David R. Wunsch

David
R.
Wunsch
Ph.D., P.G.
Director
State Geologist
Phone
Email
dwunsch@udel.edu
Expertise

David R. Wunsch joined the Delaware Geological Survey as the new Director and State Geologist in November 2011. Dr. Wunsch came to DGS from the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), where he served as the Director of Science and Technology. Wunsch was the State Geologist of New Hampshire from 2000 to 2010, where he had statutory appointments to the New Hampshire Joint Board of Geology, and the NH Water Well Board, which oversee the licensing and adjudicatory proceedings for professional geologists and licensed well drillers, respectively. He is Licensed Professional Geologist in Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Delaware. Wunsch was also an adjunct professor at the University of New Hampshire, and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College.

Prior to his appointment as New Hampshire State Geologist, Dr. Wunsch was selected as the 1998-99 American Geological Institute Congressional Science Fellow, where he served on Capitol Hill as an advisor to the House of Representative’s Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Dr. Wunsch began his professional career at Central Michigan University, where he served as an instructor of geology. Between 1985 and 2000, he worked as a research hydrogeologist and ultimately became the coordinator of the Coal Field Hydrology Program at the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS). His scientific interests and areas of expertise are ground-water monitoring, aqueous geochemistry, reaction-path modelling, mine hydrology, and engineering geology.

Dr. Wunsch has served on several federal advisory committees, and study committees of the National Academy of Science, and has testified before Congress regarding national water and energy issues. In 1999, he was selected as the John Webster Foster Memorial Lecturer at Illinois State University, and was presented the 1999 Outstanding Kentucky Geologist Award by the Kentucky Chapter of the American Institute of Professional Geologists. In 2002, he was selected as a member of a delegation of U.S. scientists who took part in Presence Switzerland, which is a scientific exchange program sponsored by the Swiss Government that involved the review of Swiss renewable energy and environmental programs. In 2014, Dr. Wunsch was the recipient of the American Geosciences Institute’s Outstanding Contribution to the Understanding of Geoscience award. In 2016, Dr. Wunsch was selected as a special consultant for the U.S. Department of State, through the U.S. Water Partnership, to participate in a forum to address water issues in Southeast Asia.

Wunsch has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Ground Water Scientists and Engineers (AGWSE), a division of NGWA, and as an associate editor of the journal Groundwater. He also has served as the Secretary of the American Geological Institute (AGI). In 2009-10, Dr. Wunsch served as President of the Association of American State Geologists (AASG), which represents the chief executives of the geologic bureaus of the 50 states and U.S. Territories. Wunsch has represented AASG on the North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature (NACSN); and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC), and the Subcommittee on Ground Water (SOGW), both of which are under the auspices of the Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI). Wunsch is a founding member of the SOGW, which is charged with developing a framework for monitoring the nation’s ground-water resources. In 2011, Dr. Wunsch was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. In 2013, Wunsch was selected as the AASG representative to the federal advisory committee that oversees the National Cooperative Geological Mapping Program (NCGMP) at the U.S. Geological Survey. His term runs through 2022.

Education
University of Kentucky, 1992, Ph.D., Geology, emphasis in Aqueous Geochemistry
University of Akron, Ohio, 1982, M.S., Geology, emphasis on Hydrogeology
State University of New York, 1980, B.A., Geology, Chemistry minor
Activities

Association of American State Geologists
American Institute of Professional Geologists
American Geophysical Union
Geological Society of America
National Ground Water Association

External Publications

Professional Papers, Reports, and Journal Articles

Ayotte, Joseph D., Kernen, Brandon, M., Wunsch, David R., Argue, Denise M., Bennett, Derek S., Mack, Thomas J., 2010, Preliminary Assessment of Water Levels in Bedrock Wells in New Hampshire, 1984 to 2007: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010-1189, 30 p.

Wittkop, Chad A., Bennett, D., Chormann, F.C., Wunsch, D.R, 2007, Geology of the Suncook River avulsion: Guidebook to Field Trips in New Hampshire, Adjacent Maine & Massachusetts, 42nd Annual Meeting, Northeastern Section, Geological Society of America, Durham, NH, March 11, 2007, p. 45-55.

Bennett, D.S., Chormann, F. C., Jr., Koteff, C., and Wunsch, D.R., 2005, Conversion of surficial geological maps to digital format in the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire: Digital Mapping Techniques ’04, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004 -1451, p. 181-188.

Andrews, R.A., Wunsch, D.R., Dinger, J.S., and Dunno, G.A., 2004, Using Remote Sensing and Inclined Drilling to Locate High-Yield Water Wells in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field: Kentucky Geological Survey, Report of Investigations 10, Series XII, 40 p.

Andrews, R.A., Dunno, G.A, Wunsch, D.R., Dinger, J.S., and. Drahovzal, J.A., 2004: Selected lineaments for Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey, Digital Publication 6, 19 p., CDROM.

Graham, C.D.R., and Wunsch, D.R., 2003, Water quality of the Long Fork trout pond at the Star Fire Site, Eastern Kentucky, Open-File Report OFR-03-02. 16 p.

National Research Council, Coal Waste Impoundments: Risks, Responses, and Alternatives, 2002, Committee of Coal Wastes, Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 230 p. (co-author).

Wunsch, D.R., Secrist, G.L., and Sendlein, L.V.A., 2001, Hydrogeologic conditions around deep aeration lagoons at the Bardstown Wastewater Treatment Plant: Kentucky Geological Survey Report of Investigations 7, Series XII, 35 p.

Dinger, J.S., Andrews, R.E , Wunsch, D.R , and Dunno, G.A., 2002, Remote sensing and field techniques to locate fracture zones for high-yield water wells in the Appalachian Plateau, Kentucky: Proceedings of the Fracture Rock Aquifers 2002 Conference, National Ground Water Association, p. 195-199.

Wunsch, D.R., Dinger, J.S., and Graham, C.D.G., 1999, Predicting ground-water movement in large mine spoil areas in the Appalachian Plateau, Int. J. of Coal Geology, 41 (1999), p. 73-106, Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Wunsch, D.R., Secrist, G.L., and Sendlein, L.V.A., 1998, Hydrogeologic conditions around deep aeration lagoons at the Bardstown WasteWater Treatment Plant: Kentucky Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, Contract Report, MOA no. 13814, 33 p.

Wunsch, D.R., Dinger, J.S., Taylor, P.B. and Carey, D.I., Graham, C.D., 1996, Hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry, and spoil settlement at a large mine-spoil area in eastern Kentucky: Star Fire Tract, Kentucky Geological Survey Report of Investigations 10, Series XI, 49 p.

Wunsch, D.R., Dinger, J.S., 1994, The hydrogeology and hydrogeochemistry of the Star Fire site, eastern Kentucky: International Land Reclamation and Mine drainage Conference and Third International Conference on the Abatement of Acidic Drainage, Bureau of Mines Special Publication SP O6B-94, v. 2, p. 188-197.

Carey, D.I., Currens, J.C., Dinger, J.S., Kipp, J.A., Wunsch, D.R., and Conrad, P.C, 1994, Ground water in the Kentucky River Basin. Kentucky Geological Survey Information Circular 52, Series XI, 67 p.

Wunsch, D.R., Dinger, J.S., and Taylor, P.B., 1992, Design, construction, and monitoring of the ground-water resources of a large mine-spoil area: Star Fire tract, eastern Kentucky: Kentucky Geological Survey Report of Investigations 6, Series XI, 1992, 16 p.

Wunsch, D.R., 1993, Ground-water geochemistry and its relationship to the flow system at an unmined site in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field. Kentucky Geological Survey Thesis Series 5, Series XI, 128 p.

Wunsch, D.R., 1991, High barium concentrations in ground water in eastern Kentucky: Kentucky Geological Survey Reprint 31, Series XI, 1991.

Dinger, J.S., and Wunsch, D.R., 1991, Determination of aquifer characteristics in spoil generated by mountaintop removal-valley fill coal-mining process: Final Report, Department of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, DSMRE No. 12-34-600-FCOO-E417-02. 261 p.

Dinger, J.S., Wunsch, D.R., and Kemp, J.E., 1990, Occurrence of ground water in mine spoil, a renewable resource: Star Fire tract, eastern Kentucky: Proceedings of the 1990 Mining and Reclamation Conference, April 24-26, 1990, Charleston, WV.

Wunsch, D.R., 1988, Do isotopes have a place in groundwater studies-Discussion: Ground Water, Nov-Dec 1988, 26: (6), p. 799

Wunsch, D.R., 1988, High barium concentrations in ground water in eastern Kentucky: Proceedings for the National Water Well Conference on Ground Water Geochemistry, p. 175-197, February 16-18, 1988, Denver, CO.

News Articles

Wunsch, D.R., and Fowler, B., 2004, Revisiting the fall of the Old Man of the Mountain, Geotimes, v. 49, no. 6, p. 28-30.

Wunsch, D.R., and Bennett, D., 2004, Water well data has multiple uses: Water Well Journal, v. 58, no. 3, p. 24, 26.

Wunsch, D.R., 2002, NHGS provides environmental geoscience information, Environmental Geology, 42: p. 439.

Wunsch, D.R., 2000, Political Scene: Science policy to your door, Geotimes, v. 45, no. 12, p. 13.

Wunsch, D.R., 1999, Political Scene: Geoscientists in a changing world: Where do we stand?, Geotimes, v. 44, no. 11, p. 11.

Wunsch, D.R., 1999, Political Scene: Does SPR spell relief for the domestic oil industry?, Geotimes, v. 44, no. 6, p. 25.

Wunsch, D.R., 1998, Political Scene: A fellow on the Hill, Geotimes, v. 44., no. 10, p. 13

Wunsch, D.R., Secrist, G.L., and Sendlein, Lyle V.A., 1998, Hydrogeologic conditions at sewage treatment plant lagoons: Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, Waterworks: v. 4, no. 2, p. 1-2.

Contributions or Research Highlights in Books

Brown, R.A, ed., 2009, Where the Great River Rises—Atlas of the Connecticut River Basin, Dartmouth College Press, 255 p.

Physical Geology--Exploring the Earth, 2005, Monroe, J.S., and Wicander, R.E.,: Geoprofile-Geology and Public Policy, Thomson Brooks/Cole, ISBN 0-534-39987-8, 5th ed. 644 p.

Chapelle, F.H., 1993, Ground-Water Microbiology and Geochemistry, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1st ed, 424 p.

Abstracts, Lectures and Presentations

Abstracts
Wunsch, D.R., 2016, Lessons from Delaware: Implementation of the State Comprehensive Groundwater Protection Program, Science Support, and Data Sharing (abs): Southeast Asia Groundwater Forum, Jaipur, India, June 1-3, 2016.

Andres, A.S., McKenna, T.E., He, C., Wunsch, D.R., and Callahan, J.C., 2016. Delaware Joins the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network: National Ground Water Association Summit, April 25, 2016, Denver, Colorado.

Wunsch, D.R., Musick, M., Wireman, M., Schreiber, R. S, Cunningham, W. L., and Pope, D. 2016. Going with the Flow: Federal Funding Facilitates Progress for the U.S. National Ground-Water Monitoring Network: National Ground Water Association Summit, April 25, 2016, Denver, Colorado.

Schreiber, R.S, Cunningham. W., Wireman, W., Kernen, B.A., and Wunsch, D.R., 2013, Development and Implementation of the National Groundwater Monitoring Network in the Bay State (and New England): National Ground Water Association Bay State Groundwater Forum – September 26, 2013, Boston, MA.

Schreiber, R.S, Kernen, B.A., and Wunsch, D.R., 2013, The Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) and how it benefits the Bay State: National Ground Water Association Bay State Groundwater Forum, September 26, 2013, Boston, MA.

Schreiber, R. E., Kernen, B.A., Wunsch, D.R., 2013, Development and Implementation of the National Groundwater Monitoring Network – What It Means for the New England States and Why They Should Join: New England Water Works Association Regional Joint Spring Conference & Exhibition, April 3-4, 2013, Worcester, MA.

Wunsch, D.R., Callahan, J.A., and Ramsey, K.W., The role of the Delaware Geological Survey in support of Delaware’s planning and preparedness for hurricane Sandy (abs): Northeast Section – 48th Annual Meeting Abstracts with Programs. v. 45, no.1, p. 133.

Wunsch, D.R., 2012, Career opportunities for geoscientists in the policy arena and related sectors (abs): Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 44, no. 7, p. 348.

Wunsch, D.R., 2011, Inadequacies in nationwide monitoring of groundwater quality and quantity, and water use implications for energy development, (abs), Society of Exploration Geophysicists Annual Meeting, September 19-22, 2011, San Antonio, TX [Invited].

Wunsch, D.R., 2011, Inadequacies in nationwide monitoring of groundwater quality and quantity, and water use implications for energy development, (abs), Unconventional Resources Geomechanics Workshop, June 24, 2011, San Francisco, CA [Invited].

Wunsch, D.R., and Reimer, C.L., 2011, Advancing Science and Policy Using the Federal Advisory Committee Process: SOGW as an Example (abs), National Ground Water Association, Groundwater Summit, May 3-5, 2011, Baltimore, MD.

Wunsch, D.R., Svendsen, K.A., and Al-Egaily, G., Using Volunteers to Collect Ground Water Information: Examples from New Hampshire, (abs), National Water Quality Monitoring Council National Conference, May, 2010, Denver, CO.

Wunsch, D.R., 2009, Geotechnical constraints imposed by localized lacustrine deposits - Are they misunderestimated? (abs): Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v.41, no.3, p.82.

Svendsen, Kristen, Kastning, Ernst K., and Wunsch, D.R., 2009, derivative on-demand GIS products from bedrock and surficial geological maps (abs): Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v.41, no.3, p.44.

Reimer, C., Wireman, M., and Wunsch, D.R., State ground water monitoring programs: survey results (Abs.) Groundwater Summit, National Ground Water Association, Memphis, TN; March 31-April 3, 2008, p.77.

Wunsch D.R., 2008, For a few dollars more…the value of including major ion analyses in private well testing to define and protect ground water in New England, Abstracts with Programs, New England Private Well Symposium, December 3-4, 2007. Newport, R.I.

Wunsch, D.R., 2007, Science support in times of need: examples from the New Hampshire Geological Survey, Proceedings of the Geological Society of America, 42nd Annual Meeting Northeastern Section, Abstracts with Programs, v.39, no.1, Session 25-9.

Wunsch, D.R., 2006, Developing a ground-water monitoring strategy for half the cost – literally; [abs.], Proceedings, 5th National Monitoring Conference, National Water Quality Monitoring Council, San Jose, CA, May 7-11, 2006.

Wunsch, D.R., 2004, Water Well Databases and exploration for ground water in fractured rock aquifers: Examples from New Hampshire and Kentucky, USA [abs.], Geofluids, Conference Proceedings, Piacenza, Italy. [Invited].

Wunsch, D.R., 2004, “Rebuilding” the Old Man of the Mountain: turning calamity into opportunity [abs.]: Proceedings of the Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v.36, no.1-5, Session 228-11.

Wunsch, D.R., Chormann, F.C., and Bennett, D., 2004, The New Hampshire ground water monitoring network: limitations of monitoring by proxy, [abs.]: Proceedings of the Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v.36 no.1-5, Session 73-9.

Wunsch, D.R., and Fowler, B.K., 2003, Autopsy of the Old Man of the Mountain: he died of natural causes, [abs.]: Proceedings of the Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 35, no. 1-5, Session 128-8.

Krumhansl, R., and Wunsch, D.R., 2003, Using surficial mapping as a discovery-based teaching tool for high school students, [abs.], Proceedings of the Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 35, no. 1-5, Session 63-3.

Mack, T.J., and Wunsch, D.R., 2002, Sustainability of ground-water resources in the Piscataqua River and coastal watersheds, southeastern New Hampshire: Proceedings of the NGWA Northeast FOCUS Ground Water Conference, Burlington, VT, p. 71.

Andrews, R.E., Wunsch, D.R., and Dinger, J.S., 2002, Evaluating the use of fracture flow solutions to analyze aquifer test data collected form wells in the Eastern Kentucky coal Field: Proceedings of the Fracture Rock Aquifers 2002 Conference, National Ground Water Association, p. 119-123.

Wunsch, D.R., Andrews, R.E., Dinger, J.S., and Dunno, G.A., 2000, Exploration for high-yield wells in the Appalachian Plateau using remote sensing, GIS, and inclined drilling techniques [abs.]: Proceedings of the Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 32, no. 7, p. A-522.

Andrews, R.E., Wunsch, D.R., Dunno, G.A., and Dinger, J.S., 1999, Hydrogeological evaluation of high-yield well potential in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field: [abs] Proceedings of the Association of Ground Water Scientists and Engineers Technical Program of the 51st National Ground Water Association National Convention and Exposition, Nashville, TN, December 6, 1999, p. 24.

Dinger, J.S., Conrad, P.G., Wunsch, D.R., Carey, D.L., and Fisher, R.S., 1999, Water quality as a nontraditional risk factor for coronary heart disease: emphasis on Kentucky [abs.]: Geological Society of America-Southeast Section, Abstracts with Programs, v. 31, no. 3, p. A-13.

Barone, J.L., Grigsby, J.D., and Wunsch, D.R., 1999, Petrological and geochemical analysis of mine spoil to determine the source of magnesium-rich ground water, Star Fire Mine, Eastern Kentucky [abs.], Proceedings of the Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 31, no. 7, p. A-345.

Wunsch, D.J., Moecher, D.P., and Wunsch, D.R., 1998, Source of barium and fluoride in groundwater derived from the Breathitt Formation, eastern Kentucky [abs.]: Proceedings of the Geological Society of America, Toronto, Canada, v. 15, no. 7, p. A-98.

Wirth, K.A., and Wunsch, D.R., 1998, Aragonite precipitation from alkaline ground water derived from mine spoil at the Star Fire Mine, eastern Kentucky, [abs.]: Proceedings of the Geological Society of America, Toronto, Canada v. 15, p. A-98.

Wunsch, D.R., Sendlein, Lyle V.A., and Secrist, G.L., 1998, Hydrogeologic conditions around deep aeration lagoons at the Bardstown Waste-Water Treatment Plant, Proceedings: Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute Symposium, p. 57-58.

Wunsch, D.R, 1998, Relationship of anomalous barium and fluoride concentrations to hydrochemical facies zones in the Appalachian Plateau: [abs.], Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America, Charleston, West Virginia, v. 30, no. 4, p 67.

Wunsch, D.R., and Dinger, J.S., 1998, Predicting ground-water movement in large mine-spoil areas in the Appalachian Plateau, [abs.], Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America, Charleston, West Virginia, v. 30, no. 4, p. 67, [Invited].

Andrews, R.A., Wunsch, D.R., Dunno, G.A., and Dinger, J.S., 1998, A method of fracture-trace mapping for ground water in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field using remote sensing, GIS and GPS: Kentucky GIS Conference, Somerset, KY, May 17-20, 1998. p. 12.

Wunsch, D.R., 1997, Hydrodynamics of the shallow salt-water interface in the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau [abs.]: AAPG Bulletin, vol. 81/9, p. 1568.

Wunsch, D.R., 1997, Coal seam and fracture drainage effects on the hydrodynamics of the shallow salt-water interface in the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau. [abs.]: GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 14, p. A-309, Salt Lake City, UT.

Wunsch, D.R., 1996, Dinger, J.S., Hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry, and spoil settlement at a large mine spoil area: Star Fire site, eastern Kentucky. [abs.]: GSA Abstracts with Programs, Denver, CO.

Wunsch, D. R., 1995, Hydrochemical facies model for dissected, coal-bearing strata in the Appalachian Coal Field [abs.]: GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 27, no. 6, p. A-97, New Orleans, LA.

Wunsch, D.R., Dinger, J.S., 1994, Hydrogeology and hydrogeochemistry of the Star Fire site, eastern Kentucky. [abs.]: Proceedings of the American Water Resources Association Conference, Jackson Hole, WY, June 26-29, 1994.

Kipp, J.A., Minns, S.A., Wunsch, D.R., and Dinger, J.S., 1993, Hydraulic conductivity of coal-bearing rocks in southeastern Kentucky: Proceedings of the Kentucky Water Resources Symposium, University of Kentucky, December 16, 1993. p. 5-6.

Wunsch, D.R., 1989, A portable downhole packer device for shallow bedrock wells [abs.]: Proceedings of the Kentucky Water Resources Symposium, University of Kentucky, November 30 - December 1, 1989.

Wunsch, D.R., 1988, Saline lake waters and their relationship to micro-environments on San Salvador Island, Bahamas [abs.]: Annual Meeting of the Kentucky Academy of Science, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY, November 4-5, 1988.

Wunsch, D.R., 1988, The effects of sulfur-reducing bacteria on high barium concentrations in ground water in eastern Kentucky [abs.]: EOS Transactions, American Geophysical Union, v. 69, no. 44 [Invited].

Corbett, R.G., Manner, B.M., Wunsch, D.R., 1981, Fluoride in the ground waters of northeast Ohio [abs.]: GSA Abstracts with Programs, Cincinnati, OH.