Daniel Gonzalez-Duque, Ph.D.

PhD in Environmental Engineering

My research is centered on investigating the movement of water through Earth’s systems and its impact on transport and biogeochemical reactions of chemical constituents that influence ecosystems and communities. To achieve this, I utilize numerical models, data consolidation and analysis, and statistical methods within high-performance computing environments to assess hydrologic ecosystems. My key research interests encompass surface water-groundwater interactions, groundwater hydrology, coastal hydrology, geophysics, geostatistics, climatology, and meteorology.

Research Interests

Surface water-groundwater interactions: Understanding nutrient and contaminant dynamics between surface water and groundwater systems, including their feedback mechanisms and implications for water resources management.
Groundwater hydrology: Investigating the movement and quality of groundwater, including aquifer recharge, discharge, and contamination processes.
Geophysics: Applying geophysical techniques to study subsurface structures and processes, enhancing our understanding of the nested nature of mountain hydrological systems.
Coastal Hydrology: Examining the interactions between coastal waters and groundwater, including the effects of sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion on freshwater resources.

news

Jul 28, 2025	I was promoted to Research Scientist at The Ohio State University. I’m excited to continue my work at the institution, developing innovative solutions for environmental challenges, and gaining a mechanistic understanding of hydrologic exchange processes in a range of surface water-groundwater settings.
Jan 24, 2025	I had a great time presenting my work at the Earth Science Seminar at The Ohio State University.
Jul 04, 2024	I had the incredible opportunity to give a seminar to the Groundwater Hydrology Group (GHS) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona, Spain. A recording of the seminar can be found in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_hiinRyw_w
May 20, 2024	I started a new position as a Post Doctoral Scholar at The Ohio State University. I am excited to work with Dr. Audrey Sawyer in understanding the dynamics of freshwater-saltwater interactions in coastal systems.
May 10, 2024	I graduated from my PhD in Environmental Engineering at Vanderbilt University!

latest posts

selected publications

Sinuosity-Driven Hyporheic Exchange: Hydrodynamics and Biogeochemical Potentials

Daniel Gonzalez-Duque, Jesus D. Gomez-Velez, Jay P. Zarnetske, and 2 more authors

Water Resources Research, 2024

_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2023WR036023

Abs DOI

Hydrologic exchange processes are critical for ecosystem services along river corridors. Meandering contributes to this exchange by driving channel water, solutes, and energy through the surrounding alluvium, a process called sinuosity-driven hyporheic exchange. This exchange is embedded within and modulated by the regional groundwater flow (RGF), which compresses the hyporheic zone and potentially diminishes its overall impact. Quantifying the role of sinuosity-driven hyporheic exchange at the reach-to-watershed scale requires a mechanistic understanding of the interplay between drivers (meander planform) and modulators (RGF) and its implications for biogeochemical transformations. Here, we use a 2D, vertically integrated numerical model for flow, transport, and reaction to analyze sinuosity-driven hyporheic exchange systematically. Using this model, we propose a dimensionless framework to explore the role of meander planform and RGF in hydrodynamics and how they constrain nitrogen cycling. Our results highlight the importance of meander topology for water flow and age. We demonstrate how the meander neck induces a shielding effect that protects the hyporheic zone against RGF, imposing a physical constraint on biogeochemical transformations. Furthermore, we explore the conditions when a meander acts as a net nitrogen source or sink. This transition in the net biogeochemical potential is described by a handful of dimensionless physical and biogeochemical parameters that can be measured or constrained from literature and remote sensing. This work provides a new physically based model that quantifies sinuosity-driven hyporheic exchange and biogeochemical reactions, a critical step toward their representation in water quality models and the design and assessment of river restoration strategies.
Groundwater Circulation Within the Mountain Block: Combining Flow and Transport Models With Magnetotelluric Observations to Untangle Its Nested Nature

Daniel Gonzalez-Duque, J. D. Gomez-Velez, M. A. Person, and 3 more authors

Water Resources Research, 2024

_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2023WR035906

Abs DOI

Mountains are vital water sources for humans and ecosystems, continuously replenishing lowland aquifers through surface runoff and mountain recharge. Quantifying these fluxes and their relative importance is essential for sustainable water resource management. However, our mechanistic understanding of the flow and transport processes determining the connection between the mountain block and the basin aquifer remains limited. Traditional conceptualizations assume groundwater circulation within the mountain block is predominantly shallow. This view neglects the role of deep groundwater flowpaths significantly contributing to the water, solute, and energy budgets. Overcoming these limitations requires a holistic characterization of the multiscale nature of groundwater flow along the mountain-to-valley continuum. As a proof-of-concept, we use a coupled groundwater flow and transport model to design a series of numerical experiments that explore the role of geology, topography, and weathering rates in groundwater circulation and their resulting resistivity patterns. Our results show that accumulating solutes near stagnation zones create contrasting electrical resistivity patterns that separate local, intermediate, and regional flow cells, presenting a target for magnetotelluric observations. To demonstrate the sensitivity of magnetotelluric data to features in our resistivity models, we use the MARE2DEM electromagnetic modeling code to perform forward and inverse simulations. This study highlights the potential of magnetotelluric surveys to image the resistivity structure resulting from multiscale groundwater circulation through relatively impervious crystalline basement rocks in mountainous terrains. This capability could change our understanding of the critical zone, offering a holistic perspective that includes deep groundwater circulation and its role in conveying solutes and energy.