Professor Gabriel J Bowen (University of Utah)

Hydrological connectivity - the relationship between sources and sinks of water - is a fundamental property underlying the operation and sustainability of hydrological systems. Where multiple potential sources exist, and/or mixing between sources is possible, connectivity relationships are often difficult to observe. The abundance ratio of naturally occurring stable isotopes of H and O varies systematically throughout the hydrological cycle, but in many situations these isotope ratios exhibit conservative behavior and can be used as tracers of source. I will review key processes and patterns that give rise to connectivity-focused applications in isotope hydrology, and illustrate how our research group is using this approach to study connectivity in systems ranging from natural streams to embedded water trading networks.

⇒ Website of Professor Gabriel J Bowen

Brief bio: Gabe's research interests span the fields of biology and geology, and this is reflected in the breadth of ongoing research in the SPATIAL group. The central focus of this work is on humankind’s impacts on and relationships with Earth’s environment, particularly those that promise to have immediate and important consequences for our continued survival and comfort as a species. The wide-ranging, large-scale changes we are causing in the global water cycle represent one such set of impacts, and have developed as a central theme in many of our research projects.