Topic 1: Impacts of urbanisation on groundwater: Case studies from Melbourne, Australia
Speaker 1: Dr Matthew Currell (Lecturer RMIT University)
Time：9:30-10:30am Wednesday (8th July)
Abstract: This presentation will discuss the history of industrial contamination of groundwater in Australia's second largest city (Melbourne), and the challenges this presents for on-going re-development of land. The case study looks at techniques for assessing the changes to groundwater recharge quanitity and quality in one of Melbourne's active urban growth areas.
Brief introduction to the speaker: Dr Matthew Currell Received his PhD from Monash University in 2011, having completed a hydrochemical and isotopic investigation of groundwater resources and groundwater sustainability in the Yuncheng Basin, North China. Dr Currell now lectures at RMIT University in the school of Civil, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, and has active collaboration projects with the EPA (Victoria), Department of Environment & Primary Industries, and Melbourne Water. Currently he is an associate editor of the Hydrogeology Journal.
Topic 2: Biochar as an improver of soil functioning. Does it hold its promises?
Speaker 2: Dr Jorge Paz-Ferreiro (Lecturer at RMIT University)
Time：10:30-11:30am Wednesday (8th July)
Abstract: In the last years there has been an increasing interest in the application of charcoal (biochar) to the land. This concern was sparked by a re-discovery of Terra Preta do Indio, charcoal-rich soils of anthropogenic origin located in the Amazon Basin. Multiple claims with regards to the benefits of adding biochar to the soil have been done, including increase in crop productivity, remediation of polluted areas and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. This talk will review the current knowledge on biochar.
Brief introduction to the speaker: Jorge Paz-Ferreiro was awarded his PhD in 2007 at Santiago de Compostela University. He has worked as a post-doc at Lancaster University, Madrid Technical University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Jorge joined RMIT University in 2014, where he is currently a lecturer in Environmental Engineering. His main research interests are the recycling of waste materials into the soil and land pollution.
Venue：Room 411, Geographic Sciences Museum, IGSNRR
Welcome to the Forum!
Hosted by Key Laboratory of Water Cycle & Related Land Surface Processes, CAS
