Dr Peter Cook: researching groundwater hydrology

Dr Peter Cook’s primary research areas include groundwater hydrology, groundwater-surface water interaction and use of artificial and environmental tracers.

• 10 September 2009 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Current activities 
• Background
• Academic qualifications 
• Achievements 
• Professional activities 

Current activities

Dr Peter Cook's research topics of special interest have included:

• assessment of recharge to aquifers
• measurement of groundwater flow rates
• groundwater flow and solute transport in fractured rock aquifers
• surface water - groundwater interaction
• use of artificial and environmental tracers.

Background

Dr Cook has 15 years experience in groundwater hydrology.

He has worked on assessment of aquifer recharge, and issues related to groundwater sustainability throughout Australia and overseas. This has included projects in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

He was a member of the National Groundwater Committee between 2002 and 2007, and a member of the Victorian Government’s Technical Audit Panel for water resources between 2002 and 2008.

He is currently the Deputy Director of the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, and leader of its Surface Water-Groundwater Interaction Program.

Academic qualifications

Dr Cook has been awarded a:

• Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours), Geography, from the Australian National University in 1986
• Doctor of Philosophy from the School of Earth Sciences, Flinders University, South Australia in 1992.

Achievements

Dr Cook is the author of:

• 55 journal articles
• 42 reports
• three books
• 12 book chapters
• 38 conference papers.

He has won several awards including the National Groundwater Association Distinguished Darcy Lecturer 2009.

Professional activities

Dr Cook is a member of the:

• National Ground Water Association (USA)
• American Geophysical Union.

Find out more about CSIRO Land and Water.