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Phil Neuhoff, assistant professor of geology at University of Florida, will speak about his field-based research on the hydrologic properties of lavas in Iceland and Greenland 12 – 1 p.m. Oct. 20, in room 108 Van Wickle Hall.
His lecture, “Porosity is where you find it. How fluids flow and react in vesicular lavas,” is sponsored by the department of geology and environmental geosciences. It is free for students, faculty, and staff.
“Lavas are the most abundant rock type in the earth’s crust, and are important aquifers for groundwater resources, geothermal fluids, and petroleum, yet their hydrologic properties are poorly understood,” says Neuhoff.
He will focus on the importance of lava as an aquifer type and discuss several paradoxes present in literature surrounding the porosity and permeability of lavas. He will also talk about his studies of chemical alteration in basaltic lavas. This research provides fundamental insights into why lavas are so permeable, despite having relatively low porosities, and how porosity and permeability are modified by chemical reactions.
Neuhoff’s research works toward an understanding of fundamental chemical processes at and near the earth’s surface, such as chemical interaction between ground waters and basaltic lavas. He places special emphasis on the occurrence and chemical properties of zeolites and clay minerals, which are important constituents of near surface environments but whose stability is poorly understood.
“I combine experimental studies of the physical chemistry of naturally-occurring minerals and aqueous solutions with geologic investigations of mineral occurrences to develop quantitative models of the role of temperature, pressure, and chemical composition in controlling the mineralogical makeup and physical properties of the Earth’s crust,” says Neuhoff.
His work has practical applications in radioactive waste storage, carbon sequestration, geothermal energy resources, and finding sources of petroleum.
Neuhoff has published over 20 papers in international scientific journals in the general areas of physical chemistry, mineralogy, geochemistry, and geology and presented over 30 papers at international scientific meetings. He was an Environmental Protection Agency STAR Graduate Fellow from 1997-99 and a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow from 1993-96. He received his Ph.D. in geological and environmental science from Stanford University and a B.S. in geology from University of Iowa.