Christopher Russoniello

Assistant Professor of Geology

Coastal Groundwater, Surface Water/Groundwater Interactions, Climate and Groundwater

Christopher J. Russoniello, Assistant Professor of Geology

Research webpage: chrisrussoniello.com

Education

B.A. Geology, Colby College 2006
M.S. Geology, University of Delaware 2012
Ph.D. Geology, University of Delaware 2018

Research

I am a physical hydrogeologist interested in how environmental variability affects water flowing on and through the earth in terrestrial and marine settings--especially how moving water (like waves and currents) and climate drive groundwater flow and chemistry in coastal and marine aquifers. I also study the potential interactions between climate change and the quantity and quality of groundwater in aquifers. My research uses a combination of field, laboratory, and numerical modeling techniques to address these questions, and I amplify my reach through collaborations with engineers, biogeochemists and geophysicists. The resulting work covers scales from centimeters-to-globe and seconds-to-centuries with implications for estimating the availability of groundwater resources, fluid and chemical fluxes to the ocean, and understanding the global impacts of a changing climate.

Teaching

GEOL 463: Physical Hydrogeology

GEOL 665: Groundwater Modeling

Recent Publications:

Duque, C., Russoniello, C.J., Lee, D. Rosenberry, D. (in review). History and evolution of seepage meters: Part 2 - quantification of submarine groundwater discharge.

Duque, C.D., Knee, K.L, Russoniello, C.J., Sherif, M., Aborisha, U, Sturchio, N.C. and Michael, H.A. (in review) Hydrogeological processes and near shore spatial variability of radium and radon isotopes for the characterization of submarine groundwater discharge.

Russoniello, C.J., Heiss, J..W, Michael, H..A (2018). Variability in benthic exchange rate, depth, and residence time beneath a shallow coastal estuary. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 123 (3), 1860-1876

Heiss, J.W., Post, V.E.A., Laattoe, T. , Russoniello, C..J, Michael, H..A (2017). Physical controls on biogeochemical processes in intertidal zones of beach aquifers. Water Resources Research 53 (11), 9225-9244

Russoniello, C.J., Konikow, L.F., Kroeger, K.D., Fernandez, C., Andres, A.S., Michael, H..A (2016). Hydrogeologic controls on groundwater discharge and nitrogen loads in a coastal watershed. Journal of Hydrology 538, 783-793