John Barrett Gates
Professional Summary
August 13, 2009
Business address: The University of Texas at Austin
Bureau of Economic Geology
University Station, Box X
Austin, Texas 78713-8924
(512) 471-5739
E-mail address: john.gates@beg.utexas.edu
Academic Background
B.S. Mathematics (Magna cum Laude), University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 2003
M.Sc. (with Distinction) Environmental Change and Management, University of Oxford, 2003
Ph.D. Physical Geography, University of Oxford, 2007
Areas of Expertise
A. Hydrogeology.
B. Geochemical and isotopic tracers.
C. Groundwater recharge estimation.
D. Paleohydrology and climate.
E. Water resource management.
F. Environmental history.
G. Arid regions.
Professional Work Experience
A. Present Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at
Austin (2007 - Present).
Research affiliated with the Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences.
B. College Instructor, University of Oxford (2005 - 2007).
Statistics tutorials for St. Hilda’s College (Trinity 2005); Harris Manchester College (2004–2005);
St. Peter’s College (Trinity 2006) and Hertford College (Trinity 2006); Water Resources
Management tutorials for St Hugh's College Summer School (2006–2007).
C. Lecturer, University of Oxford (2005 - 2006).
Lecturing and leading practicals for the School of Geography and the Environment undergraduate
Quantitative Analysis courses.
D. Laboratory Instructor, University of Oxford (2005 - 2006).
Leader of analytical geochemistry practicals for the M.Sc. in Water Science and Policy (2005–
2006).
E Associate, Environment International Ltd., Seattle, Washington (2003 - 2004).
Consultant on environmental sampling, modeling, and statistics for NEPA/SEPA and Brownfield
redevelopment projects.
F. Adjunct Instructor, Rich Mountain Community College, Arkansas (2001 - 2002).
Teacher and tutor, mathematics courses up to Calculus I.
Professional Societies
American Geophysical Union
British Society for Geomorphology
Geological Society of America
International Association of Hydrogeologists
Awards and Honorary Societies
Recipient, Postgraduate Research Grant, British Geomorphological Research Group, 2006
Recipient, Royal Society (UK) Dudley Stamp Research Award, 2006
Distinctions for M.Sc. degree and dissertation, University of Oxford, 2004
Recipient, CC Reeves Scholarship in Physical Geography, University of Oxford (declined), 2004
St. Catherine's College Grant, 2002
SILO Undergraduate Research Fellowship, University of Arkansas, 2001
University of Arkansas Chancellor’s Scholar, 1998
University of Arkansas Department of Mathematical Sciences Richardson Mathematics Scholar, 1998
Committee Responsibilities and Professional Activities
Coordinator, Centre for the Environment Conference, Oxford University, 2006
Editor, Proceedings, Centre for the Environment Conference, "The Future for Oxfordshire's Water
Resources", Oxford University, 2006
Group Leader, Hydro-History Working Group, International Association of Research Universities
Young Scholars Network, 2006 - 2007
Managing Co-Editor, Centre for the Environment Research Papers Series, Oxford University, 2006 -
2007
Publications
Articles
Peer Reviewed
Scanlon, B. R., Stonestrom, D. A., Reedy, R. C., Leaney, F. W., Gates, John, and Cresswell, R.
G., 2009, Inventories and mobilization of unsaturated zone sulfate, fluoride, and chloride related
to land use change in semiarid regions, southwestern United States and Australia: Water
Resources Research, v. 45, DOI W00a18
10.1029/2008wr006963.
Gates, J. B., Edmunds, W. M., Ma, J., and Scanlon, B. R., 2008, Estimating groundwater recharge
in a cold desert environment in northern China using chloride: Hydrogeology Journal, v. 16, p.
893–910.
Ma, J., Ding, Z., Gates, J. B., and Su, Y., 2008, Chloride and the environmental isotopes as the
indicators of the groundwater recharge in the Gobi Desert, northwest China: Environmental
Geology, v. 55, no. 7, 13 p., DOI 10.1007/s00254-007-1091-1.
Gates, J. B., Bohlke, J. K., and Edmunds, W. M., 2008, Ecohydrological factors affecting nitrate
concentrations in a phreatic desert aquifer in northwestern China: Environmental Science and
Technology, v. 42, p. 3531–3537.
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Ma, J., Ding, Zhenyu, Edmunds, W. M., Gates, J. B., and Huang, Tianming, 2008, Limits to
recharge of groundwater from Tibetan plateau to Gobi desert, implications for water
management in the mountain front: Journal of Hydrology, v. 364, p. 128–141.
Gates, J. B., Edmunds, W. M., Darling, W. G., Ma, J., Pang, Z., and Young, A. A., 2008,
Conceptual model of recharge to southeastern Badain Jaran Desert groundwater and lakes
from environmental tracers: Applied Geochemistry, v. 23, p. 3519–3534.
Gates, J. B., Edmunds, W. M., Ma, J., and Sheppard, P. R., 2008, A 700-year history of
groundwater recharge in the drylands of NW China: The Holocene, v. 18, no. 7, p. 1045–1054.
Gates, J. B., 2005, Groundwater irrigation in the development of the Grand Prairie rice industry:
Arkansas Historical Quarterly, v. 64, no. 4, p. 394–413.
Abstracts
Gates, John, Scanlon, B. R., and Xingman, M., 2008, Impacts of soil conservation measures on
vadose zone drainage in the Loess Plateau, China (abs.): Geological Society of America,
Abstracts with Programs, abstract 62-14.
Reedy, R. C., Scanlon, B. R., and Gates, J. B., 2008, Groundwater depletion versus soil salinization in
irrigated agriculture in semiarid southern High Plains, Texas (abs.): Eos, v. 89, no. 53, Fall
Meeting Supplement, Abstract H11G-0853.
Scanlon, B. R., Stonestrom, D. A., Reedy, R. C., and Gates, J. B., 2008, Impacts of climate variability
and change on water quality (abs.): Eos, v. 89, no. 53, Fall Meeting Supplement, Abstract H13J-
01.
Gates, J. B., Nicot, J. -P., and Scanlon, B. R., 2008, Spatial distribution of arsenic in the Texas gulf
coastal aquifer system and inferences regarding hydrogeochemical controls (abs.): Eos, v. 89, no.
53, Fall Meeting Supplement, Abstract H41E-925.
Gates, J. B., Ma, J., Edmunds, W. M., and Sheppard, P. R., 2007, East Asian monsoon variability and
groundwater recharge in Northern China (abs.): Geological Society of America Abstracts with
Programs, v. 36, no. 6.
Gates, J. B., and Edmunds, W. M., 2007, Identifying salinity sources and recharge mechanisms with
stable isotopes: The Badain Jaran Desert, China (abs.): Geological Society of America Abstracts
with Programs, v. 36, no. 6.
Edmunds, W. M., Ma, J., and Gates, J. B., 2007, Geochemical indicators of water scarcity in
Northwestern China (abs.), in 12th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, July 31–
August 5, Kunming.
Gates, J. B., Edmunds, W. M., and Ma, J., 2006, Recharge rates to the Badain Jaran Desert, Inner
Mongolia (abs.), in 34th Congress of International Association of Hydrogeologists, October 9–13,
Beijing.
Gates, J. B., Edmunds, W. M., and Ma, J., 2006, Evidence for palaeowaters in the drylands of NW
China (abs.), in International Workshop on the Isotope Effects in Evaporation, May 3–6, Pisa.
Gates, J. B., and Edmunds, W. M., 2006, Recharge investigations in an arid region of northwestern
China using geochemical methods and environmental tracers (abs.), in Research in Progress
Meeting, Geochemistry Group of the Mineralogical Society of London, March 7, London.
Gates, J. B., 2005, Paleohydrology of the Badain Jaran Desert (NW China) from unsaturated zone
records (abs.), in Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers Postgraduate
Forum, February 19, Nottingham.
Thesis
Groundwater depletion in the Grand Prairie: A historical perspective.
Dissertation
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Groundwater recharge and palaeohydrology of the Badain Jaran Desert, NW China.
Research Support
Co-Investigator: NERC (allocation # OSS/313/0506), UK Natural Environment Research Council
(2007, $13,200).
Co-Investigator: NERC (allocation # 1206.106), UK Natural Environment Research Council (2007,
$12,500).
Co-Investigator: NERC (allocation # 1141.1005), RCL (2006, $18,000).
Investigator: Hong Kong Grant, Royal Geographical Society (2006, $5,000).
Lecturing
Lectures and Addresses
Identifying salinity sources and recharge mechanisms with stable isotopes: The Badain Jaran Desert,
China: presented at Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, October 2007.
East Asian Monsoon variability and groundwater recharge in Northern China: presented at Geological
Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, October 2007.
Geochemical indicators of water scarcity in Northwestern China: presented at 12th International
Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, Kunming, China, July 2007.
Recharge rates to the Badain Jaran Desert, Inner Mongolia: presented at 34th Congress of
International Association of Hydrogeologists, Beijing, China, October 9–13, 2006.
Evidence for palaeowaters in the drylands of NW China: presented at International Workshop on the
Isotope Effects in Evaporation, Pisa, Italy, May 3–6, 2006.
Recharge investigations in an arid region of northwestern China using geochemical methods and
environmental tracers: presented at Research in Progress Meeting, Geochemistry Group of the
Mineralogical Society of London, London, England, March 7, 2006.
Paleohydrology of the Badain Jaran Desert (NW China) from unsaturated zone records: presented at
Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers Postgraduate Forum, Nottingham,
England, February 19, 2006.
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