Dr. Kevin Mulligan

Education

• B.A., Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, 1979
• M.A., Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, 1985
• Ph.D., Geography, Texas A&M University, 1997

Research

• Geomorphology, hydrology and climate of arid and semi-arid lands.
• Aeolian processes and landforms (sediment transport by wind and dune morphology).
• Depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer and agricultural land use change.
• Applied geospatial technology (GIS, remote sensing) and digital cartography.
• Applications of geospatial technology in geography higher education.

My research interests are largely focused on the geomorphology, hydrology and climate of arid lands. Within this broad context, I am particularly interested in the nature of aeolian processes to understand the relationship between wind flow, sand transport and dune morphology.  Most recently, I have been working with a colleague in Saudi Arabia to better understand the relationship between dune morphology and wind regime in the Rub' al Khali.

Other topics of interest are focused on important issues relevant to west Texas and the southern Great Plains, especially with respect to the environment and geography of the region. On-going research involves mapping changes in the saturated thickness of the Ogallala Aquifer, projecting the usable lifetime of the aquifer, mapping changes in agricultural land use (spatial distribution of center pivot irrigation) and the development of wind energy across the region.