Harihar Rajaram will join the Dept. of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) as a Professor in September 2018. Rajaram was previously Professor, President’s Teaching Scholar and Clark Faculty Fellow at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Rajaram’s research focuses on mathematical modeling of environmental and earth systems, including computational, analytical and stochastic approaches. His research covers a broad range of topics such as hydrology and reactive transport in the critical zone (shallow subsurface), coupled thermal-hydrologic-chemical-mechanical (T-H-M-C) processes in fractured rock, environmental impacts of oil and gas development and hydraulic fracturing, and glacier and ice sheet hydrology and thermodynamics.

In Rajaram’s previous research, he has demonstrated the mechanisms by which karst system morphologies (both meteoric and deep thermal) evolve by feedbacks between hydrology, reactive transport and permeability alteration over geologic time-scales. He has authored several papers on fundamental aspects of single and multi-phase flow in fractures. His research on glaciers and ice sheets have identified important feedbacks between hydrology and ice dynamics. He has also worked on stream temperature modeling and control for endangered fish habitat management applications. His recent research includes quantitative assessments of the environmental impacts of unconventional oil and gas development, particularly the risks of contamination by hydraulic fracturing fluids, stray gas migration, and injection-induced seismicity associated with deep well disposal of flowback and produced water. At Johns Hopkins, he plans to continue research on these topics, while initiating new research on biogeochemical impacts of climate warming in alpine and other environments, and at the intersection of public health, hydrology and climate change.

Written by Ed Bouwer