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Gordon N. Keating
Research Geologist
Environmental Geology & Spatial Analysis Group (EES-9)
Projects |
Collaborations |
Interests |
Publications |
Other Pursuits
Contact
Email: gkea@lanl.gov
505-667-5902 - Phone
505-667-1628 - FAX
Los Alamos National Laboratory
P.O. Box 1663, MS#D452
Los Alamos, NM 87545
Research Interests
- Systems Modeling
- Energy Sustainability and Carbon Neutrality
- Physical Volcanology
- Natural Hazards
- Decision Support Systems
- Geospatial Analysis
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Background
My time is divided among several main research areas: energy systems modeling, volcanic hazards, and geospatial applications in earth science. In recent years, I have been part of a team evaluating the probability and consequences of potential igneous activity at Yucca Mountain including field studies of small-volume basaltic fields and modeling of atmospheric transport of tephra. As the crises of energy demand, population growth, and climate change worsen, we are using systems approaches to better understand the energy- development- environment- climate challenge. In particular, we are working with local communities (e.g., Sonoma County, CA, and Project Zero, Sønderborg, Denmark to develop web portals to support interactive models and gather public input on issues of energy resilience and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Carbon sequestration is a topic of intense study in the DOE Laboratories, since any transition to carbon-neutral (or carbon-free) energy will be gradual, and ongoing use of fossil fuels will require offsetting technologies. I have recently been involved with the geospatial aspects of the carbon sequestration efforts, including using GIS to abstract geospatial information as input to risk assessment models, visualize potential CO2 reservoirs, and integrate various geospatial data via Google Earth. These projects are described in greater detail on pages linked below.
For more detailed on my background, refer to my on-line CV.
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Projects
Energy Systems Modeling
In order to understand the interrelationships among complex systems like energy, environment, climate, and society, we are applying system approaches and utilizing public participation web sites.
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Yucca Mountain Volcanic Hazards
Field, laboratory, and numerical modeling studies I have pursuing support the characterization and quantification of volcanic hazards of a potential small-volume basaltic eruption at the proposed radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
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Carbon Sequestration
Geospatial and geologic data inform risk assessment models for storage (sequestration) of CO2 in a variety of potential geologic units, including depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep saline aquifers, basalt, and coal beds.
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Collaborations
Steen Rasmussen, University of Southern Denmark: systems modeling, consensus building
Greg Valentine, University of Buffalo: volcanology, hazards
Jon Pelletier, University of Arizona: tephra transport, hazards
Interests
The web has become an integral part of youthful social networking, and I have for the most part ignored those aspects of the internet. Recently, though, I have become interested in the potential of the community building aspects of Web 2.0 to enhance our ability to do science and to build public consensus on scientific issues. For instance, the capability of semantic analysis to provide a landscape of information will provide fundamental changes in the way we find and use scientific and policy information in the near future. (See work by Johan Bollen and Marko Rodriguez for mind-blowing examples.)
Wikis, too, provide unprecedented capabilities for collaboration without regard to geographical proximity. Add the social networking component and we have the ingredients for web-based tools that harness the distributed , knowledge, interest, and data-gathering potential of 300 million web users worldwide. The next few years will see the development of new web portals that begin to bring these elements together to solve worldwide sociotechnical problems, hopefully faster than is possible by sluggish regulatory changes. (See more examples from Danish collaborators.)
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Publications
Brief List of Recent Publications
GIScience / Consensus / Systems
- Rasmussen, S., D. Mangalagiu, H. Ziock, J. Bollen, and G. Keating, 2007, Collective intelligence for decision support in very large stakeholder networks: the future US energy system, Proceedings of the IEEE Symposium on Artificial Life, CI-ALife 2007, April 1-5 2007; Honolulu, HI, pp. 468-475.
- Viswanathan, H.S., R.J. Pawar, P.H. Stauffer, J.P. Kaszuba, J.W. Carey, S.C. Olsen, G.N. Keating, D. Kavetski, G.D. Guthrie, 2008, Development of a hybrid process and system model for the assessment of wellbore leakage at a geologic CO2 sequestration site, Environmental Science and Technology, in press.
- Keating, G.N. P.M. Rich, and M.S. Witkowski, 2003, Challenges for enterprise GIS, URISA J., v. 15 (2) pp. 25-39.
- Witkowski, M.S., P.M. Rich, and G.N. Keating. 2007, Metrics of success for enterprise geographic information systems (EGIS). J. Map and Geography Libraries (Geoscapes), "Special Issue on Department of Energy (DOE) Geospatial Science Innovations", v. 4(1): 59-82. DOI: 10.1300/J230v04n01_04 (PDF File - 424 KB)
- Mynard, C.R., G.N. Keating, and P.M. Rich, 2005, GIS for Emergency Response: Lessons from the Cerro Grande Wildfire, J. Emergency Management, v. 3, pp. 19-28.
Volcanology / Surficial Processes
- Keating, G.N., J.D. Pelletier, G.A. Valentine, and W. Statham, 2008, Evaluating suitability of a tephra dispersal model as part of a risk assessment framework, J. Volcanology and Geothermal Research, doi: 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2008.06.007.
- Keating, G.N., D.J. Krier, G.A. Valentine, and F.V. Perry, 2007, Shallow Plumbing Systems for Small-Volume Basaltic Centers, Bulletin of Volcanology, v. 70: 563-582. doi: 10.1007/s00445-007-0154-1.
- Valentine, G.A., and G.N. Keating, 2007, Eruptive styles and inferences about plumbing systems at Hidden Cone and Little Black Peak scoria cone volcanoes (Nevada, U.S.A.), Bulletin of Volcanology, v. 70: 105-113, doi: 10.1007/s00445-007-0123-8.
- Pelletier, J.D., M.L. Cline, S.B. DeLong, C.D. Harrington, and G.N. Keating, 2007, Dispersion of channel-sediment contaminants in distributary fluvial systems: Application to fluvial tephra and radionuclide redistribution following a potential volcanic eruption at Yucca Mountain, Geomorphology, doi: 0.1016/j.geomorph.2007.05.014.
- Valentine, G.A., F.V. Perry, D.A. Krier, G.N. Keating, R.E. Kelley, and A.H. Cogbill, 2006, Small-volume basaltic volcanoes: eruptive products and processes, and post-eruptive geomorphic evolution in Crater Flat (Pleistocene) southern Nevada, GSA Bulletin, 1313-1330; doi:10.1130/B25956.1.
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Other Interests
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I play the octave mandolin (and a few other assorted instruments) in the Celtoid-Americana band, Roaring Jelly. We feature traditional Irish, Scottish, and Appalachian tunes for folk dancing and general consumption.
Photo by James Theiler.
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