Leanne Morgan

PhD, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, 2015
Bachelor of Science (Mathematics), 2009
Bachelor of Applied Science, Honours First Class, 2007
Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary Science and Mathematics), 2003
Bachelor or Applied Science (Environmental Resource Management), 2002

I am a groundwater hydrologist with experience working within government and academia. I am passionate about sharing groundwater science and supporting community efforts toward managing water sustainably and ethically in a changing climate. I have served as an Associate Editor for Hydrogeology Journal since 2019.

I am interested in understanding how hydrologic systems function, specifically the groundwater component. My research areas include groundwater dynamics in coastal regions, groundwater - surface water interaction, and landscape restoration. I characterise field systems using various methods and parameters including pressure, conductivity and natural tracers. I test processes and perform sensitivity analyses using analytic, numeric and physical modelling.

Current Research Projects

Subsurface processes in braided rivers - hyporheic exchange and leakage to groundwater. MBIE NZ Endeavour, 2019-2024

Te Whakaheke o Te Wai. MBIE NZ Endeavour, 2021-2023

Transforming coastal lowland systems threatened by sea-level rise into prosperous communities. MBIE NZ Endeavour, 2021-2026

Publication Record

Google Scholar Profile
UC Research Profile

My teaching and coordinator philosophy is to make students employable in hydrogeology and water resources management for industry and research. I teach groundwater science using a ‘learning by doing’ approach, providing students with rich opportunities to engage with the technical fundamentals via a range of field and laboratory activities. We are well equipped to teach groundwater science at UC, with an on-campus groundwater monitoring field site and a wide array of both standard and cutting-edge field equipment, as well as modelling software.

I teach and coordinate the following papers:

GEOL345 Groundwater and Geothermal Systems

ENGE414 Applied Hydrogeology

WATR405 Research and Communication Methods

WATR690 Water Science and Management Masters Thesis

I contribute to the following papers:

WATR691 Water Science and Management Project

ENCN422 Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology

WATR202 Water on Land: Quality and Quantity (at Lincoln University)

Externally, I also teach professional development courses on groundwater modelling and groundwater hydrology.

I have mentored over 20 graduate research students in NZ and Australia. I lead research culture in my group by ensuring students feel valued and supported to take risks exploring new ideas. I also provide the tools students need to succeed, particularly training in academic writing and presentation, and foster collaborations that promote research synergies. Current and completed projects are listed below:

Postdoctoral Researchers

Vacant: Assessing change in near-shore shallow groundwater in response to relative sea-level-rise

Graduate Students (Current)

Alice Sai Loui: Quantifying groundwater recharge from braided rivers using heat as a tracer, PhD
Connor Cleary: Groundwater transport in heterogeneous aquifers, PhD
Amandine Bosserelle: Sea-level rise, groundwater dynamics and impacts on infrastructure systems, PhD
Tara Forstner: Hindcasting a groundwater system to pre-European conditions incorporating indigenous records of natural conditions, PhD
Irene Setiawan: Characterising riparian seawater intrusion into a shallow aquifer under climate change, PhD
Christy Songola: Quantifying groundwater recharge from braided rivers using radon as a tracer, Masters

Graduate Students (Completed)

Katie Coluccio: The role of groundwater seepage in coastal lagoons, PhD (2021)
Greg Hatley: Impact of salt on groundwater ecosystems, Masters (2022)
Linda Robb: Characterising Groundwater-Surface water exchange in the Waikirikiri Selwyn River using radon, Masters (2022)
Daniel Clark: Developing a groundwater surface water model for the Selwyn district, Masters (2021)
Patrick Durney: Groundwater modelling of the Hinds Managed Aquifer Recharge pilot study, Masters (2019)
Hamish Graham: Pathways for nutrient contamination of Barkers Creek catchment, South Canterbury, Masters (2019)
Hazel Clemence: Virus transport through soil from on-site wastewater treatment systems, Masters (2018)
Katie Coluccio: Comparison of methods for measuring groundwater-surface water interactions in braided rivers, Masters (2018)
Logan McLean: Hydrogeological Investigation of the Christchurch City Aquifer, Masters (2018)
Bronwyn Humphries: Optimising the use of Coral Sands for the Treatment of Onsite Wastewater, Masters (2018)
William Dench: Identifying changes in the Mayfield-Hinds aquifers following transition from border dyke to spray irrigation, Masters (2017)
Andrew Knight: Subsea fresh groundwater in the south east of South Australia, Masters (2017)
Irene Setiawan: Christchurch seawater intrusion vulnerability, Honours (2018)
Jason Thomann: Investigating the extent and vulnerability of fresh groundwater beneath the sea: Application of sharp-interface analytical methods, Honours (2017)