadose Zones: Innovations in Measurement and Analysis. In: Vadose Zone Hydrology: Cutting Across Disciplines, J. Hopmans and M. Parlange, editors. Oxford University Press. Pp 334-373
Estimation of Recharge from Nuclear Subsidence Craters. U.S. Dept. of Energy. This research investigated via drilling and analysis of soil physics and geochemical data the role of subsidence craters in recharge in arid environments. Research included innovative drilling and sampling procedures, coupled with isotopic analysis of soil water chemistry.
PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT
Tyler, S.W., J. B. Chapman, S. Conrad, D. Hammermiester, D. Blout, J. Miller, M. Sully and J. Ginanni. 1996. Soil Water Flux on the Nevada Test Site: Temporal and Spatial Variations over the Last 120,000 Years. Water Resources Research. Vol 32(6): 1481-1499.
Pohll, G.M., J.J. Warwick and S.W. Tyler. 1996. Coupled Surface/subsurface Hydrologic Model of a Nuclear Subsidence Crater at the Nevada Test Site. Journal of Hydrology. Vol. 186 (1-4): 43-62.
Tyler, S.W., S.A. McKay and T. Mihevc, 1992. Assessment of Soil Moisture Movement in Nuclear Subsidence Craters. Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 139: 159-181.
Use of Fractal Methods for Generation of Synthetic Datasets and Scientific Visualization in the Modeling of Groundwater Flow and Transport. U.S. EPA. This research investigated the development of fractal algorithms to reproduce important aspects of natural heterogeneity. The studies focused on development of gridding algorithms for sparse data for the purpose of using sparse data with scientific visualization software; development of computer graphic methods to simultaneously visualize 3-dimensional model input data (such as hydraulic conductivity) and 3-dimensional transient output data from models.
PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT
Tyler, S.W. and S.W. Wheatcraft, 1992. Fractal Scaling of Soil Particle Size Distributions: Analysis and Limitations. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 56(2): 362–369.
Tyler, S.W. and S.W. Wheatcraft, 1992. Reply to Comment of J.R. Phillip on “An Explanation of Scale Dependent Dispersivity in Heterogeneous Aquifer Using Concepts of Fractal Scaling. Water Resources Research, Vol. 28(5): 1487-1490
Tyler, S.W. and S.W. Wheatcraft, 1992. Reply to Comment of Brakensiek and Rawls on “Fractal Processes in Soil Water Retention." Water Resources Research, Vol. 28(5): 1487–1490.
Tyler, S.W. and S.W. Wheatcraft, 1990. Fractal Processes in Soil Water Retention. Water Resources Research, Vol. 26(5), pp. 1047-1054.
Tyler, S.W. and S.W. Wheatcraft, 1990. The Consequences of Fractal Scaling in Heterogeneous Soils and Porous Media. In: Scaling in Soil Physics: Principles and Applications, D. Hillel and D. Elrich, eds., Agronomy Society of America.
SALINE LAKE GROUND WATER DYNAMICS
SALINE LAKES AND SALARS. Under a series of projects
funded by NASA, NSF and collegues in both Australia and Chile, my students and I
have worked on the convection of ground water beneath saline lakes driven by
density and thermal gradients. We have also been recently been working with
faculty from the Catholic University of Chile in the Salar de Atacama in
northern Chile. Under funding from NASA, SQM, SA and BHPBilliton, we have
been estimating evaporation and transpiration from this large salt lake. The dry
lake bed is home to three species of flamingos and our work focuses on
understanding the water balance and water resources of this hyperarid regions.
PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT
Tyler, S.W., J. Munoz and W. Wood. 2006. The response of playa and sabkha hydraulics and mineralogy to climate forcing. Groundwater Vol 44(3): 329-339.
Kampf, S.K. and S. W. Tyler, 2006 Spatial characterization of evaporation and land surface energy budgets at the Salar de Atacama using ASTER image classification. Advances in Water Resources. Vol 29(2) 2006: 336-354
Kampf, S.K., S. W. Tyler, C. O. Astete, J. F. Munoz and P. Adkins. 2005. Evaporation and land surface energy budget at the Salar de Atacama, Northern Chile. J. of Hydrology. Vol 310 (1-4):236-252.
Phoenix, V.R., P.C. Bennett, A.S. Engel, S.W. Tyler and F.G. Ferris. 2006. Chilean high-altitude hot spring sinters: A model system for UV screening mechanism by early Precambrian cyanobacteria. Geobiology. Vol 4(1):15-28.
Wooding, R.A., S.W. Tyler and I. White. 1997. Convection in Groundwater below an Evaporating Salt Lake: 1. Onset of Instability. Water Resources Research. Vol 33(6): 1199-1218.
Wooding, R.A., S.W. Tyler, I. White and P. Anderson. 1997. Convection in Groundwater below an Evaporating Salt Lake: 2. Evolution of Fingers or Plumes. Water Resources Research. Vol 33(6): 1219-1228.
Liesing, J., S.W. Tyler and W.W. Miller. 1995. Convection of Saline Brines in Enclosed Lacustrine Sedimentary Basins: A Mechansim for Potassium Metasomatism. Geological Society of America Bulletin. Vol. 107(10): 1157-1163.
Lyons, W.B., S.W. Tyler and H.E. Gaudette. 1995. The Use of Strontium Isotopes in Determining the Groundwater Mixing and Brine Salt-Fingering in a Playa Discharge Zone, Lake Tyrrell, Australia. Journal of Hydrology. Vol.167: 225-239.
Ground-Water Interactions in Taylor Valley, Antarctica. This research investigated ground water inputs at Lake Hoare, a perennially ice-covered lake in the Dry Valley region of Antarctica. Conducted in 1992, work focused on measurement of submarine ground-water discharges beneath the perennial ice cover. Data to date suggests that ground water is entering the lake in spite of the large areas of deep permafrost. Funded by NASA/NSF and through an award of Institutional Project Assignment funds from the Desert Research Institute in 1992.
Tyler, S.W., P.G. Cook, A.Z. Butt, J.M. Thomas, P.T. Doran and W.B. Lyons. 1998. Evidence of Deep Circulation in Two Perennially Ice-Covered Antarctic Lakes. Limnology and Oceanography. Vol 43(4): 625-635.
Lyons, W.B., S.W. Tyler, R.A. Wharton, D.M. McKnight and B.H. Vaughn. 1998. A Late Holocene Dessication of Lake Hoare and Lake Fryxell, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Antarctic Science. Vol 10(3): 247-256.
Evaluation of Evaporation and Groundwater Discharge at Owens Dry Lake. Great Basin Air Pollution Control District. This research investigated ground water discharge from playa and saline sediments to develop both the water and solute budgets for Owens Dry Lake, which is a major air pollution source in Southern California. This study compares three techniques, micrometeorological, soil solute profiles and lysimeters, to determine the effect of varying time and length scales of measurements on the estimated evaporation. Data collected in this study will be used to develop a detailed water and solute budget and to aid in the dust mitigation efforts. Funded by the California Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District for $83K in 1993, $33K in 1994 and currently under review for $78K in 1995.
Tyler, S.W., S. Kranz, M.B. Parlange, J. Albertson, G. Cochran, B. Lyles and G. Holder. 1997. Measurement of Evaporation and Salt Flux at Owens Dry Lake in Eastern California, U.S.A. Journal of Hydrology. Vol. 200: 110-135.
Katul, G., J. Albertson, C. Chu, M. Parlange, H. Stricker and S. W. Tyler. 1994. Sensible and Latent Heat Flux Predictions Using Conditional Sampling Methods. Water Resources Research. Vol 30(11): 3053-3059.
Albertson, J.D., M.B. Parlange, G.G. Katul, C.-R. Chu, H. Stricker and S.W. Tyler. 1995. Sensible Heat Flux from Arid Regions: A Simple Flux-Variance Method. Water Resources Research. Vol 31(4). pp 969-974.
Friedman, I., J. Bischoff, C. A. Johnson, S.W. Tyler and J.P. Fitts. 1997. Movement and Diffusion of Pore Fluids in Owens Lake Sediments from Core OL-92 as shown by Salinity and Deuterium-Hydrogen Ratios. Geological Society of America Bulletin Special Paper 317.pp. 49-65.
REACTIVE CHEMICAL TRANSPORT IN THE SUBSURFACE
Geochemical, Biological and Economical Effects of Arsenic and other Oxyanions on a Mining-Impacted Watershed . EPA/NFS Water and Watersheds Initiative. Large-scale precious metal mining in the Humbolt River watershed of eastern Nevada has the potential to significantly increase arsenic and other oxyanion concentrations in surface and groundwaters. This research focused on the processes controlling oxyanion concentrations and fluxes from open pit mining, heap leach extraction and waste rock dumps from the mining activities. Activities focused on quantifying pit lake rock/water reactions, transport and reactions of recharging waters through spent cyanide heap leaches and the biological implications of oxyanions to aquatic communities.
PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT
Decker, D.L,, C. Papelis, S.W. Tyler, M. Logsdon and J. Simunek. 2006. Arsenate and Arsenite Sorption on Carbonate Hosted Precious Metals Ore, doi:10.2136/vzj2005.0038, Vadose Zone J. 5: 419-429.
Decker, D.L, J. Simunek, S. W. Tyler, C. Papelis, and M. J. Logsdon, 2006, Variably Saturated Reactive Transport of Arsenic in Heap-Leach Facilities doi:10.2136/vzj2005.0039, Vadose Zone J 2006 5: 430-444.
Decker, D.L. and S.W. Tyler. 1999. Evaluation of Flow and Solute Transport Parameters for Heap Leach Recovery Materials. Jour. of Env. Quality. Vol. 28(2): 543-555
Kampf, S., M. Salazar and S. Tyler. 2002. Preliminary Investigation of Effluent Drainage from Mine Heap Leach Facilities. Vadose Zone Journal 1: 186-196.
Multicomponent Convection in Porous Media and Fractures : U.S. Dept. of Energy Basic Energy Sciences Program. Multicomponent or double diffusive convective processes have received limited attention in porous media studies yet may be an important mass transfer mechanism in natural and contaminated aquifer settings. This research combined detailed laboratory experiments of multicomponent convection in simulated porous media to develop mass transfer relationships and further verify theoretical stability criteria. Numerical modeling via lattice gas techniques is being used to further investigate the importance of multicomponent convection in geologic and hydrologic settings. This effort was in collaboration with R. J. Glass and H. Stockman at Sandia National Laboratories.
PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT
Cooper, C., R.J. Glass and S.W. Tyler. 2001. The effect of buoyancy ratio on the development of double diffusive finger convection in a Hele-Shaw cell. Water Resources Research, 37(9): 2323-2331.
Cooper, C., R. J. Glass, and S.W. Tyler. 1997. Experimental Verification of Double-Diffusive Convection in Porous Media. Water Resources Research Vol 33(4): 517-526.
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
An REU Site for Training in International Water Supplies. National Science Foundation This project is designed to train undergraduate students on issues and solutions to potable water supplies in developing countries. Specifically, undergraduates participate in month-long summer course on the issues and problems facing developing countries in providing safe drinking water to all citizens. Following the in class training, students are taken abroad for 2-3 weeks for field work in developing countries related to drinking water, water resource development and environmental issues facing third world nations.
PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT
Tyler, S.W., S.E. Silliman and M.E. Campana. 2004. Undergraduate Program Focuses on International Issues in Water Resources. EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, Vol 85(9): 89, 92.