Dan Larsen, Ph.D.

Affiliate Faculty - Earth Science
dlarsen@memphis.edu

Bio

Daniel Larsen is a Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences and Affiliated Research Faculty at the Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research at the University of Memphis. Dan’s primary interests are investigating mechanisms of groundwater recharge for the Memphis aquifer, evaluating water quality and age-dating of groundwater, and conducting geologic mapping and relevant hydrogeologic studies in the Memphis area and Mississippi embayment region.  

He joined the faculty of the Department of Geological Sciences (now Earth Sciences) at the University of Memphis in 1995 after a short term of employment at Roy Weston Consultants, Inc.  Dan teaches courses in Physical Hydrogeology, Field Methods in Hydrology, Aqueous Geochemistry, Soils and Soil Processes, Field Geology, and Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, as well as numerous other seminars and co-taught courses in Earth Sciences and Engineering. Dan has authored or co-authored over 80 scientific papers in the areas of geology, hydrogeology, and hydraulic engineering, as well as over 120 abstracts of presentations given at professional meetings. 

Education

Earth and Planetary Sciences, Ph.D., 1994, University of New Mexico  

Geology, M.S., 1988, Ohio State University  

Geology, B.S., 1985, Arizona State University

Awards/Honors

  • 2023, University of Memphis, CAS Distinguished Research award  
  • 2012, Geological Society of America, GSA Fellow  
  • 2010, Geological Society of America, GSA ExxonMobil Field Award  
  • 1999, University of Memphis, Sigma Xi research paper award

Selected Publications

  • Hasan, Md R., Larsen, D., Schoefernacker, S., Waldron, B., Villalpando-Vizcaino, R., 2023, Identification of Breaches in a Regional Confining Unit using Electrical Resistivity Methods in Southwestern Tennessee, USA. Water 2023, v. 15, 4090. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15234090 
  • Larsen, D., 2023, Book review: Transboundary aquifers – Challenges and the way forward. Groundwater, Volume, v. 61(5), p. 610-611. 
  • Paul, S., Waldron, B., Jazaei, F., Larsen, D., Schoefernacker, S., 2023, Wellfield optimization to minimize contaminant migration from a surficial aquifer to a semi-confined aquifer using numerical modeling. Journal of American Water Resources Association, JAWR-22-0064-P, DOI: 10.1111/1752-1688.13150. 
  • Gamble, E.D.S, Cox, R.T., and Larsen, D., 2023, A technique for quantification of Quaternary ground tilting as recorded by alluvial terraces: An example from the northern Gulf of Mexico coastal plain: Geomorphology, v. 437, 108798. 
  • Ochs, C.A., Baustian, J., Harrison, A.B., Harfield, P., Johnston, C., Justis, C.A., Larsen, D., Mickelson, A., Piazza, B.P., and Spurgeon, J.J., 2023, Chapter 6: Rivers of the Lower Mississippi Basin. In Delong, M.D., Jardine, T.D., Benke, A.C., and Cushing, C.E., eds., Rivers of North America, Second Edition. London, Elsevier, p. 227-272. 
  • Giles, K.D., Jackson, W.T., McKay, M.P., Beebe, D.A., Larsen, D., Kwon, Y., and Shaulis, B., 2023, Sediment input, alongshore transport, and coastal sediment mixing in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico based on detrital-zircon geochronology. Marine and Petroleum Geology v. 148, 105997, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264817222004755 
  • Paul, S., Waldron, B., Jazaei, F., Larsen, D., Schoefernacker, S., 2022, Groundwater well optimization to minimize contaminant movement from a surficial aquifer to a lower water supply aquifer using stochastic simulation-optimization modeling techniques: Strategy formulation.  MethodX, v. 9 101765, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2022.101765 
  • Sahagun-Covarrubias, S., Waldron, B., Larsen, D., and Schoefernacker, S., 2022, Characterization of Hydraulic Properties of the Memphis Aquifer by Conducting Pumping Tests in Active Well Fields in Shelby County.  Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 1–18, https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12991 
  • Villalpando-Vizcaino, R., Waldron, B., Larsen, D., and Schoefernacker, S., 2021, Development of a numerical multi-layered groundwater model to simulate inter-aquifer water exchange in Shelby County, Tennessee. Water, 13, 2583, https://doi.org/ 10.3390/w13182583 
  • Torres-Uribe, H.E., Waldron, B., Larsen, D., Schoefernacker, S., 2021, Application of numerical groundwater model to determine spatial configuration of confining unit breaches near a municipal well field in Memphis, Tennessee.  Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, v. 26, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0002117 
  • Larsen, D., Paul, J., and Cox, R, 2021, Geochemical and isotopic evidence for upward flow of saline fluid to the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, southeastern Arkansas USA. Hydrogeology Journal, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-021-02321-3 
  • Larsen, D., Bursi, J., Waldron, B., Schoefernacker, S., and Eason, J., 2020, Recharge pathways and rates for a sand aquifer beneath a loess-mantled landscape in a humid region: Journal of Hydrology, Regional Studies, v. 28, 100667, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2020.100667  
  • Larsen, D., Waldron, B., Schoefernacker, S. Gallo, H., Koban, J., and Bradshaw, E., 2016, Application of environmental tracers in the Memphis aquifer and implication for sustainability of groundwater resources in the Memphis metropolitan area, Tennessee: Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education, v. 159, p. 78-104. 
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