Felipe Gallardo Ceron

Profile

MSc Geology (2015) and PGDiploma in Hydrogeology (2021), with experience in the acquisition and analysis of geological, hydrogeological, geophysical and hydrogeochemical data for the development of hydrogeological conceptual models and numerical flow and mass transport models.

I have worked as a Field and Structural Geologist (2012-2014, U. de Chile), Coordinator and Lecturer (2014-2015, U. Mayor) and Hydrogeologist (2017-2022, SQM). During my most recent work experience I was involved in hydrogeological problems related to brine abstraction for lithium production, environmental impact assessments and hydrogeological conceptual modelling.

In October 2022, I moved to Leeds pursuing PhD studies as part of the PANORAMA DTP cohort. During my PhD, I will be studying groundwater flow and transport models aiming to find the best approach for predicting contaminant migration in heterogenenous sediments.

In that context, one of my main objetives is to adequately reconstruct both permeability and sorption fields, and identify the key componentes/layers/variables that control flow and transport in this type of media. At the same time, the effects of climate change, the saline wedge and the behaviour of different sorbing and non-sorbing contaminants will be evaluated and analysed. 

Finally, the project’s outcomes will be applied to Sellafield nuclear legacy site conditions to predict the impact of sediment heterogeneity on the rate of movement of key radionuclides in that site. The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is CASE partner for this project.

Research interests

• Groundwater flow and transport modelling
• Contaminant migration in groundwater
• Hydrogeological conceptual modelling
• HYdrogeochemistry
• Geostatistics
• Climate change

Qualifications

• BSc Geology, Universidad de Chile
• MSc Geology, Universidad de Chile
• PGDiploma Hydrogeology, CSIC-UPC

Research groups and institutes

• Institute of Applied Geoscience
• Earth Surface Science Institute