Biography

Bridget Scanlon is a Senior Research Scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin.  She is an author or co-author of about 50 refereed journal articles and also co-edited a book on recharge in semiarid regions. The primary objective of her research group is to assess sustainability issues with respect to water resources, within the context of climate variability and land-use change. Research sites include the US High Plains, North China Plain and Loess Plateau, and Rajasthan, India. The group is also collaborating with groups working in North Africa and Australia. Results from her research group have documented large increases in recharge in semiarid regions caused by changing from native vegetation to cropland. Spatial scales addressed with the work range from point (ground-based measurements) to km (satellites) scales and temporal scales range from interannual to millennial timescales. She has participated in focus groups on global recharge issues within the International Atomic Energy Agency.She has served on many National Academy panels related to water resources.