Alan E. Kehew

Professor
Hydrochemistry, Glacial Geology

3325 Rood Hall
(269) 387-5495
FAX (269) 387-5513

Education

Ph.D. 1977 (Geology) University of Idaho
M.Sc. 1971 (Earth Science) Montana State University
B.Sc. 1969 (Geology) Bucknell University

Courses Taught

GGEOS 4320 - Geomorphology
GEOS 4360 - Glacial Geology
GEOS 5060 - Indroduction to Soils
GEOS 6000 - Hydrogeochemistry
GEOS 1300 - Physical geology (engineering and non-engineering sections)

Research

Hydrogeochemistry of natural and contaminated aquifer systems, Glacial Geology of Southwestern Michigan

My interests are broadly focused in surficial geology, particularly in the areas of hydrogeology, glacial geology, and environmental geology. In hydrogeology, my interests lie in water quality problems associated with both point and non-point sources of contamination. Agricultural non-point contamination has been a recent emphasis. Also, for the past 15 years, I have been mapping the glacial geology in southwestern Michigan in order to better understand glacial processes, stratigraphy, and aquifer occurrence and protection.

Current Interests

Glacial mapping in Allegan and Barry Counties, Michigan. Mapping is funded by the STATEMAP and EDMAP programs of the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as by the Midwest Geological Mapping Coalition (also USGS), and administered by the Office of Geological Survey, Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality. The goal of this work is to understand the dynamics, chronology, and deposits of the Saginaw and Lake Michigan Lobes. As these deposits contain the vast majority of groundwater and aggregate resources in this part of Michigan, better characterization is critical to management and protection of these resources. One current emphasis is the origin of tunnel channels (valleys), which are eroded by subglacial meltwater and sometimes contain thick gravel deposits and aquifers suitable for high capacity wells. The origin of tunnel channels is highly controversial and recent drilling associated with mapping projects is providing constraints on their formation.
Natural attenuation of BTEX plumes. This work involves investigation of groundwater concentration trends of compounds in plumes derived from gasoline releases. These trends show a strong relationship with water table fluctuations as well as natural attenuation of the compounds. I am using a large data set collected by a local consulting firm in these studies.
Lake Michigan Bluff dewatering: This project, with Principal Investigator Ron Chase, is funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers. State-of-the-art slope monitoring is being done at three locations near South Haven, Michigan in order to study the processes of bluff failure, including the role of groundwater, and to test multiple dewatering strategies on recession rates.
Hydrology and hydrogeology of Sinai and Upper Egypt. I have been involved in several recent projects whose objectives include origin, age, flow, and contamination of groundwater in Egypt. I have also studied flash flood deposits in steep mountain drainage basins in the Sinai and tried to reconstruct the discharge and velocity based on boulder size.

Recent Publications

Kehew, A.E., 2001, Applied Chemical Hydrogeology. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 368p.

Kehew, A.E. 2006. Geology for Engineers and Environmental Scientists, 3 rd Edition: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 696 p.

Unterreiner, G.A. and Kehew, A.E. 2005. Spatial and temporal distribution of herbicides and herbicide degradates in a shallow glacial drift aquifer/surface water system, southwestern Michigan. Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation, v. 25, no. 2, p. 1-10.

Kehew, A.E., Beukema, S. P., Bird, B.C. and Kozlowski :, A.L. 2005. Fast flow of the Lake Michigan Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet: evidence from sediment-landform assemblages in southwestern Michigan, USA, Quaternary Science Reviews 24 2335-2353

Kehew, A.E., Lord, M.L., and Kozlowski, A.L. 2007. Glacifluvial landforms of erosion: in Elias, S.A., Ed-in-Chief, Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science, Elsevier, p 818-830

Kehew, A. E. and Kozlowski, A.L. 2007. Tunnel Channels of the Saginaw Lobe, Michigan, USA, in, Johannsson, P., and Sarala, P. (eds.) Applied Quaternary research in the central part of glaciated terrain, Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 46, pp. 69-77.

Kehew, A.E., Lord, M.L., Kozlowski, A.L. and Fisher, T.G. 2009. Proglacial megaflooding along the margins of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. In, Burr, D., Carling, P.A., and Baker, V.R., Megaflooding on Earth and Mars, Cambridge University Press. P. 104-127.

Kehew, A.E., Milewski, A., and Soliman F. 2010, Reconstructing an extreme flood from boulder transport and rainfall-runoff modeling: Wadi Isla, South Sinai Egypt: Global and Planetary Change. In Press

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