Hydrologic Sciences
This research group uses state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to generate new knowledge about the occurrence, distribution, and quality of water in the environment. The role of water as an essential component of the environment and key driver of climate system, and the impact of human activities on the quality and quantity of water are also studied. That research has strong field, laboratory, and modelling components. Together with our graduate and senior undergraduate students we conduct world-class research on Climate Change, Soil water, Ecohydrology, Wetlands, Contaminant Hydrogeology, Arctic and Cold Regions Hydrology, Vadose Zone Hydrology, Hydroclimatology, and Hydrologic Models including physical, statistical and Neural Network Models.
Information Box Group
Altaf Arain
Professor
Associate Member: Civil Engineering
Director, McMaster Centre for Climate Change
Dr. M. Altaf Arain is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University and the founding Director of the McMaster Centre for Climate Change. Dr. Arain holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Hydrology at the University of Arizona. He has extensively studied forest ecosystems and their restoration using field measurements and ecosystem and hydrologic models. Dr Arain has established Turkey Point Observatory comprising four flux tower stations in Southern Ontario to examine the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on different-age and different species forest ecosystems. Turkey Point Observatory is part of Global Water Futures (GWF), global Fluxnet, Canadian FloodNet and North American Carbon Program. Dr. Arain has been involved in the development of the coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CLASS-CTEM), used in the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM) for climate predictions. He has also focused on investigating the effects of air pollution and electric mobility adoption on the environment and human health in urban areas in Canada.
Altaf Arain
Professor
Associate Member: Civil Engineering
Director, McMaster Centre for Climate Change
Sean Carey
Professor
Dr. Carey directs the Watershed Hydrology Group and his research interests include hydrological, biogeochemical and land surface processes in natural and human impacted environments.
The group Dr. Carey uses field, laboratory and modelling approaches to understand how hydrological processes interact and influence ecosystem, biogeochemical and catchment processes across scales. Dr. Carey has a particular interest in cold environments and has been working in Yukon Territory for over 20 years. In addition, the influence of landscape disturbance on catchment processes has been an area of focus as the group seeks to help both industry and regulators understand and mitigate large scale disturbance in northern regions.
Dr. Carey serves on the Global Water Futures Strategic Management Committee and is the Principal Investigator fo the Mountain Water Futures program.
Paulin Coulibaly
Professor
Jointly in SEES, and Department of Civil Engineering
Dr. Paulin Coulibaly holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Laval University. He joined McMaster Universty in 2001 from the National Research Institute in Quebec. He holds a joint position in Civil Engineering Department and the School of Earth, Environment & Society. Dr. Coulibaly has been involved in developing hydrologic modelling and forecasting tools for Hydropower Companies, Public and Private Sectors. His research group recently developed MAC-HBV – a hydrologic model for simulating streamflow regime in ungauged basins. MAC-HBV is used by the Ministry Natural Resources for determining environmental flow in Ontario ungauged basins, and is also used around the World. Dr. Coulibaly is internationally known as an expert in Hydroinformatics (Data-Driven Methods developments and applications in Hydrology). His research interest includes: Hydro-climatic modelling; Climate Change and Water Resources Vulnerability; Hydrologic Data Assimilation/Remote Sensing Hydrology.He is Associate Editor of the ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Hydroinformatics.
He is an active member of Professional Engineers Ontario.
Elli Papangelakis
Assistant Professor (on leave)
My research focuses on the effects of urbanization and land-use change on the geomorphic processes of rivers. I use a combination of fieldwork, laboratory, and GIS research methods to better understand sediment transport processes, morphologic adjustments, and physical habitat characteristics of urban rivers. I am particularly interested in urban river restoration and management, specifically on assessing the performance of traditional restoration designs and in the development of novel river management strategies using the most advanced science and technology.
Examples of exciting new approaches my research employs:
- Synthetic sediment tracers with remote burial depth data acquisition (‚ÄòWobblestones’)
- Gravel augmentation to rehabilitate urban rivers
- Measuring geomorphic parameters using UAV (drone) based imaging
- Citizen science for geomorphic monitoring
Much of my research focuses on urban rivers in Southern Ontario, which provide an excellent example of heavily-urbanized and managed fluvial environments. I have also worked with salmon habitat restoration projects in British Columbia.
James Smith
Professor
My primary research interests are in Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology. That includes Contaminant Fate and Transport within the subdisciplines of Hydrogeology (below the water table) and Vadose Zone Hydrology (above the water table). I am particularly interested in the study of multiphase flow and unsaturated flow in porous media, i.e. when more than one fluid is present. My research approach emphasises highly controlled laboratory based experiments to investigate primary mechanisms and processes controlling fluid flow and contaminant transport. In addition, numerical modelling is used to analyse laboratory and field data, design further experiments, and investigate the potential implications of the research results.
This research improves and extends our fundamental understanding of Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology and the technologies used in Groundwater and Soil Contamination Investigations, Monitoring, Simulation, and Remediation.
James Michael Waddington
Professor, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Ecohydrology
Dr. James Michael Waddington’s research in ecohydrology studies the ecological and hydrological processes that underlie the structure and function of wetlands and watershed ecosystems and the distribution, movement, and quality of water.
With our research foundation firmly in hydrology and by adopting a watershed ecosystems framework, we use innovative field experimental manipulations and ecohydrological modelling to understand watershed interactions of water, vegetation, soil and greenhouse gas exchange. Our research examines the effects of wildfire, drought and resource extraction on watershed ecohydrology with a focus on ecosystems, such as peatlands, that may be sensitive to changes in hydrology. We are developing new hydrological and modelling tools for resource managers, fire managers and our industrial partners.
Altaf Arain
Professor
Associate Member: Civil Engineering
Director, McMaster Centre for Climate Change
Dr. M. Altaf Arain is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University and the founding Director of the McMaster Centre for Climate Change. Dr. Arain holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Hydrology at the University of Arizona. He has extensively studied forest ecosystems and their restoration using field measurements and ecosystem and hydrologic models. Dr Arain has established Turkey Point Observatory comprising four flux tower stations in Southern Ontario to examine the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on different-age and different species forest ecosystems. Turkey Point Observatory is part of Global Water Futures (GWF), global Fluxnet, Canadian FloodNet and North American Carbon Program. Dr. Arain has been involved in the development of the coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CLASS-CTEM), used in the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM) for climate predictions. He has also focused on investigating the effects of air pollution and electric mobility adoption on the environment and human health in urban areas in Canada.
Altaf Arain
Professor
Associate Member: Civil Engineering
Director, McMaster Centre for Climate Change
Dr. M. Altaf Arain is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University and the founding Director of the McMaster Centre for Climate Change. Dr. Arain holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Hydrology at the University of Arizona. He has extensively studied forest ecosystems and their restoration using field measurements and ecosystem and hydrologic models. Dr Arain has established Turkey Point Observatory comprising four flux tower stations in Southern Ontario to examine the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on different-age and different species forest ecosystems. Turkey Point Observatory is part of Global Water Futures (GWF), global Fluxnet, Canadian FloodNet and North American Carbon Program. Dr. Arain has been involved in the development of the coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CLASS-CTEM), used in the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM) for climate predictions. He has also focused on investigating the effects of air pollution and electric mobility adoption on the environment and human health in urban areas in Canada.
Sean Carey
Professor
Dr. Carey directs the Watershed Hydrology Group and his research interests include hydrological, biogeochemical and land surface processes in natural and human impacted environments.
The group Dr. Carey uses field, laboratory and modelling approaches to understand how hydrological processes interact and influence ecosystem, biogeochemical and catchment processes across scales. Dr. Carey has a particular interest in cold environments and has been working in Yukon Territory for over 20 years. In addition, the influence of landscape disturbance on catchment processes has been an area of focus as the group seeks to help both industry and regulators understand and mitigate large scale disturbance in northern regions.
Dr. Carey serves on the Global Water Futures Strategic Management Committee and is the Principal Investigator fo the Mountain Water Futures program.
Sean Carey
Professor
Dr. Carey directs the Watershed Hydrology Group and his research interests include hydrological, biogeochemical and land surface processes in natural and human impacted environments.
The group Dr. Carey uses field, laboratory and modelling approaches to understand how hydrological processes interact and influence ecosystem, biogeochemical and catchment processes across scales. Dr. Carey has a particular interest in cold environments and has been working in Yukon Territory for over 20 years. In addition, the influence of landscape disturbance on catchment processes has been an area of focus as the group seeks to help both industry and regulators understand and mitigate large scale disturbance in northern regions.
Dr. Carey serves on the Global Water Futures Strategic Management Committee and is the Principal Investigator fo the Mountain Water Futures program.
Paulin Coulibaly
Professor
Jointly in SEES, and Department of Civil Engineering
Dr. Paulin Coulibaly holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Laval University. He joined McMaster Universty in 2001 from the National Research Institute in Quebec. He holds a joint position in Civil Engineering Department and the School of Earth, Environment & Society. Dr. Coulibaly has been involved in developing hydrologic modelling and forecasting tools for Hydropower Companies, Public and Private Sectors. His research group recently developed MAC-HBV – a hydrologic model for simulating streamflow regime in ungauged basins. MAC-HBV is used by the Ministry Natural Resources for determining environmental flow in Ontario ungauged basins, and is also used around the World. Dr. Coulibaly is internationally known as an expert in Hydroinformatics (Data-Driven Methods developments and applications in Hydrology). His research interest includes: Hydro-climatic modelling; Climate Change and Water Resources Vulnerability; Hydrologic Data Assimilation/Remote Sensing Hydrology.He is Associate Editor of the ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Hydroinformatics.
He is an active member of Professional Engineers Ontario.
Paulin Coulibaly
Professor
Jointly in SEES, and Department of Civil Engineering
Dr. Paulin Coulibaly holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Laval University. He joined McMaster Universty in 2001 from the National Research Institute in Quebec. He holds a joint position in Civil Engineering Department and the School of Earth, Environment & Society. Dr. Coulibaly has been involved in developing hydrologic modelling and forecasting tools for Hydropower Companies, Public and Private Sectors. His research group recently developed MAC-HBV – a hydrologic model for simulating streamflow regime in ungauged basins. MAC-HBV is used by the Ministry Natural Resources for determining environmental flow in Ontario ungauged basins, and is also used around the World. Dr. Coulibaly is internationally known as an expert in Hydroinformatics (Data-Driven Methods developments and applications in Hydrology). His research interest includes: Hydro-climatic modelling; Climate Change and Water Resources Vulnerability; Hydrologic Data Assimilation/Remote Sensing Hydrology.He is Associate Editor of the ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Hydroinformatics.
He is an active member of Professional Engineers Ontario.
Elli Papangelakis
Assistant Professor (on leave)
My research focuses on the effects of urbanization and land-use change on the geomorphic processes of rivers. I use a combination of fieldwork, laboratory, and GIS research methods to better understand sediment transport processes, morphologic adjustments, and physical habitat characteristics of urban rivers. I am particularly interested in urban river restoration and management, specifically on assessing the performance of traditional restoration designs and in the development of novel river management strategies using the most advanced science and technology.
Examples of exciting new approaches my research employs:
- Synthetic sediment tracers with remote burial depth data acquisition (‚ÄòWobblestones’)
- Gravel augmentation to rehabilitate urban rivers
- Measuring geomorphic parameters using UAV (drone) based imaging
- Citizen science for geomorphic monitoring
Much of my research focuses on urban rivers in Southern Ontario, which provide an excellent example of heavily-urbanized and managed fluvial environments. I have also worked with salmon habitat restoration projects in British Columbia.
Elli Papangelakis
Assistant Professor (on leave)
My research focuses on the effects of urbanization and land-use change on the geomorphic processes of rivers. I use a combination of fieldwork, laboratory, and GIS research methods to better understand sediment transport processes, morphologic adjustments, and physical habitat characteristics of urban rivers. I am particularly interested in urban river restoration and management, specifically on assessing the performance of traditional restoration designs and in the development of novel river management strategies using the most advanced science and technology.
Examples of exciting new approaches my research employs:
- Synthetic sediment tracers with remote burial depth data acquisition (‚ÄòWobblestones’)
- Gravel augmentation to rehabilitate urban rivers
- Measuring geomorphic parameters using UAV (drone) based imaging
- Citizen science for geomorphic monitoring
Much of my research focuses on urban rivers in Southern Ontario, which provide an excellent example of heavily-urbanized and managed fluvial environments. I have also worked with salmon habitat restoration projects in British Columbia.
James Smith
Professor
My primary research interests are in Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology. That includes Contaminant Fate and Transport within the subdisciplines of Hydrogeology (below the water table) and Vadose Zone Hydrology (above the water table). I am particularly interested in the study of multiphase flow and unsaturated flow in porous media, i.e. when more than one fluid is present. My research approach emphasises highly controlled laboratory based experiments to investigate primary mechanisms and processes controlling fluid flow and contaminant transport. In addition, numerical modelling is used to analyse laboratory and field data, design further experiments, and investigate the potential implications of the research results.
This research improves and extends our fundamental understanding of Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology and the technologies used in Groundwater and Soil Contamination Investigations, Monitoring, Simulation, and Remediation.
James Smith
Professor
My primary research interests are in Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology. That includes Contaminant Fate and Transport within the subdisciplines of Hydrogeology (below the water table) and Vadose Zone Hydrology (above the water table). I am particularly interested in the study of multiphase flow and unsaturated flow in porous media, i.e. when more than one fluid is present. My research approach emphasises highly controlled laboratory based experiments to investigate primary mechanisms and processes controlling fluid flow and contaminant transport. In addition, numerical modelling is used to analyse laboratory and field data, design further experiments, and investigate the potential implications of the research results.
This research improves and extends our fundamental understanding of Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology and the technologies used in Groundwater and Soil Contamination Investigations, Monitoring, Simulation, and Remediation.
James Michael Waddington
Professor, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Ecohydrology
Dr. James Michael Waddington’s research in ecohydrology studies the ecological and hydrological processes that underlie the structure and function of wetlands and watershed ecosystems and the distribution, movement, and quality of water.
With our research foundation firmly in hydrology and by adopting a watershed ecosystems framework, we use innovative field experimental manipulations and ecohydrological modelling to understand watershed interactions of water, vegetation, soil and greenhouse gas exchange. Our research examines the effects of wildfire, drought and resource extraction on watershed ecohydrology with a focus on ecosystems, such as peatlands, that may be sensitive to changes in hydrology. We are developing new hydrological and modelling tools for resource managers, fire managers and our industrial partners.
James Michael Waddington
Professor, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Ecohydrology
Dr. James Michael Waddington’s research in ecohydrology studies the ecological and hydrological processes that underlie the structure and function of wetlands and watershed ecosystems and the distribution, movement, and quality of water.
With our research foundation firmly in hydrology and by adopting a watershed ecosystems framework, we use innovative field experimental manipulations and ecohydrological modelling to understand watershed interactions of water, vegetation, soil and greenhouse gas exchange. Our research examines the effects of wildfire, drought and resource extraction on watershed ecohydrology with a focus on ecosystems, such as peatlands, that may be sensitive to changes in hydrology. We are developing new hydrological and modelling tools for resource managers, fire managers and our industrial partners.