Crop & Soil Sciences: Personnel: Faculty
David Radcliffe
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Academic Rank: | Professor |
| Academic History: | Ph.D., University of Kentucky 1984 | |
| Area of Expertise: | Soil, Water, & Waste Management | |
| Campus: | Athens | |
| Office Location: | 3105 Miller Plant Sciences Building | |
| Email: | dradclif@uga.edu | |
| Phone: | 706/542-0897 | |
| Fax: | 706/542-0914 | |
| Shipping Address: | 3111 Miller Plant Sciences Building The University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-7272 |
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| Additional Web site: | Soil Physics Laboratory |
Research, Teaching, and Extension Work
My students and I have focused on phosphorous and bacteria loading to streams from agricultural sources. Phosphorus can cause eutrophication of streams and lakes and result in carcinogenic byproducts when lake water is treated with chlorine. Bacteria can produce a number of human illnesses when untreated water is ingested. My main interest is in using models to better understand how these contaminants move through the environment. Models are especially useful in this case since agriculture is a "non-point" source of pollution; that is, it is distributed across the landscape and the exact input is difficult to measure. A new development in modeling is the use of watershed-scale models that are coupled with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. The model I am most familiar with in this category is the Hydrologic Simulation Program - FORTRAN (HSPF) which is part of the EPA BASINS software. I am also interested in using models to better understand how on-site wastewater (septic) systems work. In this case, I'm using a two-dimensional numerical model (HYDRUS2d) that simulates leaching of bacteria, nitrogen, and phosphorus in soil. I teach Soil Physics and Advanced Soil Physics, and team-teach Field & Soil Site Assessment.