Susan D. Hovorka
Senior Research Scientist
Bureau of Economic Geology
The University of Texas at Austin University Station, Box X Austin, Texas 78713-8924 E-mail: susan.hovorka@beg.utexas.edu Telephone: 512-471-4863 Fax: 512-471-0140
I am interested in application of geological techniques to environmental problems, particularly focusing on the issue of permeability in both tight and very transmissive systems. This interest has lead led me to work on diverse problems, from characterization of salt as a containment material to analysis of carbonate fabrics to better understand flow in karst aquifers. Currently I am leading teams in field pilot CO2 injections to assess the cost, safety, and effectiveness of geologic sequestration as a mechanism for reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions (www.gulfcoastcarbon.org).
I also am committed to facilitating exchange between the applied scientists and citizens, focusing on middle school students (http://www.beg.utexas.edu/mainweb/edu01.htm).
Research Interests
Sedimentology for environmental application
Education
B.A. Geology, Earlham College, 1974
M.A. Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 1981 Ph.D. Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 1990
Professional History
Geologist, Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, Austin, Texas, April 1979–April 1981
Selected Publications
Hovorka, S. D., Meckel, Timothy, Treviño, R. H., Lu, Jiemin, Nicot, J. -P., Choi, Jong-Won, Freeman, D., Cook, P. G., Daley, Tom, Ajo-Franklin, J., Freifeld, Barry, Doughty, C. A., Carrigan, C. R., La Brecque, D., Kharaka, Yousif, Thordsen, J. J., Phelps, Tommy, Yang, Changbing, Romanak, Katherine, Zhang, Tongwei, Holt, R. M., Lindler, J. S., and Butsch, R. J., 2011, Monitoring a large volume CO2 injection: year two results from SECARB project at Denbury's Cranfield, Mississippi, USA, in Energy Procedia, v. 4, Proceedings of 10th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies GHGT10, September 19‒23, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, p. 3478‒3485.
Nicot, J. -P., and Hovorka, S. D., 2009, Chapter 17. Leakage pathways from potential CO2 storage sites and importance of open traps: case of the Texas Gulf Coast, in Grobe, M., Pashin, J. C., and Dodge, R. L., eds., Carbon dioxide sequestration in geological media—state of the science: AAPG Studies in Geology, 59, p. 321–334. Hovorka, S. D., Doughty, Christine, and Holtz, M. H., 2005, Testing efficiency of storage in the subsurface: Frio Brine Pilot Experiment, in Wilson, M., Morris, T., Gale, J., and Thambimuthu, K., eds., Greenhouse gas control technologies: San Diego, Elsevier, Volume II, 1361–1372. Romanak, K. D., Smyth, R. C., Yang, C., Hovorka, S. D., Rearick, M., and Lu, J., 2012, Sensitivity of groundwater systems to CO2: application of a site-specific analysis of carbonate monitoring parameters at the SACROC CO2-enhanced oil field: International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, v. 5, no. 1, p. 142‒152. Lu, J., Cook, P. J., Hosseini, S. A., Yang, C., Romanak, K. D., Zhang, T., Freifeld, B. M., Smyth, R. C., Zeng, H., and Hovorka, S. D., 2012, Complex fluid flow revealed by monitoring CO2 injection in a fluvial formation: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 117, B03208, doi:10.1029/2011JB008939.
Selected Committees
Member BIG CCS review group, IEA GHG Monitoring Network; GHGT 2014 Steering committee host location
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