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Mark Cuthbert

Professor Mark Cuthbert

Professor

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Overview

I work on a broad range of topics related to Earth's Water with a primary specialism in groundwater sustainability, and particular interests in groundwater's interconnections to other Earth and socio-cultural systems. Please get in touch for more information about my research, for copies of papers, or if you are interested in collaborating.

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2007

2002

Articles

Conferences

Research

Groundwater sustainability

What is the difference between renewability and sustainability when it comes to groundwater? How can we best develop strategies for sustainable groundwater management, a critical part of meeting our global food-water-energy needs while working with the rest of the natural world?

Key papers: Cuthbert et al. (2023)Gleeson et al. (2020) AREPS; Ferguson et al. (2020)

Groundwater recharge

How and why does groundwater recharge occur? How has recharge changed as the climate has varied, and how might it in the future? How can we best estimate groundwater recharge?

Key papers: Cuthbert et al. (2019) NatureCuthbert et al. (2016) WRRCuthbert et al. (2013) HESSCuthbert (2010) WRR; Cuthbert et al. (2010)a JoH; Cuthbert et al. (2010)b JoW&CCCuthbert et al. (2009) QJEG&H

Climate-Groundwater Interactions and Paleohydrology

How has groundwater availability varied with climate over Earth’s history? How has this influenced the evolution of humans and other species? How will future climate change affect groundwater availability?

A better understanding of climate-groundwater interactions in the past and present is crucial to developing strategies for future human resilience to climate change.

Key papers: Cuthbert et al. (2019) Nature Climate ChangeCuthbert et al. (2017) Nature CommunicationsHolman et al. (2012) HJ

Hydrological Controls on Paleoclimate Proxy Archive Geochemistry

How do features of the water chemistry that are preserved in speleothems vary along a flow path from ‘drop’ (rainfall) to ‘drip’ (cave exfiltration)? How do groundwater inputs to lakes influence the chemistry of lake carbonate deposits?

Improved processes understanding of the links between hydrology, climate and the geochemistry of terrestrial paleoclimate proxy archives in the present, can improve our understanding and models of past climates.

Key papers: Markowska et al. GCA (2020); Jones, Cuthbert et al. (2016) QSR;  Rau, Cuthbert et al. (2015) QSRCuthbert et al. 2014 EPSL; Cuthbert et al. 2014 Sci. Rep.

Surface water-groundwater interactions

What are the fundamental controls on exchange fluxes between surface water and groundwater? How does human activity change these dynamics? How can we best estimate these fluxes?

Such interactions control catchment water quality and hydroecological health and are fundamental for underpinning sound integrated catchment management.

Key papers: Quichimbo et al. (2020) HPRau et al. (2017) AWRRoshan et al. 2014 AWR;  Krause et al. 2014 WRR;  Cuthbert & Mackay 2013 WRRCuthbert et al. 2010 AWR

Groundwater flow and transport processes

What governs the form of groundwater recessions? How can we characterise preferential flow phenomena in porous media? How do bacteria move in the subsurface? How can biomineralisation be used for reducing the spread of groundwater contaminants?

Exploring fundamental groundwater flow and transport processes is critical to managing human impact on the natural environment.

Key papers: Rau et al. (2018) JGRCuthbert 2014 WRRTobler et al. 2014; Handley-Sidhu et al. 2014;  Cuthbert et al 2013 ES&T

Teaching

Water in the Environment Module (EAT109) - Water in a Changing World MSc

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/water-in-a-changing-world-msc

Water in the Geological Environment Module (EAT117) - Applied Environmental Geology MSc

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/applied-environmental-geology

Advanced Environmental Geoscience Module (EA3306) - 2nd Year Undergraduate Programme in Environmental Geoscience

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/2022/environmental-geoscience-bsc

Biography

Career overview

  • 2024 - present: Professor, School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, UK
  • 2020 - 2024: Principal Research Fellow & Reader, Cardiff University, UK
  • 2017 - 2020: NERC Independent Research Fellow & Lecturer, Cardiff University, UK
  • 2017 - 2017: Research Fellow, Water Research Institute, Cardiff University, UK
  • 2016 - 2017: Senior Research Associate, University College London, UK
  • 2014 - 2016: Research Fellow, University of Birmingham, UK
  • 2012 - 2014: Marie Curie Research Fellow: University of New South Wales, Australia
  • 2008 - 2012: Research Fellow, University of Birmingham, UK

+ 6 years outside academia in Environmental Consultancy & the charitable sector

Education and qualifications

  • 2006: PhD (Hydrogeology) University of Birmingham, UK
  • 1999: MSc (Hydrogeology & Groundwater Resources), University College London, UK
  • 1998: BA, MA (Earth Sciences), University of Oxford, UK

Supervisions

Current supervision

Nurudeen Oshinlaja

Nurudeen Oshinlaja

Research Associate

Ashley Patton

Ashley Patton

Research student

Kasongo Shutsha

Kasongo Shutsha

PhD Student/Research Assistant

Katherine Cocking

Katherine Cocking

Graduate Demonstrator