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About Dr. William P. Anderson Jr.

Dr. William P. Anderson Jr. is a hydrogeologist. He uses groundwater modeling techniques and field data collection to quantify the controls on groundwater flow and solute and heat transport through unconfined aquifers. In general, this water begins as recharge and flows through an unconfined aquifer until it returns to the surface through some form of groundwater discharge (submarine groundwater discharge in marine settings, baseflow in riparian settings). He studies this general problem in a variety of settings, from coastal barrier and barrier-island aquifers of the Outer Banks and southwestern England and Wales to the alluvial aquifers adjacent to mountain streams in northwestern North Carolina. Climate controls on water availability to the groundwater system also are a component of his research. Field-data collections and laboratory experiments (numerical and analytical simulations) are the tools that he uses to conduct experiments with field data or to generate synthetic data for analysis.

Anderson has been a member of the Appalachian geology faculty since 2004 and is former chair of the Department of Geology, now called the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences. He teaches courses in introductory hydrology, advanced hydrogeology and engineering geology. Previously, he was tenure-track faculty member at Illinois State University and Radford University.

Areas of Expertise
Groundwater-surface-water interactions
Groundwater modeling
Long-term environmental impacts of coastal flooding and sea-level change on underground freshwater aquifers
Impacts of road salt and heated runoff on freshwater stream systems
Urban hydrology and hydrogeology
Drought-related impacts on groundwater and stream levels

Positions

Present Faculty Member, Appalachian State University ‐ College of Arts and Sciences
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Present Professor and Chair, Appalachian State University ‐ Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
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Disciplines

Research Interests

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Honors and Awards

  • Boggess Award for the best paper published during 2014 in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 2015

Courses

  • ENV 1010 Introduction to Environmental Science
  • GLY 1104 Water: Mountains to Sea

Education

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B.C.E., University of Dayton ‐ Department of Civil Engineering
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M.S., University of Maine ‐ Geological Sciences
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B.S., University of Dayton ‐ Geology
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Ph.D., North Carolina State University ‐ Earth Sciences
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Links

Contact Information

andersonwp@appstate.edu
828-262-7540

In the News (3)

Downloadable Image (1)

Research Works (22)