KARLETTA CHIEF

EDUCATION:

Ph.D., Hydrology and Water Resources (Vadose Zone Hydrology), University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering (Geochemistry), Stanford University, Stanford, California
B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:

Dr. Chief’s research interests and experience have focused on the movement of air and water through the vadose zone. In particular, Dr. Chief is interested in soil air permeability, changes in soil physical properties, and the use of air permeability to estimate saturated hydraulic conductivity. Chief has extensive field experience in measuring in situ air permeability with a Soil Corer Air Permeameter (SCAP) that she developed and has a strong background in laboratory measurements of soil hydraulic properties. Dr. Chief conducted research on soil physical and hydraulic changes of post-fire soils and effects of anisotropy on in situ and ex situ air permeability measurements. Her current research interests include the spatial and temporal characterization of soil air permeability and hydraulic properties of arid soils to improve our understanding of the dynamic processes that control the movement of air, water, CO₂, and contaminants in the soils.

RESEARCH AREAS:

Hydrology of the Unsaturated Zone; Soil Hydraulic Properties; Air Permeability

PROJECT:

• Spatial and Temporal Variability of Air Permeability and Hydraulic Properties of Desert Soils Potential impact on soil recharge and ecosystems
• Spatial and Temporal Assessment of Soil Moisture Redistribution, Evaporation and Transpiration of Open Stand Vegetation Under Simulated Rainfall
• Scaling Environmental Processes in Heterogeneous Arid Soils
• UFDP Project-Validate Post-Fire Hydrology Models on Selected Sites in the Southwestern US
• UFDP Project-Rapid Assessment of Watershed Scale Runoff Potential
• Spatial Variability of Soil Air Permeability and Hydraulic Properties in a Mojave Desert Watershed
• Uranium Oxide Soil Stabilization Study, Yuma Proving Ground, AZ

• Michael Young, DHS Deputy Director and Post-Doctoral Mentor
• John Healey, SEPHAS; DHS Assistant Research Scientist
• Jeremy Koonce, UNLV Geosciences PhD student
• Elizabeth Johnson, SEPHAS; DHS Assistant Research Scientist

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Chief, Karletta; Ferré, Ty P.A.; Hinnell, Andrew C., 2008.

The effects of anisotropy on in situ air permeability measurements. Vadose Zone Journal. v.7. n.3. pp.1-7. 10.2136/vzj2007.0164.

Chief, Karletta; Ferré, Ty P.A. ; Nijssen, Bart, 2008.

Examination of correlation between air permeability and saturated hydraulic conductivity in unburned and burned desert soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal. v.72. n.6. pp.1-9. 10.2136/sssaj2006.0416.

Chief, K.; Ferre, T.P.A.; Nijssen, B., 2006.

Field testing of a soil corer air permeameter (SCAP) in desert soils. Vadose Zone Journal. n.5. pp.1257-1263. 10.2136/vzj2006.0063.

CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS

Chief, K.; Young, M.H.; Koonce, J.; Healey, J.; Mon, J.; Zhongbo, Y.; Tyler, S.W.; , 2009 (submitted).

Scaling Environmental Processes in Heterogeneous Arid Soils (SEPHAS) Weighing Lysimeter Facility: Construction, Installation, and Baseline CO2, temperature, and moisture Measurements.

Chief, K.; Caldwell, T.; Young, M.H. , 2009.

Spatial variability of air and water permeability for two watersheds in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. American Society of Agronomy–Crop Science Society of America– Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting. American Society of Agronomy–Crop Science Society of America– Soil Science Society of America. Pittsburg, PA.

Chief, K.; Young, M.H. , 2008.

Spatial Variability of Soil Air Permeability and Hydraulic Properties in Desert Soils. Am. Soc. Agron. National Meetings. Houston, TX.

Koonce, J. ; Young, M.H. ; Yu, Z. ; Chief, K.; Healey, J. ; Tyler, S.W. , 2008.

Relating Temperature Propagation and Wetting Front in Arid Soils Using Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) Coupled With Multiple Technologies. Am. Geophysical Union National Meetings. San Francisco, CA.

Chief, Karletta; Young, Michael H., 2008.

Spatial variability of soil air permeability and hydraulic properties. 2008 Symposium: Understanding Near-Surface Environmental Processes. Desert Research Institute and Nevada Water Resources Association. Las Vegas, NV.

Berli, M.; Chen, L.; Caldwell, T.; Chief, K.; Miller, J.; Young, M.H., 2008.

Post-fire effects on watershed hydrology. USACE Arid Regions Demonstration Programs Annual Review Conference. USACE. San Diego, CA.

Young, M. H.; Healy J.; Zhu, J.; Chief, K.; Yu, Z.; Knight, E.; Mon, J.; Tyler, S.; Menon, M., 2008.

Examining Arid Soil Processes Using Weighing Lysimeter in Nevada, U.S.A. 2008 Symposium: Understanding Near-Surface Environmental Processes. Las Vegas, NV.

Young, M.; Yu, Z.; Tyler, S.; Chief, K.; Knight, E.; Healey, J.; Zhu, J.; Menon, M.; Mon, J., 2008.

Examining Arid Soil Processes in Nevada USA Using Weighing Lysimeters. European Geosciences Union 2008 General Assembly. Vienna, Austria.

Chief, K.; Young, M.H. ; Healey, J. ; Johnson, E. ; Knight, E. ; Koonce, J. ; Yu, Z. ; Tyler, S.W., 2008.

Scaling Environmental Processes in Heterogeneous Arid Soils (SEPHAS) Weighing Lysimeter Facility: Construction, Installation, and Preliminary Infiltration Experiment Data. Am. Geophysical Union National Meetings. San Francisco, CA.

Young, M.H.; Berli, M.; Knight, E. ; Chief, K.; Menon, M. ; Mon, J.; Healey, J.; Yu, Z. ; Tyler, S.W., 2008.

Examining arid soil processes in Nevada, USA, using weighing lysimeters. Lysimeters for Global Change Research: Biological Processes and the Environmental Fate of Pollutants. Helmholtz Center Munich. Munich, Germany.