Thomas Lachmar, Ph.D.

Field: Earth Science
Areas of Focus: Engineering Geology, Environmental Geology, Geothermal Energy, Groundwater Geology, Hydrology

Expertise

• Hydrology
• Groundwater geology
• Engineering geology
• Environmental geology
• Geothermal energy
• Well drilling
• Water wells
• Water rights

Bio

Dr. Thomas Lachmar, an associate professor in the Geosciences Department at USU, has more than 40 years experience in groundwater and surface water investigations. His work relates to geotechnical, civil, and mining projects — including sanitary landfills, leaking underground storage tanks, hazardous/radioactive waste disposal, mine hydrology, and groundwater contamination.

Dr. Lachmar's research and field work has taken him throughout the state of Utah, as well as its neighbor to the north, Idaho, and even as far as Hyder, Alaska. His projects have included a feasibility study on creating salmon spawning channels in Alaska; investigating the hydraulic properties of faults as they relate to CO2 sequestration; laboratory experiments into the treat ability of TCE water remediation near Hill Air Force Base, in Layton, Utah; and various other groundwater sampling, monitoring, and modeling characterizations.

Some of his most recent work has focused on connections between the Logan River and ground water in Cache Valley; water samples, geophysical logs, and core samples from four deep, geothermal exploration boreholes in southern Idaho; and investigating metal contamination at an abandoned mine near Challis, Idaho.