Dean Whitman

Research Areas

Hydrogeophysics

Geophysical methods provide cost-effective, noninvasive techniques for characterizing aquifer properties. We are using an AGI SWIFT/STING 28-electrode resistivity imaging system to explore innovative applications to environmental problems in South Florida. Current projects include investigations of submarine groundwater discharge, saltwater intrusion, and azimuthal electrical anisotrophy in the Biscayne aquifer.

Geologic and Environmental Hazards

Because of its geographic location and burgeoning population, the state of Florida is vulnerable to a wide range of environmental hazards. Remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technology provide tools for studying, understanding, and mitigating these hazards. Current research focuses on several areas related to these hazards. Projects include: application of airborne LIDAR mapping to assess shoreline impact of storms and to map precise topography in coastal areas susceptible to hurricane storm surge; the use of Satellite imagery to study land use changes in Florida; and the use of remotely sensed data sets and GIS to study the factors related to the formation of sinkholes in central and northern Florida.

Regional Tectonics

An additional research interest is the crust and upper mantle structure, tectonics, and isostasy of young compressional mountain belts. Previous and current research centers on the gross lithospheric structure of the central Andean Plateau of Peru, Bolivia and Northwest Argentina and the northern Andes of Colombia and Venezuela. This research combines analysis of upper mantle seismic wave propagation with modeling of regional gravity data and digital topography.