Dr. Hongbin Zhan

Bio

Water is vital for human’s survival! Dr. Hongbin Zhan’s teaching and research interests cover various topics of subsurface hydrology. He and his students and colleagues have used rigorous physical reasoning, mathematical modeling, and carefully designed experiments to understand the fundamental processes of hydrological sciences and to apply the knowledge for better use of water resources. He is also interested in understanding water’s role in many geological processes. He has collaborated with scientists from several different countries, in particular China.

Research

• Groundwater flow and solute transport in aquitard-aquifer systems.
• Stream-aquifer interaction.
• Dynamics of horizontal wells and its applications in hydrosciences and environmental engineering.
• Non-Darcian flow and its impact on non-Fickian dispersion of solute transport.
• Vapor flow and transport in the unsaturated zone
• Unconfined aquifer dynamics and variably saturated flow

Projects

• Non-Darcian Flow and Transport in Porous and Fractured Media (National Natural Science Foundation of China, with Dr. G. Huang, China Agricultural University).
• Sea Water Upconing under Pumping Horizontal Wells in Coastal Aquifers (TAMU-CONACYT Collaborative Research, with Dr. R. Vázquez-González, CICESE, Mexico)
• Using horizontal wells to remediate dense non aqueous phase liquids contaminated aquifers (National Science Foundation)
• Theoretical and experimental study of solute non-Fickian transport in fractured media (National Natural Science Foundation of China, with Dr. J. Qian, Hefei University of Technology)

Experience

• 2010–present, Endowed Ray C. Fish Professor in Geology, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University.
• 2007–2009, Professor of Hydrogeology, Water Management and Hydrologic Sciences Graduate Program, Texas A&M University.
• 2007–Present, Professor of Hydrogeology, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University.
• 2005–2007, Associate Professor of Hydrogeology, Water Management and Hydrologic Sciences Graduate Program, Texas A&M University.
• 2002–2007, Associate Professor of Hydrogeology, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University.
• 2005–Present, Adjunct Professor, China Agricultural University.
• 2006–Present, Adjunct Professor, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
• 2004–2007, Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• 1996–2002, Assistant Professor of Hydrogeology, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University.
• September 1995–September 1996, George B. Maxey Fellow of Water Resource Center, Desert Research Institute.
• June 1995–September 1995, Research Assistant of Professor Stephen W. Wheatcraft, Department of Geology, University of Nevada, Reno.
• January 1995–June 1995, Consultant and Research Assistant of Water Resource Center, Desert Research Institute.
• 1993–1994, Research Assistant of Professor Stephen W. Wheatcraft, Department of geology, University of Nevada, Reno.
• 1991–1993, Teaching Assistant of Physics Dept., University of Nevada, Reno.
• 1991–1993, Research Assistant of Professor Peter Winkler, Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno.

Publications

• Gao, G., Zhan, H., Feng, S., Fu, B., and Huang, G., A new mobile-immobile model for reactive solute transport with scale-dependent dispersion, Water Resources Research, 46, W08533, doi:10.1029/2009WR008707, 2010.
• Gao, G., Zhan, H., Feng, S., Huang, G., and Mao, X., Comparison of alternative models for simulating anomalous solute transport in a large heterogeneous soil column, Journal of Hydrology, 377, 391-404, 2009.
• Zhan, H., Wen, Z., and Gao, G., An analytical solution of two-dimensional reactive solute transport in an aquifer-aquitard system, Water Resources Research, 45, W10501, doi:10.1029/2008WR007479, 2009.
• Wang, X., Zhan, H., A new solution of transient confined-unconfined flow driven by a pumping well. Advances in Water Resources, 32, 1213-1222, 2009.
• Intaraprasong, T., and Zhan, H., A general framework of stream-aquifer interaction caused by variable stream stages, Journal of Hydrology, 373, 112-121, 2009.
• Park, E., and Zhan, H., One-dimensional solute transport in a permeable reactive barrier-aquifer system, Water Resources Research , 45, W07502, doi:10.1029/2008WR007155, 2009.
• Qian, J., Zhan, H., Wu, J., and Chen, Z., What we can learn from sequential multi-well pumping tests in fracture-karst media? A case study in Zhangji, China, Hydrogeology Journal, 17, 1749-1760, 2009.
• Gao, G., Feng, S., Zhan, H., Huang, G., and Mao, X., Evaluation of anomalous solute transport in a large heterogeneous soil column with mobile-immobile model, ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 14(9), 966-974, 2009.
• Zhan, H., Wen, Z., Huang, G.,and Sun, D., Analytical solution of two-dimensional solute transport in an aquifer-aquitard system, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 107, 162-174, 2009.
• Wen, Z., Huang, G., and Zhan, H., A numerical solution for non-Darcian flow to a well in a confined aquifer using the power law function, Journal of Hydrology, 364, 99-106, 2009.
• Fu, Y., and Zhan, H., On the origin of oil-field water in the Biyang Depression of China, Environmental Geology, 58(6), 1191-1196, 2009.
• Chen, Z., Qian, J, Luo, S., and Zhan, H., Experimental study of friction fractor to groundwater flow in a single rough fracture, Journal of Hydrodynamics, 21(6), 820-825, 2009.
• Complete List of Publications

Awards & Honors

• 2010, Endowed Ray C. Fish Professorship in Geology, Texas A&M University;
• 2009–2013, Endowed Chang-Jiang Scholar, Ministry of Education, China;
• 2009 Dean's Distinguished Achievement Award for Faculty Teaching, College of Geosciences, Texas A&M University;
• 2006 GSA Fellow;
• 2004 Distinguished Oversea Young Scientist Award: "Non-Darcian Flow and Transport in Porous and Fractured Media"
• (2005–2007) National Natural Science Foundation of China;
• 2002 Fred Burggraf Award Transportation Research Board, The National Academies;
• 2001 Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Texas A& M University;
• 1999–2000 Center for Teaching Excellence Montague Scholar Texas A&M University;
• 1999 Interview by the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) Alumni Foundation
• 1997 Outstanding Ph.D. graduate award for academic excellence Mackay School of Mines, Univ. of Nevada, Reno;
• 1996 Board of Regents outstanding graduate student award for academic excellence University and Community College System of Nevada;
• 1995–1996 American Petroleum Institute and the National Ground Water Association Scholarship ;
• 1995–1996 George Burke Maxey Fellow Desert Research Institute.

Affiliations

• International Professionals for Advancement of Chinese Earth Science (IPACES)
• Geological Society of America (GSA)
• American Geophysical Union (AGU)
• International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH)