 Research in the Hydrology and Fluid dynamics track of Environmental Engineering covers some of the most modern open problems in Environmental Fluid Dynamics, Hydrology and, Water Resources. Main foci are hydrometeorology (rainfall dynamics, land-atmosphere interaction, remote sensing), eco-hydrology (impact of hydroclimatic variability on ecosystems and feedbacks on the hydrologic cycle and local climate), contaminant transport hydrology (surface-subsurface interactions), water cycle dynamics and human health, and stochastic hydrology).
Our approach to these complex problems is multifaceted and ranges from advanced theoretical computational analyses, to unique laboratory and field experiments (e.g., the long term Duke Forest experiment, and the Helicopter Observation Platform.
Duke's Environmental Engineering program addresses the consequences of society’s production and use of energy and materials, emphasizing approaches to predicting, monitoring and managing impacts on air and water, and global cycles. In addition to activities within the Pratt School of Engineering, numerous faculty in the Nicholas School of Environment are engaged in research and teaching in this area.
Forest-Atmosphere Carbon Transfer and Storage Facility
Duke Center for Hydrologic Science
RESEARCH AREAS
Environmental Process Engineering
Ecohydrology and Environmental Fluid Dynamics
Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology
GROUPS & LABS Albertson Lab
Helicopter Observational Platform
Barros Group
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Graduate degrees & certificates
LATEST RESEARCHWhen Nano May Not Be Nano
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Novel Approach Estimates...
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John D Albertson, W.H. Gardner, Jr. Professor and Chair - Environmental fluid mechanics, scaling in hydrology and boundary layer meteorology, use of computational fluid dynamics and field experiments to address issues of mass and energy exchange between the land and the atmosphere.
Ana Barros, Professor - Investigating the dynamics of water presence and water pathways in the environment. Understanding the physics of the hydrological cycle at all spatial and temporal scales, and applying this new knowledge to research and developing technologies for environmental assessment, prediction and control.
Gabriel Katul, Professor -Hydrology, micrometeorology , surface hydrology, carbon and water cycling, environmental fluid dynamics.Â
Prasad S. Kasibhatla, Associate Professor - Atmospheric chemistry, regional and global modeling.
Miguel A. Medina, Jr., Professor - Water resources, hydrologic and water quality mathematical modeling, integration of contaminant transport prediction models within a decision-analysis framework for risk assessment.
Ram Oren, Professor - Forest hydrology, biogeochemistry, global change ecology, wetalnd ecology, terrestrial ecosystems.Â
Roger A. Pielke, Sr., Research Professor - Mesoscale meteorology through numerical modeling of the sea breeze and interaction among the mountains, oceans, boundary layer, and the free atmosphere.
Amilcare Porporato, Professor - Ecohydrology and coupled dynamics of the soil-plant-atmosphere system; environmental fluid mechanics and turbulence dynamics; dynamical system approach and stochastic modeling of hydrological and biogeophysical processes; nonlinear time series analysis; flood forecasting.
Curtis J. Richardson, Professor - Wetland ecology, phosphorus biogeochemistry, restoration of wetland function.Â
Zbigniew J. Kabala, Associate Professor - Deterministic and stochastic modeling of water flow and contaminant transport in saturated and unsaturated heterogeneous porous media, theory of related measurements.
