D. Kip Solomon , Ph.D.


University of Utah
Kip Solomon is currently a professor at the University of Utah and was formerly the Chair of the Department of Geology and Geophysics. His education includes a Ph.D. (1992) in Earth Sciences from the University of Waterloo, an M. S. (1985) in Geology from the University of Utah, and a B.S. (1979) in Geological Engineering from the University of Utah. He was previously employed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory in various positions ranging from Research Staff to Groundwater Group Leader. Special appointments include: National Research Council Committee on Improving Practices for Regulating and Managing Low-Activity Radioactive Waste, National Research Council Committee on Conceptual Models in Fractured Unsaturated Zones, United States Representative for various Advisory Groups at the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the editorial board for the journal Ground Water. He was also appointed as the Darcy Lectures by the National Groundwater Association and gave more than 50 lectures around the world on the use of dissolved gas tracers in groundwater. Dr. Solomon’s research Interests include the use of environmental tracers to evaluate groundwater flow and solute transport processes in local- to regional-scale aquifers. In particular he has developed the use of dissolved gases including helium-3, CFCs and SF6 to evaluate groundwater travel times, location and rates of recharge, and the sustainability of groundwater resources. He constructed and operates one of only a few labs in the world that measures noble gases in groundwater. His research results have been documented in more than 90 journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports.