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James E. Saiers

Clifton R. Musser Professor of Hydrology

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Professor Saiers studies water quality and supply. He runs experiments, collects observations, and develops models to illuminate how human activities affect the chemical composition of drinking water resources and alter freshwater flows within aquifers, wetlands, and river basins. His recent research projects address water quality impacts of fossil fuel development, carbon and nutrient transport through watersheds, radionuclide migration in groundwater, and carbon-dioxide removal by enhanced rock weathering. This research is executed collaboratively with students, postdoctoral associates, and faculty from Yale and other Universities. Professor Saiers' teaching addresses various applied and theoretical aspects of surface water and groundwater hydrology.

James Saiers is a hydrologist. His recent research addresses drinking-water impacts of fossil-fuel development, natural carbon capture and carbon cycling within watersheds, and migration of contaminants through groundwater aquifers. This research relies on experimentation and mathematical modeling and is conducted in collaboration with ecologists, geochemists, engineers, and epidemiologists. His overarching goal is to generate new observations and to develop predictive approaches that can be used to inform water-resource management approaches intended to safeguard freshwater, ecosystems, and public health.

Overview
Hydrology is the study of the processes that control the circulation of water and waterborne chemicals between the land, atmosphere, and oceans. My teaching focuses on theoretical and applied aspects of hydrology and is designed to provide students with knowledge required to address key water-quality and water-supply issues that face today’s research scientists and environmental professionals. When taken collectively, my courses cover elements of physical and chemical hydrology and emphasize connections between hydrology and other disciplines, including microbial ecology, atmospheric science, aquatic chemistry, and atmospheric science. I

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