Post-doctoral Fellow
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
cmrichar@ucsc.edu
Research interests: Coastal hydrology, aquatic biogeochemistry, and water quality changes associated with landscape disturbances/anthropogenic stressors
Biography
As a coastal hydrologist, I study the complex interplay between hydrologic and biogeochemical processes in aquatic environments. Specifically, I am interested in understanding the impacts of human activity (wastewater, climate change) and landscape disturbances (wildfire) on solute sources, transformations, and fate in coastal, estuarine, and riverine systems. To accomplish this, I typically employ a multi-tracer approach that utilizes stable isotopes, radioisotopes, and/or other geochemical data.
My research is motivated by science that has real-world applications. For instance, my previous work on wastewater contamination of coastal groundwater in Hawaii contributed to statewide policy changes, and I am currently working on a project to better understand how wildfire impacts the water quality of local drinking water sources in central coastal California.
I am also passionate about building a more equitable geosciences community. To this end, I co-founded and currently help lead GEMS, a virtual and free mentoring program for students interested in geosciences. Check it out here: https://gems-program.org!
I received a BS in Marine Biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz (2013), an MS in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa (2016), and a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of California at Santa Cruz (2020).