University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Michael H. Young

Dr. Michael H. Young

Dr. Michael H. Young

Associate Director, Environmental Division
Bureau of Economic Geology
The University of Texas at Austin
University Station, Box X
Austin, Texas 78713-8924
Email
Telephone
512-475-8830
Fax
512-471-0140
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Michael Young is responsible for coordinating environmental related research. He came to the Bureau in 2010 from Desert Research Institute (DRI), Nevada, where he served most recently as Acting Executive Director of the Division of Hydrologic Sciences and as Research Professor. He has broad experience in administration, research, teaching, and mentorship. His personal research directions are in vadose zone hydrology, soil science and ecohydrology. Michael has published extensively in the fields of water resources and soil science and is a former Editor for Vadose Zone Journal, a leading publication in unsaturated zone processes. Michael also sits on the Graduate Studies Committee in the Jackson School of Geosciences. He was recently elected as Fellow of the Geological Society of America and Soil Science Society of America.

  • Researcher ID
  • Research Interests

    Water/energy nexus

    Soil/water/plant interactions and solute transport in arid vadose zones

    Groundwater recharge

    Connections between water resources, landscape development, and human interactions

  • Education

    Ph.D., Soil and Water Science (Soil Physics/Hydrology), Univ. of Ariz., Tucson, AZ, 1995

    M.S., Geological Sciences (Hydrogeology), Ohio University, Athens, OH, 1986

    B.A., Geology (cum laude with honors), Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY, 1983

  • Professional History

    Associate Director-Bureau of Economic Geology, 2010-present—The University of Texas at Austin, Earth and Environmental Systems, Austin, TX

    Acting Executive Director-Division of Hydrologic Sciences, 2008-2010-Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, NV

    Assistant/Associate/Research Professor—Division of Hydrologic Sciences, 2000-2010, Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, NV

    Senior Research Scientist-School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1998-2000-Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

    Assistant Research Scientist-Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, 1996-1998-University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

    Research Specialist (Senior)-Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, 1990-1996-University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

    Hydrogeologist/Field Ops. Leader, 1988-1990-C.C. Johnson & Malhotra, Silver Spring, MD

    Hydrogeologist/Project Manager—Division of Waste Management, 1986-1988-U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comm., Wash., DC

  • Selected Publications Since 2012

    Baatz, R, Sullivan, P.R., Li, L., Weintraub, S.R., Loescher H.W., Mirtl, M., Groffman, P.M., Young, M. H., and others, 2018, Steering operational synergies in terrestrial observation networks: opportunity for advancing Earth system dynamics modelling: Earth Surface Dynamics, 9:593-609, http://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-593-2018.

    Caldwell, T.G., M. Cosh, T. Bongiovanni, C. Halley, M.H. Young 2018. Field and Laboratory Evaluation of the CS655 Soil Water Content Sensor. Vadose Zone J. http://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2017.12.0214.

    Arciniega-Esparza, S., J.A. Breña-Naranjo, A. Hernández-Espriú, A. Pedrozo-Acuña, B.R. Scanlon, J.-P. Nicot, M.H. Young, B.D. Wolaver. 2017. Baseflow recession analysis in a large shale play: climate variability and anthropogenic alterations mask effects of hydraulic fracturing. J. Hydro. 533:160-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.07.059.

    Pierre, J.P., M.H. Young, B.D. Wolaver, J.R. Andrews, C.L. Breton. 2017. Time series analysis of energy production and associated landscape fragmentation in the Eagle Ford shale play. Env. Mgmt. 60:852-866. doi:10.1007/s00267-017-0925-1.

    Young, M.H., J.H. Andrews, T.G. Caldwell, K. Saylam. 2017. Airborne Lidar and Aerial Imagery to Assess Potential Habitats for the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Rem. Sensing. 9:458. doi:10.3390/rs9050458.

    Young, M.H., L.F. Fenstermaker, J. Belnap. 2017. Monitoring water content dynamics of biological soil crusts. J. Arid Env. 142:41-49. doi: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2017.03.004.

    Anderson, J.S., D.D. Romanak, C. Yang, J. Lu, S.D. Hovorka, M.H. Young. 2017. Gas source attribution techniques for assessing leakage at geologic CO2 storage sites: Evaluating a CO2 and CH4 soil gas anomaly at the Cranfield CO2-EOR site. Chem Geology 454:93-104. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.02.024.

    Abolt, C.J., M.H. Young. T.G. Caldwell. 2017. Numerical modeling of ice-wedge polygon geomorphic transition. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. 28:347-355. doi: 10.1002/ppp.1909.

    Vereecken H., A. Schnepf, J.W. Hopmans, M. Javaux, D. Or, T. Roose, J. Vanderborght, M.H. Young, et al. 2016. Modelling Soil Processes: Key challenges and new perspectives. Vadose Zone J. 15:5, doi:10.2136/vzj2015.09.0131.

    Kelleners, T.J., J. Koonce, R. Shillito, J. Dijkema, M. Berli, M.H. Young, J.M. Frank, W.J. Massman. 2016. Numerical modeling of coupled water flow and heat transport in soil and snow. Soil Sci Soc. Am. J. doi:10.2136/sssaj2015.07.0279.

    Sueki, S., K. Acharya, J. Healey, R. Liebert, J. Huntington, R. Jasoni, M.H. Young. 2015. Defoliation Effect of Tamarisk Biocontrol agent, Diorhabda carinulata, on Evapotranspiration and Groundwater. Ecohydrology. doi: 10.1002/eco.1604.

    Zhu, J., D. Sun, M.H. Young, T.G. Caldwell, F. Pan. 2015. Shrub Spatial Organization and Partitioning of Evaporation and Transpiration in Arid Environments. Ecohydrology. doi: 10.1002/eco.1576. 

    Skaggs, T., M.H. Young, J. Vrugt. 2015. Reproducible research in vadose zone sciences. Vadose Zone J. doi:10.2136/vzj2015.06.0088.

    Chen, L., L. Xiang, M.H. Young, J. Yin, Z. Yu, M.Th. van Genuchten. 2015. Optimal Parameters for the Green-Ampt Infiltration Model under Rainfall Condition. J. Hydrol. Hydromech. 63:93-101, doi: 10.1515/johh-2015-0012.

    Karagunduz, A., M.H. Young., K.D. Pennell. 2015. Influence of Surfactants on Unsaturated Flow and Solute Transport. Water Resour. Res. 51:1977-1988. doi: 10.1002/2014WR015845

    Pierre, J.P., C.J. Abolt, M.H. Young. 2015. Impacts from above-ground activities in the Eagle Ford Shale play on landscapes and hydrologic flows, La Salle County, Texas. Env. Mgmt. 55:1262-1275. doi: 10.1007/s00267-015-0492-2. 

    Meyer, N.A., D.O. Breecker, M.H. Young, M.E. Litvak. 2014. Simulating the Role of Vegetation in Formation of Pedogenic Carbonate. Soil Sci Soc. Am. J. doi:10.2136/sssaj2013.08.0326.

    Wolaver, B.D., C.E. Cook, D.L. Sunding, S.F. Hamilton, B.R. Scanlon, M.H. Young, X. Xu, R.C. Reedy. 2014. Potential Economic Impacts of Environmental Flows for Central Texas Freshwater Mussels. J. Am Water Res. Assoc. doi: 10.1111/jawr.12171.

    Young, M.H., R. L. Green, M. McCullough, D.A. Devitt, L. Wright, B. Vanderford, S.A. Snyder. 2014. 
    Field-Scale Monitoring of Pharmaceutical Compounds Applied to Active Golf Courses by Recycled Water. J. Environ. Qual. 43:658–670. doi:10.2134/jeq2013.07.0299.

    Yang, C., S.D. Hovorka, M.H. Young, R. Trevino. 2014. Geochemical sensitivity to CO2 leakage: Detection in potable aquifers at carbon sequestration sites. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology. 4:1-16. DOI: 10.1002/ghg.1406.

    Vrugt, J.A., D. Or, M.H. Young. 2013. Vadose Zone Journal: The First Ten Years. Vadose Zone J. doi:10.2136/vzj2013.10.0186.

    Scanlon, B.R., R.C. Reedy, I.J. Duncan, W. F. Mullican, M.H. Young. 2013. Controls and Trends in the Water Footprint of Thermoelectric Generation: Case Study Texas, U.S. Env. Sci. and Tech. doi: 10.1021/es4029183.

    Devitt, D.A., L. Wright and M. H. Young. 2013. Water and salt balances of turfgrass and bare soil irrigated with recycled water in an arid environment. Agron. J. 105:1051–1060. doi:10.2134/agronj2012.0126.

    Zhang, Y., C. Papelis, M.H. Young, M. Berli. 2013. Challenges in the application of fractional-derivative models in capturing solute transport in porous media: Darcy-scale fractional dispersion and the influence of medium properties. Math Prob. in Engin. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/878097.

    Caldwell, T.G., T. Wohling, M.H. Young, D.P. Boyle. E.V. McDonald. 2013. Characterizing disturbed desert soils using multiobjective parameter optimization. Vadose Zone J. doi: 10.2136/vzj2012.0083.

    Yu, Z. W. Dong, M.H. Young, Y. Li, T. Yang. 2013. On evaluating characteristics of solute transport in the arid vadose zone. Groundwater. doi: 10.1111/gwat.12026.
    Caldwell, T.G., M.H. Young, E.V. McDonald, J. Zhu. 2012. Soil heterogeneity in arid shrublands: biotic and abiotic processes. Water Resour. Res. doi:10.1029/2012WR011963.

    Chief, K., M.H. Young, D.S. Shafer. 2012. Low-intensity, fire-induced changes of soil structure and hydraulic properties in a woodland-rangeland ecosystem. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 76:1965–1977. doi:10.2136/sssaj2012.0072.

    Wright, L., D.A. Devitt, M.H. Young, J. Gan, B. Vanderford, S.A. Snyder, M. McCullough, and L. Dodgen. 2012. Fate and transport of Thirteen pharmaceutical and personal care products in a controlled and irrigated turfgrass system. Agron. J. 104:1244-1254.

  • Current Services

    Graduate Studies Committee, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT-Austin, 2010 – present

    Graduate Studies Committee, Energy and Earth Resources Program, UT-Austin, 2014 – present

    Consulting Editor, Vadose Zone Journal, 2016 – present

    Co-Director, International Soil Modeling Consortium, 2016 – present

    Member, Soil Systems and Critical Zone Processes, AGU, 2012 – present

    Member, National Academies, Geoscience Briefing Consortium, 2015 – present