Geology and Geophysics Department
University of Utah
Bio:
Ebenezer Adomako-Mensah is a first-year master’s student in the Geology and Geophysics Department at the University of Utah, pursuing an MS in Geological Engineering with Dr. William P. Johnson as his advisor. His research interests focus on understanding groundwater flow systems, contaminant transport, and water quality. His master’s research focuses on estimating groundwater inflows to Great Salt Lake, with a goal to improve the understanding of groundwater inputs and physicochemical processes at the Great Salt Lake margin.
Eben has a BSc in Geological Engineering from the University of Mines and Technology in Ghana. He is a Global Change and Sustainability Center Fellow, International Association of Hydrogeologists-U.S. National Chapter sponsored student member, and a member of the Geological Society of America, Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, National Society of Black Engineers, and the Rotary Club of Obuasi-Ghana.
As a first generational scholar, I am eager to give back to my country by leading clean water projects aimed at providing clean water to less privileged communities in Ghana. I’m committed to becoming a subject matter expert in sustainable resource management, with a specific focus on hydrogeology. I believe that by advancing our knowledge in this area, we can contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future.
Title: Estimating Groundwater Inflows to the Great Salt Lake
Abstract: The current estimates of groundwater inflows to Great Salt Lake (GSL) are subject to large uncertainties. These estimates are derived from water budget residuals, making them inaccurate and unreliable. Recent studies, including stream chemistry (Godsey et al., 2009), groundwater modeling (Masbruch et al., 2016), streamflow modeling (Brooks et al., 2021), and stream hydrograph analysis (Wolf et al., 2023) all indicate that the amount of groundwater entering GSL by direct infiltration or through previous seepage to streams has been underestimated and hence there is a need for independent direct measurements of groundwater inflows to improve our understanding of total groundwater inputs to the GSL which will contribute to providing more accurate estimates of total groundwater inflows to the GSL, addressing the underestimation margin. In this talk, I will (1) discuss the methods used (2) present preliminary results of salinity profiles from cores collected on the GSL playa along the Antelope Island Causeway and Farmington Bay, and (3) outline future work.