Thomas E. McKenna

Thomas
E.
McKenna
Hydrogeologist
Associate Professor
Phone
Email
mckennat@udel.edu
Expertise

Dr. McKenna holds a Ph.D.in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.S. in Geology from The University of South Carolina, and a B.S. in Geology from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. He previously worked as a consulting hydrogeologist for Geraghty & Miller in Tampa, Florida and Exxon Production Research in Houston, Texas. He joined Delaware Geological Survey in 1997.

Dr. McKenna's primary research and service activities are in the field of hydrogeology with a focus on the water resources of Delaware. Research topics include ground-water/surface-water interaction, aquifer characterization, geothermics, tidal wetlands and the evaluation of the quantity and quality of water resources. Research consists of field and modeling studies using optical and thermal remote sensing from satellite, aerial, and ground-based platforms, surface and borehole geophysics, time-series and spatial analyses (GIS), and modeling of ground-water flow and heat transfer.

Dr. McKenna has a secondary appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. He has taught the Hydrogeology course and other seminar classes for the Department of Geological Sciences and the Geographic Information Systems course for the Department of Geography.

Education
University of Texas at Austin, 1997, Ph.D., Geology
University of South Carolina, 1987, M.S., Geology
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, 1984, B.S., Geology
Activities

ACTIVE PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Association of Ground Water Scientists and Engineers [AGWSE/NGWA] (1987-present)
American Geophysical Union (Hydrology; 1986-present)
Geological Society of America (Hydrogeology, Sedimentary Geology; 1990-present)
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (1990-present)

ACTIVE COMMITTEES
DNREC Sea Level Rise Technical Workgroup
UD WATER Group (2008-present)
Murderkill River Monitoring and Modeling Workgroup (2007-present)
Center for the Inland Bays (DE) Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (1999 - present)

External Publications

Papers

Puleo, J.A., T.E. McKenna, J.C. Calantoni, K.T. Holland, 2012, Quantifying riverine surface currents from time sequences of thermal infrared images, Water Resources Research, v. 48, W01527, doi:10.1029/2011WR010770, 20p.

Kasper, J.W., J.M. Denver, T.E. McKenna, and W.J. Ullman, 2010, Simulated impacts of artificial recharge and discharge on the source area and volume of an Atlantic Coastal Plain stream, Delaware, USA. Hydrogeology Journal, v. 18, n. 8, p. 1855-1866.

McKenna, T.E. and J.B. Martin (editors), 2004, Ground water discharge to estuarine and coastal ocean environments: Ground Water, v. 42, n. 7, 146 pp.

McKenna, T.E. and J.B. Martin, 2004, Ground water discharge to estuarine and coastal ocean environments: Ground Water, v 42, n. 7, p. 957-958.

Urish, D. W. and T.E. McKenna, 2004, Tidal effects on ground water discharge through a sandy beach: Ground Water, v 42, n. 7, p. 971-982.

Sugarman, P.J., Miller, K.G., McLaughlin, P.P., Jr., Browning, J.V., Hernandez, J., Monteverde, D., Uptegrove, J., Baxter, S.J., McKenna, T.E., Andres, A.S., Benson, R.N., Ramsey, K.W., Keyser, T., Katz, M.E., Kahn, A., Friedman, A., Wojtko, M., Feigenson, M.D., Olsson, R.K., Brenner, G., Self-Trail, J.M., and Cobbs, G., III, 2004. Fort Mott Site. In Miller, K.G., Sugarman, P.J., Browning, J.V., et al., Proc. ODP, Init. Repts., 174AX (Suppl.), 1-50.

Miller, K.G., McLaughlin, P.P., Browning, J.V., Benson, R.N., Sugarman, P.J., Hernandez, J., Ramsey, K.W., Baxter, S.J., Feigenson, M.D., Aubry, M.-P., Monteverde, D.H., Cramer, B.S., Katz, M.E., McKenna, T.E., Strohmeier, S.A., Pekar, S.F., Uptegrove, J., Cobbs, G., Cobbs, G., III, and Curtin, S.E., 2003. Bethany Beach Site. In Miller, K.G., Sugarman, P.J., Browning, J.V., et al., Proc. ODP, Init. Repts., 174AX (Suppl.), 1-84.

Sharp, J. M., Jr., T. Fenstemaker, C. T. Simmons, T. E. McKenna, and J. K. Dickinson, 2001, Potential thermohaline convection in a shale-rich sedimentary basin: Example from the Gulf of Mexico basin in south Texas: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 85, n. 12 p. 2089-2110.

Ullman, W.J., K.C. Wong, J.A. Madsen, J.R. Scudlark, D.E. Krantz, A.S. Andres, and T.E. McKenna, 2001. Nutrient Transport and Cycling in an Agriculturally Impacted Coastal Watershed: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Interdisciplinary Environmental Problems: Proceedings of the 5th annual Environmental Engineering Research Event (20 - 23 November 2001, Noosa, Queensland). 10 pp.

McKenna, T. E. and J. M. Sharp, Jr., 1998, Radiogenic heat production in sedimentary rocks of the Gulf of Mexico Basin, south Texas: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 82, n. 3 p. 484-496.

McKenna, T.E. and X. Li, 1997, Development of a geographic information system for sedimentary basin analysis: Proceedings of the Twelfth International Conference and Workshops on Applied Geologic Remote Sensing (November 1997), Volume 2, p. 340-343.

McKenna, T. E., 1997, Fluid flow and heat transfer in overpressured sediments of the Rio Grande Embayment, Gulf of Mexico Basin: Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions, v. 47, p. 351-366.

McKenna, T. E. and J. M. Sharp, Jr., 1997, Subsurface temperatures, fluid pressures, and salinities in the Rio Grande Embayment, Gulf of Mexico Basin, USA: in Liu Baoiun et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 30th International Geological Congress, v. 8, Basin Analysis, Global Sedimentary Geology and Sedimentology; The Netherlands, VSP, p. 263-274.

McKenna, T. E., J. M. Sharp, Jr., and F. L. Lynch, 1996, Thermal conductivity of Wilcox and Frio sandstones in south Texas (Gulf of Mexico Basin): American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 80, n. 8, p. 1203-1215.

Lerche, I. and T. E. McKenna, 1991, Pollen translucency as a thermal maturation indicator: Journal of Petroleum Geology, v. 14, no. 1, p. 19-36.

McKenna, T. E., I. Lerche, D. F. Williams, and W. E. Full, 1987, Quantitative techniques in isotope chronostratigraphy: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 64, p. 241-266.

McKenna, T. E., I. Lerche, D. F. Williams, and W. E. Full, 1987, Quantitative approaches to stratigraphic correlations and chemical stratigraphy: Gulf Coast Section of the SEPM Foundation, Eighth Annual Research Conference Transactions, p. 101-107.

Monographs

McKenna, T. E., 1997, Geologic and Hydrologic Constraints on Fluid and Heat Flow in Overpressured Rocks of the Rio Grande Embayment, Gulf of Mexico Basin: Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Texas, 241 p.

McKenna, T. E., 1987, Applications of Quantitative Methods in Geology: A. Isotopic Time Series Analysis; B. Simulation of Pyrite and Oxygen Concentrations in Marsh Sediments: M.S. Thesis, The University of South Carolina, 142 p.

Abstracts, Lectures and Presentations

Pieterse, A., J.A. Puleo, and T.E. McKenna, 2014, Flow characteristics and inundation of a tidal flat and saltmarsh in Kent County, Delaware, 2014 Delaware Wetlands Conference, Dover, DE.

McKenna, T.E., 2014, Environmental Thermography of the Water Cycle, IR/INFO Conference 2014, New Orleans, LA.

He, C., T.E. McKenna, and L.T. Wang, 2013, A numerical model to evaluate potential impacts of sea-level rise on groundwater resources in the Delaware coastal plain, AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

Pieterse, A., J.A. Puleo, and T.E. McKenna, 2013, Hydrodynamics and inundation of a tidal saltmarsh in Kent County, Delaware, AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

Pieterse, A., J.A. Puleo, and T.E. McKenna, 2013, Near-bed turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation in a small tidal channel. GSA Annual Meeting, Denver, CO

McLaughlin, P.P. Jr., C.C. Zullo, J.D. Thornburg, T.E. McKenna, and S.J. Baxter, 2012, Facies and depositional environments in the non-marine Cretaceous deposits of the Potomac Formation, northern Delaware: Implications for aquifer sand connectivity. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs Vol. 44, No. 7.

McKenna, T. E., T.M. Sliwinski, and J.A. Puleo, 2011, Transforming Ground-Based Oblique Thermal Images to Enable Quantitative Analysis of Coupled Heat and Fluid Flow in the Critical Zone. Paper Number H41D-1067, AGU Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

Heiss, J., W. J. Ullman, T. E. McKenna, and H. A. Michael, 2011, Characterization of Fluid Flow and Seawater Infiltration Through a Beach Saltwater/Freshwater Mixing Zone, Cape Henlopen, DE. 2011 NGWA Groundwater Summit, Baltimore, MD.

Sutkowski, C. M.; J. A. Puleo; and T. E. McKenna, 2010, Quantifying Riverine Surface Velocities Using Thermal Infrared PIV, Eos Trans., American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting.

Sliwinski; T. , T. E. McKenna; J. A. Puleo; M. Stewart; C. Meehan, 2010, Experimental Examination of the Factors Affecting Ground-Based Thermal Imaging of Intertidal Sediments. American Geophysical Union Ocean Sciences Meeting, Portland, OR, February 22-26, 2010.

McKenna, T.E., 2009, Watching the Tide Come In. Environmental thermography and hydrology, University of Delaware Geospatial Research Day, Newark, DE.

Andres, S., T. E. McKenna, and C. He, 2009, Integration of Groundwater Monitoring into Delaware's Water Resources Programs. 15th annual Maryland Water Monitoring Council Conference, Dec. 3, North Linthicum, MD.

McKenna, T. E., 2009, Using heat as a tracer to characterize tidal inundation of wetlands in Delaware’s Murderkill Estuary, NOAA, Silver Springs, MD and University of Delaware Department of Civil Engineering, Newark, DE.

McKenna, T. E., 2009, Tidal Inundation of Wetlands in the Murderkill Estuary: in Baxter, S.J. (ed.), First State Geology, v. 27, n. 1, p. 1-2.

McKenna, T.E., 2009, Characterizing tidal inundation of wetlands in the Murderkill Estuary (Kent Count, Delaware), Delaware Estuary Science & Environmental Summit 2009, Jan 11-14, Cape May, NJ.

McKenna, T.E., 2009, Thermal-Infrared Imaging as a Tool for Investigating Natural Processes, Delaware EPSCoR Environmental Monitoring and Sensing Workshop, January 9, 2009, Newark, DE.

McKenna, T.E., 2008, Using Thermal-Infrared Imaging to Characterize Wetland Hydrology, 11th Annual Watershed & Wetlands Workshop, Ocean City, MD, October 27-30, 2008.

Puleo, J.A., M.A. O'Neal, T.E. McKenna, and T. White, 2008, A Remote-Control Airship for Coastal and Environmental Research. Eos Trans. AGU, 89(53), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS13D-1220.

McKenna, T.E., 2007, Using temperature as a tool for investigating hydrologic processes and properties, Delaware Water Science Seminar, Dover, DE.

McKenna, T.E., T.L., DeLiberty,, L.T. Wang, L.T., and K.P. Lepp, 2006, Groundwater discharge areas identified using remote sensing compared to water budget estimates for Delaware's Inland Bays: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 38.

Sprinkle, A.L., G.D. Binford, D.J. Hansen, and T.E. McKenna, 2006, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentrations in Surface Waters of Three Delaware Golf Courses: 18th World Congress of Soil Science (July 9-15, 2006, Philadelphia, PA).

McKenna, T.E. and J.C. Watson, 2005, Integrating GPS and GIS in the Field, abstract presented at "Delaware GIS 2005: Creating Information, Sharing Knowledge" in Rehoboth Beach, DE, April 21, 2005.

Sprinkle, A., G.D. Binford, T.E. McKenna, and D.J. Hansen. 2004, Golf Course Nutrient Management: Impact on Surface Water Quality: Conference of the Northeast Branch of the American Society of Agronomy.

McLaughlin, P.P., Sugarman, P.J., Benson, R.N., Miller, K.G., McKenna, T.E., and Browning, J.V., 2003, The application of sequence stratigraphy to aquifer geology problems in the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain, United States: Leveraging petroleum geoscience learning to public-needs issues. Geological Society (London) Conference: New Insights into Petroleum Geoscience Research through Collaboration between Academia and Industry, April 2003, Abstracts with Program.

McKenna, T. E., P. P. McLaughlin, and R. N. Benson, 2002, Characterization of the Potomac Aquifer, an extremely heterogeneous fluvial system in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of Delaware: SEPM Research Conference on Ancient and Modern Coastal Plain Depositional Environments: Aquifer heterogeneity and environmental implications, March 24th - 27th, 2002 in Charleston, SC.

Steck, K.P., McKenna, T.E., Andres, A.S., DeLiberty, T.L., 2002, Use of GIS Model to Estimate the Ground-Water Discharge to Rehoboth and Indian River Bays, Delaware: Delaware GIS2002 conference on April 18, 2002.

L. T. Wang, T. L. DeLiberty , and T. E. McKenna,, 2002, Locating Ground-Water Discharge in Rehoboth and Indian River Bays Using Satellite Imagery: Delaware GIS2002 conference on April 18, 2002.

Brown, L A., Madsen, J., and McKenna, T. E, 2002, Geophysical constraints on groundwater discharge to estuaries: Results from the Inland Bays of Delaware: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v34, n1, p18.

T. E. McKenna, A. S. Andres, L. T. Wang, T. L. DeLiberty, 2001, Mapping of locations of ground-water discharge in Rehoboth and Indian River bays, Delaware using thermal imagery: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 33, no. 6, p. 44.

Brown, L A., Madsen, J., McKenna, T. E., and Krantz, D., 2001, Mapping of Holocene paleochannels of Delaware's Inland Bays using high-resolution seismic reflection methods: Implications for groundwater discharge to shallow estuaries: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 33, no. 6, p. 43-44.

Steck, K.P., McKenna, T.E., Andres, A.S., DeLiberty, T.L., 2001,Use of a GIS model to estimate ground-water discharge to Rehoboth and Indian River bays, Delaware: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 33, no. 6, p. 319.

McKenna, T. E., 2000, "Low-budget - do it yourself" thermal-infrared imaging of ground-water discharge to surface waters: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 32, no. 7, p. A60.

McKenna, T. E., S. J. Baxter, R. D. Catchings, M. R. Goldman, and R. N. Benson, 1999, Investigation of shallow-depth faults in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of Delaware, USA; EOS, v. 80, n. 46, p. 1050-1051.

McKenna, T. E., S. J. Baxter, R. D. Catchings, and M. R. Goldman, 1999, High-resolution seismic reflection/refraction imaging of shallow-depth faults in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of Delaware; EOS, v. 80, n. 17, p. S223.

T. E. McKenna, 1999, Thermal imaging of ground-water discharge to the Inland Bays: in Benson, R. N. (ed.), First State Geology, v. 17, n. 2, p. 1-2.

Fenstemaker, T. R., J. M. Sharp, Jr., C. T. Simmons, and T. E. McKenna, 1998, Effects of heterogeneity in salinity, pressure, and permeability on thermohaline convection in the Gulf of Mexico Basin, South Texas; EOS, v. 79, n. 45, p. F266.

Baxter, S. J., T. E. McKenna, R. D. Catchings, M. R. Goldman, R. N. Benson, and S. A. Strohmeier, 1998, Preliminary results of a high-resolution seismic reflection and refraction survey in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of Delaware, 4 kilometers south of the Fall Line; Program and Abstracts for the 70th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Section of the Seismological Society of America, p. 18.

T. E. McKenna, 1998, Characterization of Aquifers in the Potomac Formation: in Benson, R. N. (ed.), First State Geology, v. 16, n. 1, p. 1-2.

Simmons, C. T., J. M. Sharp, Jr., and McKenna, T. E., 1997, How effective are shales in retarding fluid flow and solute transport in the Gulf of Mexico Basin? Modeling thermohaline convection and diffusional transport; AAPG 1997 Annual Convention, Official Program, p. A107.

McKenna, T. E., 1997, Vertical discharge of extremely overpressured fluids along growth faults in the Rio Grande Embayment, Gulf of Mexico Basin: Geological Society of America Penrose Conference on Faults and Subsurface Fluid Flow: Fundamentals and Applications to Hydrogeology and Petroleum Geology, Taos, NM.

McKenna, T. E., and J. M. Sharp, Jr., 1995, Thermal conductivity and radiogenic heat production from south Texas coast (Gulf of Mexico Basin): GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 27, no. 6.

Moore, J. C., L. Cathles, S. Dreiss, M. Kastner, T. E. McKenna, and P. Vrolijk, 1994, Fluid flux at Continental Margins; edited into: Sedimentary Geochemical Processes Panel, White Paper; JOIDES Journal, v. 20, No. 3, p. 41-45.

McKenna, T. E., 1994, Mapping the hydrogeology of sedimentary basins using a geographic information system and data from the petroleum industry: GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 26, no. 7.

McKenna, T. E. and W. G. Powell, 1994, Subsurface temperatures in the Eugene Island Block 330 areas, Gulf of Mexico Basin: AAPG 1994 Annual Convention, Official Program, p. 212-213.

McKenna, T. E., J. M. Sharp, Jr., and F. L. Lynch, 1994, Thermal conductivity and radiogenic heat production of sedimentary rocks from the Gulf of Mexico Basin (South Texas): AAPG 1994 Annual Convention, Official Program, p. 212.

McKenna, T. E., 1991, Hydrogeology of Sedimentary Basins: Proceedings of the American Water Resources Association and American Institute of Hydrology, Texas Sections Meeting.

McKenna, T. E., J. M. Sharp, Jr., and R. H. Raymond, 1990, The impact of climatic change on groundwater systems: AGU Chapman Conference on Hydrologic Aspects of Global Climate Change, June 1990.

Lerche, I. and T. E. McKenna, 1987, Determination of paleoheat fluxes from pollen translucency data: AAPG 1987 Annual Convention, Official Program.

Full, W. E., I. Lerche, T. E. McKenna, and D. F. Williams, 1986, Quantitative techniques in isotope and geochemical chronostratigraphy; 1986 SEPM Annual Midyear Meeting Abstracts, v. 3, p. 40-41.

Talkington, R. W. and T. E. McKenna, 1984, Field relationships of mafic and ultramafic dikes in the ophiolite peridotite section: Examples from Table Mountain and the White Hills peridotite, Newfoundland; GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 16.