Areas of Specialization

• Vadose Zone Hydrology
• Groundwater Hydrology
• Stochastic Hydrology
• Contaminant Transport

Current Research

Dr. Selker's research includes development of passive capillary sampling devices for vadose-zone sampling, tensiometers and tensioninfiltrometers for site characterization, and use of LUX light-emitting microbes for continuous in-situ monitoring of microbial colonization and movement in unsaturated media.

One-dimensional work includes tracking of nutrient and pesticide leaching on 20 commercial fields, testing of the efficacy of cover crops on reduction of nutrient loading, and effects of irrigation methods on leaching of contaminants under agricultural production.

Lab experiments are conducted in three facilities, including many column and chamber experiments investigating transport, degradation, and retention of materials as a function of microbial, geologic, and hydrologic conditions.

Numerical research includes simulation of two and three-phase flow in porous media, focusing on the role of local heterogeneity upon fate and transport. Capillary barrier systems are included in field, lab, and numerical investigations.

Recent Publications

Vercauteren N., E. Bou-Zeid, M.B. Parlange, U. Lemmin, H. Huwald, J.S. Selker, C. Meneveau. Subgrid-Scale Dynamics of Water Vapor, Heat, and Momentum Over a Lake. In press as of 5/2008. Boundary Layer Meteorology

Selker, J.S. J. Gabrielli, C. Gregory, C. Saydec, N. Tufillaro, R. Haggerty, A. Kennedy, R. Harris, E. Hester, S. Tyler, M. Hausner, F. Day-Lewis, J. Lane, R. Henderson, R. Tanner, S. Senften, C. Soto, A. Sawyer, A. Marzadri, P. Gerla, B. Gungle, (2008), Taking the Temperature of Ecological Systems with Fiber Optics Eos Trans. AGU, 89(20).

Tyler, S.W. S.A. Burak, J.P. McNamara, A. Lamontagne, J.S. Selker, and J.Dozier. Spatially distributed temperatures at the base of two mountain snowpacks measured with fiber optic sensors. In press as of 12 May 2008. J. Glaciology (07J090).

Selker, J.S., Fiber Optics for Environmental Sensing. Sensors, May 2008

A. Robinson, C. S. Campbell, J. W. Hopmans, B. K. Hornbuckle, S. B. Jones, R. Knight, F. Ogden, J. Selker, and O. Wendroth. Soil Moisture Measurement for Ecological and Hydrological Watershed-Scale Observatories: A Review. doi: 10.2136/vzj2007.0143 Vadose Zone J 25 2008: 358–389

Kizito F, M. Sene, M.I. Dragila, A. Lufafa, I. Diedhiou, E. Dossa, R. Cuenca, J. Selker, R.P. Dick (2007) Soil water balance of Annual Crop–Native Shrub Systems in Senegal’s Peanut Basin: The Missing Link, Agricultural Water Management 90, 137-148

Moffett, K.B., S.W. Tyler, T. Torgersen, M. Menon, J.S. Selker, and S.M. Gorelick.  Processes Controlling the Thermal Regime of Salt Marsh Channel Beds.  In press as of Nov 2007.  Environmental Science & Technology

Ferre, T. P. A., and J. Selker, A Glass Always Half Full:
Reconsideration of the Wales Apparatus to Apply Constant Head Boundary Conditions, Wat. Resour. Res., 43 W12503, doi:10.1029/2007WR005889.

McDonnell, J.J., M. Sivapalan, K. Vache, S. Dunn, G. Grant. R. Haggerty, C. Hinz, R. Hooper, J. Kirchner, M.L. Roderick, J.S. Selker, and M. Weiler. Moving Beyond Heterogeneity and Process Complexity: A New Vision for Watershed Hydrology. Wat. Resourc. Res. Doi:10.1029/2006WR005467.2007.

Westhoff, M.C., H. H. G. Savenije, W. M. J . Luxemburg, G. S. Stelling, N. C. van de Giesen1, J. S. Selker, L. Pfister, and S. Uhlenbrook. A distributed stream temperature model using high resolution temperature observations. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 11, 1469–1480, 2007

Burns, E.R., M.I. Dragila, J.S. Selker, R.B. Guenther, J.-Y. Parlange and N. Weisbrod. Correction of the Buckingham–Darcy Law for flow of high strength salts in variably saturated porous media. Ad. Wat Resour.  30(3):469-482. 2007.

Selker, J.S., N. van de Giesen, M. Westhoff, W. Luxemburg, and

M. Parlange.  Fiber Optics Opens Window on Stream Dynamics. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, DOI:10.1029/2006GLO27979, 2006

Selker, J.S., L. Thévenaz, H. Huwald, A. Mallet, W. Luxemburg, N. van de Giesen, M. Stejskal, J. Zeman, and M. Westhoff, and M.B. Parlange.Distributed Fiber Optic Temperature Sensing for Hydrologic Systems. Water Resource Research 

42, W12202, doi:10.1029/2006WR005326. 2006

Assouline, S., J.S. Selker and J.Y. Parlange. A simple accurate method to predict time of ponding under variable intensity rainfall. Wat. Resourc. Research 43, W03426 doi:10.1029/2006WR005138. 2006.

Selker, J.S., M.R. Niemet, N.G. McDuffie, S.M. Gorelick and J.Y. Parlange.

The Local Geometry of Gas Injection into Saturated Homogeneous Porous Media. Transport in Porous Media. DOI 10.1007/s11242-006-0005-0. 2006. 

Rockhold, M.L., R.R. Yarwood, M.R. Niemet N.G., P.J. Bottomley, F.J. Brockman and J.S. Selker. Visualization and Modeling of the Colonization Dynamics of a Bioluminescent Bacterium in Variably Saturated, Translucent Quartz Sand. Advances in Water Resources. 30:1593-1607 2007

Yarwood, R.R., M.L. Rockhold, M.R. Niemet, J.S. Selker, and P.J. Bottomley. Impact of Microbial Growth on Water Flow and Solute Transport in Unsaturated Porous Media. Wat. Resourc. Research. 42, W10405, doi:10.1029/2005WR004550. 2006.

Ochiai, N., E. Kraft and J.S. Selker. Methods for Visualization of Colloid Transport in Pore Networks. Water Res. Research DOI 10.1029/2006WR004961.2006

Robinson, D. J. Selker, B. Bowden, J. Duncan, J. Durant, R. Hooper, J. Jacobs, and R. Knight. Survey Provides Guidance for Consortium's Hydrologic Measurement Facility. EOS Trans. AGU, 87(23), 222, 10.1029-2006EO230004. 2006

Burns, E.R., J.S. Selker, J.-Y. Parlange, R.B. Guenther. Effects of sodium chloride on Constitutive Relations in Variably Saturated Porous Media. Water Resources Research 42, W05405, DOI:10.1029/2005WR004060. 2006

Kizito, F., M. Dragila, M. Sene, A. Lufafa, I. Diedhiou, R.P. Dick, J.S. Selker, E. Dossa, M. Khouma, A. Badiane and S. Ndiaye. Seasonal Soil Water Variation and Root Patterns Between Two Semi-Arid Shrubs Co-Existing with Pearl Millet in Senagal, West Africa. Journal of Arid Environments 67(3):436-455. 2006

Parker, L., R. Yarwood, and J.S. Selker. Observations of Gas Flow in Porous Media using a Light Transmission Technique. Water Resour. Res., 42, W05501, doi:10.1029/2005WR004080. 2006.

Burns, E.R., J.-Y. Parlange, J.S. Selker, and R.B. Guenther. Thermodynamic Correction for Salts in Variably Saturated Porous Media. 63(3):381-398. Transport in Porous Media. 2006.

Rupp, D. E., J. S. Selker. 2006. On the Use of the Boussinesq Equation for Interpreting Recession Hydrographs from Sloping Aquifers, Water Resources Research (42), W12421, doi: 10.1029/2006WR005080.

Rupp, D.E. and J.S. Selker. Information, artifacts, and noise in dQ/dt – Q recession analysis. Adv. Wat. Resour. 29(2):154-160. 2006.

Rupp, D.E., K. Warren, E. Peachy and J.S. Selker. Diuron in Surface Runoff and Tile Drainage from Two Grass-Seed Fields. J. Env. Qual. 35:303-311. 2006.

Selker, J.S., Hydrologic Measurement Facility Conducts User Survey. EOS Trans AGA, 86(47), 486, 10.1029/2005EO470005. 2005.

Selker, J.S. and D. Rupp. An environmentally driven time integrating water sampler. Water Resources Research. 41, W09201, doi:10.1029/2005WR004040. 2005.

Rupp, D.E. and J.S. Selker. Drainage of a horizontal Boussinesq aquifer with a power-law hydraulic conductivity profile. Water Resources Research. 41. doi:10.1029/2005WR004241. 2005.

Li, L., D.A. Lockington, M.B. Parlange, F. Stagnitti, D.-S. Jeng, J.S. Selker, A.S. Telyakovskiy, D.A. Barry, J.-Y. Parlange. Similarity solution of axisymmetric flow in porous media. Adv. Wat. Resour. 28(10): 1076-1082. 2005.

Rockhold, M.L., R.R. Yarwood, M.R. Niemet, P.J. Bottomley, and J.S. Selker. Experimental observations and numerical modeling of coupled microbial and transport processes in variably saturated sand. Vadose Zone J. 4:407-417. doi:10.2136/vzj2004.0087. 2005.

Blume, T., N. Weisbrod, and J.S. Selker. On the critical salt concentrations for particle detachment in homogeneous sand and heterogeneous Hanford sediments. Geoderma, 124(1-2):121-132. 2005.

Selker, J.S. Modeling Variably Saturated Flow with HYDRUS-2D. Vadose Zone Journal 3:725 2004.

Rupp, D.E., J.M. Owens, K.L. Warren and J.S. Selker. Analytical Methods for Estimating Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity in a Tile-Drained Field. Journal of Hydrology 289:111-127. 2004.

Weisbrod, N., M.R. Niemet, M.L. Rockhold, T. McGinnis and J.S. Selker. Migration of Saline Solutions into Variably Saturated Porous Media. Journal of Contaminated Hydrology. 72:109-133. 2004.