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Tiantian Zhou
Tiantian Zhou
Assistant Professor in Soil Physics
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences,
New Mexico State University
Education
Education
University of California, Riverside Riverside CA, USA
Ph.D. in Environmental Science Sep. 2018-Dec. 2022
Thesis advisor: Prof. Jiří Šimůnek
Thesis title: Development and Applications of the Transport Model for Soil Water Stable Isotopes Considering Fractionation
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
M.S. in Physical Geography (with honors) Sep. 2015-Jun. 2018
Thesis advisor: Prof. Dongmei Han
Thesis title: Comparison of Soil Water Movement through Unsaturated Zone in Severe and Mild Saline-alkali Fields
Taiyuan University of Technology Taiyuan, China
B.E. in Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering (with honors) Sep. 2011-Jun. 2015
Professional Experience
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor New Mexico State University Feb. 2026-Present
Postdoctoral Research Associate University of Arizona Dec. 2023-Mar.-2025
Research advisor: Prof. Peter Troch
Postdoctoral Research Associate University of California, Davis Dec. 2022-Nov. 2023 & Apr. 2025-Jan. 2026
Research advisor: Prof. Helen Dahlke
Research Interests
Research Interests
Agriculture hydrology
Stable isotopes applications
Numerical modeling of subsurface hydrology
Sensitivity analysis, parameter estimation, and uncertainty analysis
Research Descriptions
Research Descriptions
My research is centered on quantifying and tracking water and solute movements across the groundwater, soil, plant, and air continuum (GSPAC) by integrating field observations, isotopic tracers, physics-based modeling, geophysics, remote sensing, and machine learning across multiple spatial scales. A unifying theme in my work is to answer three questions: How much water and solute move (quantity)? Where do they come from (origin)? And how long do they stay (timing)?
(1) Quantity of Water and Solutes : During my postdoctoral research at UC Davis, I investigated the complex trade-offs between groundwater sustainability and water quality. By integrating tTEM geophysics with HYDRUS-1D modeling, I demonstrated that while Ag-MAR effectively recharges aquifers, it can accelerate contaminant transport.
(2) Origin of Water and Solutes: My doctoral work at UC Riverside focused on improving the accuracy of water source attribution in arid regions. I modified the HYDRUS-1D source code to incorporate the Craig-Gordon model, creating the first version capable of simulating isotopic fractionation in the unsaturated zone. I also developed the CGT-Frac equation to better account for soil tension and temperature dynamics. These advancements have since been integrated into the official PC-Progress standard library, aiding hydrologists worldwide in tracking water movement more precisely.
(3) Timing of Water and Solutes: During my postdoctoral research at University of Arizona, I explore the "age" of water as a metric for ecosystem resilience and nutrient cycling. Utilizing the Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO), I compared non-parametric regression models against StorAge Selection (SAS) functions and HYDRUS-3D particle tracking. This multi-model approach, emphasizes the critical role of subsurface heterogeneity in determining how long water and solutes remain within a hillslope system.
Publications
Publications
Zhou T.*, P. Nasta, J. Šimůnek, A. Liao, G. Brunetti, H. E. Dahlke* (2025). Assessing recharge travel times in multilayered soil profiles influenced by preferential flow. Journal of Hydrology, 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134144.
Cui W., T. Zhou, E. Levintal, C. P. García, I. Kisekka, H. E. Dahlke (2025). Modeling the impact of agricultural managed aquifer recharge (Ag-MAR) on soil water and nitrogen dynamics of the growing season. Agricultural Water Management, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109623.
Liao A., T. Zhou, X. Song*, L. Yang*, D. Han, S. Yang (2025). Understanding Flow Transport in Dual-Water-Source Rivers: Enhancing Storage Selection Functions with Two-Gamma Distributions. Hydrological Processes, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70121.
Zhou T.*, G. Brunetti, N. Ruud, J. Šimůnek, W. Cui, A. Liao, P. Nasta, J. Gao, E. Levintal, C. P. García, H. E. Dahlke* (2025). Simulation of pesticide transport in 70-m-thick soil profiles in response to large water applications. Journal of Hazardous Materials, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137517
Zhou T.*, N. Ruud, J. Šimůnek, G. Brunetti, E. Levintal, C. P. García, H. E. Dahlke* (2024). The impact of managed aquifer recharge on the fate and transport of pesticides in agricultural soils. Water Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.122442
Zhou T., E. Levintal, G. Brunetti, S. Jordan, T. Harter, I. Kisekka, J. Šimůnek, and H.E. Dahlke* (2023). Estimating the impact of vadose zone heterogeneity on agricultural managed aquifer recharge: A combined experimental and modeling study, Water Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.120781
Nasta, P., J. Šimůnek, T. Zhou, C. Stumpp, and N. Romano (2023). A virtual tracer experiment to assess the temporal origin of root water uptake, evaporation, and drainage, Hydrological Processes, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14982.
Zhou, T., J. Šimůnek, P. Nasta, G. Brunetti, M. Gaj, C. Neukum, and V. Post (2023). The impact of soil tension on isotope fractionation, transport, and interpretations of root water uptake origin, Water Resources Research, e2022WR034023. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR034023.
Imig, A., L. Augustin, J. Groh, T. Pütz, T. Zhou, F. Einsiedl, and A. Rein (2023). Fate of herbicides in cropped lysimeters: 1. Influence of different processes and model structure on vadose zone flow. Vadose Zone Journal, p.e20265. https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20265.
Zhou T., J. Šimůnek, I. Braud, P. Nasta, G. Brunetti, Y. Liu (2022). The impact of evaporation fractionation on the inverse estimation of soil hydraulic and isotope transport parameters. Journal of Hydrology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128100.
Liu Y., Y. Zheng, W. Li, T. Zhou (2022). Estimating evapotranspiration within a dryland watershed: comparison of eddy‐covariance observations, water budget estimates, and satellite‐based products. Hydrological Processes. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14631
Post V.E.A., T. Zhou, C. Neukum, P. Koeniger, G.J. Houben, A. Lamparter, J. Šimůnek (2022). Estimation of groundwater recharge rates using soil-water isotope profiles: a case study of two contrasting dune types on Langeoog Island, Germany. Hydrogeology Journal, 2022 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-022-02471-y
Liu Y., Y. Zheng, W. Li, T. Zhou (2022). Evaluating the performance of satellite-based precipitation products using gauge measurement and hydrological modeling: A case study in a dry basin of Northwest China. Journal of Hydrometeorology. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-21-0152.1
Zhou, T., J. Šimůnek, I. Braud (2021). Adapting HYDRUS-1D to Simulate the Transport of Soil Water Isotopes with Evaporation Fractionation. Environmental Modelling & Software, 105118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2021.105118
Han, D., T. Zhou (2018). Soil water movement in the unsaturated zone of an inland arid region: Mulched drip irrigation experiment, J. Hydrol, 559, 13-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.02.012
Han, D., T. Zhou, Y. Ma, X. Song (2018). Soil water movement through the vadose zone in severe and mild saline-alkali fields in an arid region. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 34(18): 152-159. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Zhou T., D. Han, X. Song, Y. Ma, Y. Zhang (2018). Water movement through the unsaturated zone in severe saline-alkali cotton field in an inland arid region: under water and salt regulation by drip irrigation schedule: Case study in Karamay Agricultural Development Area. Resources Science, 2018(4): 818-828. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Zhou T., D. Han, Y. Ma, X. Song, Y. Zhang (2018). Water Movement through the Unsaturated Zone in Mild Saline-alkali Cotton Field in an Inland Arid Region: under Drip Irrigation Schedule. Journal of Arid Land Resources and Environment, 32(12): 157-163. (in Chinese with English abstract)
Conference Presentations
Conference Presentations
Zhou T., G. Brunetti, N. Ruud, J. Šimůnek, A. Liao, P. Nasta, W. Cui, J. Gao, E. Levintal, C. P. García, H. E. Dahlke. Evaluating Pesticide Leaching and Water Transit Times in Deep Vadose Zones Under Agricultural Managed Aquifer Recharge. AGU Fall Meeting, 2025, New Orleans, Louisiana (Oral presentation).
Zhou T., G. Brunetti, N. Ruud, J. Šimůnek, A. Liao, P. Nasta, W. Cui, J. Gao, E. Levintal, C. P. García, H. E. Dahlke. The impact of agricultural managed aquifer recharge on the fate and transport of pesticides in the unsaturated zone AGU Fall Meeting, 2024, Washington D.C. (Oral presentation).
Zhou T., M. Kim, H. Bauser, P. Troch. 2024. Assessing the transit time distributions at hillslope’s scales using StorAge Selection functions and non-parametric identification in flow-weighted time. AGU Fall Meeting, 2024, Washington D.C. (Poster presentation).
Zhou T., M. Kim, H. Bauser, P. Troch. 2024. Assessing the transit time distributions at hillslope’s scales using StorAge Selection functions and non-parametric estimation in flow-weighted time. The Conference on Computational Methods in Water Resources (CMWR), Tucson, Arizona (Oral Presentation).
Zhou T., E. Levintal, G. Brunetti, S. Jordan, T. Harter, I. Kisekka, J. Šimůnek, H. Dahlke, 2023. Estimating the impact of vadose zone heterogeneity on agricultural managed aquifer recharge: A combined experimental and modeling study. 2023 SSSA annual meeting, St. Louis, Missouri (Oral Presentation).
Zhou, T., J. Šimůnek, I. Braud, P. Nasta, G. Brunetti, Y. Liu, 2022. The impact of evaporation fractionation on the inverse estimation of soil hydraulic and isotope transport parameters. 2022 SSSA annual meeting, Baltimore, Maryland (Oral and Poster Presentation).
Zhou, T., J. Šimůnek, I. Braud. 2021. The Impacts of Evaporation Fractionation on Parameter Estimation and Water Travel Time Calculation with the Isotope Transport Model in HYDRUS-1D. 2021 AGU Fall meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana (Poster Presentation).
Zhou, T., J. Šimůnek, I. Braud. 2021. Adapting HYDRUS-1D to Simulate the Transport of Soil Water Isotopes with Evaporation Fractionation. 2021 SSSA Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah (Poster Presentation).
Zhou, T., J. Šimůnek, I. Braud (2020). Adapting HYDRUS-1D to Simulate the Transport of Soil Water Isotopes with Evaporation Fractionation. 2020 SSSA annual meeting (5-min Rapid and Poster, Virtual).
Zhou, T., J. Šimůnek, Y. Ma (2019). W3188: Soil, Water, and Environmental Physics Across Scales 2019 Annual Meeting, Riverside, California (Poster Presentation).
Zhou, T., D. Han (2017). Conceptual model of soil water movement through a shallow unsaturated zone in an inland arid region. 10th China-Japan-Korea Graduate Student Forum, 2017, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (Oral Presentation).
Zhou, T., D. Han (2017). Water movement through a shallow unsaturated zone in an inland arid region: Field drip irrigation experiment under matric potential control. AGU Fall Meeting, 2017, New Orleans, Louisiana (Poster Presentation).
Selected Awards
Selected Awards
2025 UC Davis Postdoctoral Scholar Association Travel Grant
2022 Robert Luxmoore Student Travel Award
2021/22 ENSC Outstanding Research Award (Graduate Students)
Dissertation Year Program Award 2022-2023
Best Oral Presentation Award Runner Up for the 2021 UCR Environmental Sciences Graduate Student Symposium
Hilda and George Liebig Environmental Sciences Summer Fellowship, UCR, 2020
Outstanding Graduate Student Scholarship, IGSNRR, 2018 (top 10% students)
Merit Student of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, UCAS, 2017-2018
Director Scholarship, IGSNRR, 2018 (top 20% students)
First Class Graduate School Scholarship, UCAS (twice, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, top 20% students)
First Award in the 10th China-Japan-Korea Graduate Student Forum, 2017, China University of Geosciences (Beijing)
Outstanding Volunteer for 33rd International Geographical Congress, Beijing, 2016
National Endeavor Scholarship for excellent students, 2013-2014, Taiyuan University of Technology (honored by Ministry of Education, P. R. C, top 3% students)
Pacesetter and Outstanding Undergraduate Student of “Arduous Struggle and Inspirational Success” Scholarship, Taiyuan University of Technology (twice, 2012-2013 and 2015, top 2% students)
Undergraduate Student Professional Learning Award, Taiyuan University of Technology (twice, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, top 20% students)
Undergraduate Student Science and Technology Practice Award, 2013-2014, Taiyuan University of Technology (top 10% students)
Outstanding Volunteer in Social Practice Summer Program, 2013, Taiyuan University of Technology
Second Prize for "Social Practice and Science and Technology for Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction Competition" of Taiyuan University of Technology, 2013-2014,
Third Prize for Fourth Mathematics Competition of Taiyuan University of Technology, 2012
Academic Services
Academic Services
Associate Editor, for Journal of Hydrology
Associate Editor, for Soil Science Society of America Journal
Member, AGU Unsaturated Zone Hydrology Technical Committee
Judge, for SSSA Soil Physics and Hydrology Division-Poster and 5 Minute Rapid student competition, 2023.
Grant Reviewer, for AGU Travel grants, 2024.
Co-organizer, SSSA soil physics and Hydrology Social Event, 2021.
Co-convenor, for European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2025.
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