Shawn G. Benner

Assistant Professor

Department of Geosciences

Math/Geosciences BLDG, RM 217

Boise State University

Boise ID 83725

(208) 426-3629

sbenner@boisestate.edu

Education

Post Doc        Stanford University              2002

Ph.D.              University of Waterloo        2000

M.S.               University of Montana         1995

B.S.                Colorado College                   1989

Permeable Reactive Barrier to Treat Acid Mine Drainage

Interests

My research interests are in aqueous geochemistry and hydrogeology with an emphasis on biogeochemical and hydrologic controls on transformation and transport in aqueous systems.

I have worked on problems related to surface-groundwater interaction, characterization and treatment of acid mine drainage, nutrient and carbon cycling, biogeochemical transformation of minerals, and subsurface and surface contaminant characterization and global climate change.

I am interested in examining scientific problems from the molecular to the field scale and my research approach often requires integration of the disciplines of hydrology, geochemistry and biology. My students typically conduct fieldwork, develop laboratory skills and utilize numerical modeling to investigate a variety of of complex biogeochemical processes.

I typically have a number of ongoing projects working at field sites locally here in Idaho as well as in more exotic locals including Thailand and Cambodia.

Mekong Wetlands, Cambodia. Research site for

Arsenic and Global Change Investigations

Classes

Aqueous Geochemistry

Hydrogeology

Water in the West: Science Behind the Policy

Undergraduate Field Class

Redox Biogeochemistry

Conceptual Model for Iron Oxide Transformations

Representative Publications

Hansel, C. M., Benner, S. G., Neiss, J., Dohnalkova, A., Kukkadapu, R.K., Fendorf, S.E. 2003. Secondary mineralization pathways induced by dissimilatory iron reduction of ferrihydrite under advective flow. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 67,16 2977-2992. for pdf click here

Benner, S. G., Hansel, C. M., Wielinga, B. W., Barber, T. Fendorf, S.E. 2002. Reductive dissolution and biomineralization of iron oxides under dynamic flow conditions. Environmental Science and Technology 36, 8 1705-1711. for pdf click here

Benner, S.G., Blowes, D.W., Ptacek, C.J., and Mayer, K.U. 2002. Rates of sulfate reduction and metal sulfide precipitation in a permeable reactive barrier. Applied Geochemistry 17,3, 301-320. for pdf click here

Mayer, K.U., Benner, S.G., Frind, E.O., Thornton, S.F., Learner, D.L. 2001. Reactive transport modeling of processes controlling the distribution and natural attenuation of phenolic compounds in a deep sandstone aquifer. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology. 53 341-368. for pdf click here

Benner, S.G., Gould, D., and Blowes, D.W., 2000. Microbial populations associated with the generation and treatment of acid mine drainage. Chemical Geology 169, 435-448. for pdf click here

Benner, S.G., Smart, E.W., and Moore, J.N. 1995. Metal behavior during surface-groundwater interaction, Silver Bow Creek, Montana. Environmental Science and Technology, 29, 1789-1795.for pdf click here

Full CV (pdf)

Computer Reactive Transport Simulations of Treatment Barrier Performance

Sampling Acid Mine Drainage Waters

Current Students

Montague Busbee: 'Monty' arrived from Clemson, South Carolina where he has spent the last few years in the environmental consulting world. He is combining his previous biology degree with aqueous geochemistry in a thesis focusing on identifying mechanisms leading to the release of arsenic to the groundwater underlying the Boise region.

Katrina Ladd: Katrina is a civil engineering student and she is conducting research related to global climate change. Specifically, she is focusing on soil carbon dynamics in the Dry Creek Watershed. Katrina is the recent recipient of a NASA Idaho Space Grant Fellowship.

Somenath Ganguly: 'Som' comes from Calcutta, India where he recently completed a M.S. in hydrogeology. He is pursuing a second M.S. in hydrogeology with his thesis research focusing on developing a groundwater flow model for an arsenic contaminated aquifer on the Mekong Delta in Cambodia.

Pam Hess: Pam Hess is a recent graduate from our geology undergraduate program. She has chosen to pursue a M.S. in the Biology Department under the direction of Kevin Feris and she is working closely with our research program in Dry Creek. Pam's research focuses on nutrient and microbial dynamics.

Monty helping collect sediment cores from the aquifer on the Mekong Delta