Geoffrey R. Tick

Assistant Professor of Hydrogeology

Contact

Email: gtick@geo.ua.edu
Phone: 205-348-4293
Office: 224 Bevill
Fax: 205-348-0818

Education

B.S. 1996, Geology, San Jose State University, San Jose, California
B.S. 1996, Environmental Studies, minor Chemistry, San Jose State University, San Jose, California
Ph.D. 2003, Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson

Research Interests

• Investigation of contaminant transport in soil and groundwater systems.
• Understanding the processes that influence transport of contaminants in porous media.
• Impact of immiscible liquid sources on chemical transport in soil and groundwater systems.
• Innovative technologies for the remediation of organic contaminants in the subsurface.
• Enhanced-solubilization agents to improve the remediation of organic pollutants in groundwater.
• Laboratory, field, and theoretical investigations of contaminant transport in porous media.
• Methods to characterize subsurface heterogeneity and subsurface contamination

Teaching

• Introduction to Geology
• Introduction to Hydrogeology
• Hydrogeology
• Contaminant Hydrogeology
• Hazardous Organic Pollutants
• Soil and Groundwater Restoration

Professional Experience

• 2004-present, Assistant Professor, University of Alabama.
• 1996-1997, Ground Water Specialist, Fuel Leaks Division, Santa Clara Valley Water District, San Jose, California

Representative Publications

2007  Murgulet, D. and Tick, G.R.  The Extent of Saltwater Intrusion in Southern Baldwin County, Alabama. Environmental Geology; doi 10.1007/s00254-007-1068-0.

2007  Bianchi, M., Zheng, C., Tick, G.R., Gorelick, S. Evaluation of Fickian and non-Fickian models for solute transport in porous media containing decimeter-scale preferential flow paths. [as a paper at the International ModelCare Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2007].

2007  Tick, G.R., McColl, C.M., Yolcubal, I.M., Brusseau, M.L. Gas-phase Diffusive Tracer Test for the In-situ Measurement of Tortuosity in the Vadose Zone.  Journal of Water, Air, and Soil Pollution: 184: 355-362; doi 10.1007/s11270-007-9403-3.

2007  Marble, J., DiFilippo, E., Zhang, Z., Tick G.R., and Brusseau, M.L. Dissolution of non- uniformly distributed immiscible liquid in heterogeneous porous media: Comparison of 1-D and 3-D Mathematical Modeling, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, [In Review].

2007  Liu, G., Zheng, C., Tick, G.R., Gorelick, S.M. Understanding Transport Processes in Highly Heterogeneous Porous Media: Analysis of a New Tracer Test at the MADE Site.  Water Resources Research, [In Review].

2006  Environmental and Pollution Science, 2nd ed., Academic Press, “Chapter 17 – Groundwater Pollution” by Brusseau M.L and Tick G.R.

2005  Wood, A.L., Enfield, C.G., Field Evaluation of Enhanced DNAPL Source Removal, USEPA Technical Report and SERDP Report: CU-368. Contributing Author: Tick, G.R. et al.

2004  Tick, G.R. and Vlassopoulos, D.  Review in Software Spotlight:  “AqQA:  Quality Assurance and Presentation Graphics for Ground Water Analyses”, Ground Water, 42(3) May-June, p. 326.

2003  Tick, G.R.; F., Lourenso; A.L., Wood; M.L., Brusseau.  Pilot-scale Demonstration of Cyclodextrin as a Solubility-Enhancement Agent for the Remediation of a Tetrachloroethene-Contaminated Aquifer. Environmental Science and Technology, 37(24), 5829-5834.

2002  Brusseau, M.L., Z., Zhang, N.T., Nelson, R.B., Cain, G.R., Tick, and M., Oostrom.  Dissolution of Non-Uniformly Distributed Immiscible Liquid:  Intermediate-Scale Experiments and Mathematical Modeling.  Environmental Science and Technology, 36(5), 1033-1041.

Recent Professional Activities

• 2003, NIEHS Superfund Quad-University/EPA Region 9 Conference: Emerging Scientific Issues for Superfund, University of Berkeley, Berkeley, California (October 8-10). "Cyclodextrin as a Solubilization-Enhancement Agent: From the Laboratory to the Field."
• 2003, NIEHS Superfund Basic Research Program and Southwest Health Sciences Conference: Innovative Remediation Technologies, Tucson, Arizona (May 20). quot;Pilot-scale Demonstration of Cyclodextrin as a Solubility-Enhancement Agent for the Remediation of a Tetrachloroethene Contaminated Aquifer.quot;
• 2003, El Dia Del Agua Conference: Innovative Remediation Technologies. The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (April 4). quot;Pilot-scale Demonstration of Cyclodextrin as a Solubility-Enhancement Agent for the Remediation of a Tetrachloroethene Contaminated Aquifer.quot;
• 2003, NGWA Southwest FOCUS Conference: Water Supply and Emerging Contaminants (February 20-21). quot;Pilot-scale Remediation of a PCE Contaminated Aquifer using Cyclodextrin: Mass Removal Effectiveness.quot;
• 2001, American Geophysical Union, Annual Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California (Dec 10-14). quot;The Effect of Length Scale on TCE Dissolution in a Homogeneous System.quot;
• 2004, Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting (November 9). Liu, G., Tick, G., Zheng, C., and Rincon, E. Tracer Tests at the MADE Site: Characterizing Small-Scale Preferential Flow Channels and Their Effects on Solute Transport.
• 2004, Alabama Groundwater Conference (June 3). Tick, G.R.; Brusseau, M.L.; Lourenso, F.; Wood, A.L. "Pilot-Scale Remediation of Tetrachloroethene using Cyclodextrin as a Solubility Enhancement Agent: Mass Removal Effectiveness"

Department Info