Greg joined the U.S. Geological Survey as a Geologist in 2021. His current focus centers on the expansion of the subsidence-monitoring network along the Coastal Plain of Virginia. Other interests include investigating the applicability of organic geochemical techniques to supplement conventional hydrogeologic approaches in groundwater studies.
Greg is currently serving as Project Chief of a multiyear drilling project (2022-2025) in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, which aims to expand the extensometer, chloride monitoring, and climate response networks across Virginia. He also supplements ongoing efforts related to groundwater modeling on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Professional Experience
Geologist – Virginia-West Virginia Water Science Center (VA-WV WSC), USGS, Richmond, VA. – 2021 to present
Petroleum Geochemist – Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Oklahoma City, OK. – 2015 to 2018
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Geology (2018-2021) – University of Oklahoma
M.Sc. Geology (2013-2015) – University of Oklahoma
B.Sc. Environmental Sciences (2009-2013) – University of Virginia
Science and Products
The Virginia Extensometer Network
Land Subsidence on the Virginia Coastal Plain
Groundwater quality in abandoned underground coal mine aquifers across West Virginia
Occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and inorganic analytes in groundwater and surface water used as sources for public water supply in West Virginia
Geonarrative: Land Motion and Subsidence on the Virginia Coastal Plain
Along the coast of Virginia, the USGS and our partners are constantly monitoring our land and waters in new and innovative ways. In Virginia, scientists at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Sciences Center are drilling deep into the Earth to assess the impacts of groundwater use. By studying the impacts of groundwater use, scientists can determine associated risks, such as land subsidence.
Science and Products
- Science
The Virginia Extensometer Network
Borehole extensometers are instruments that monitor land subsidence caused by aquifer compaction. They provide precise, high-resolution measurements of changes in aquifer-system thickness. These changes in aquifer-system thickness contribute to vertical land motion (VLM) across the Virginia Coastal Plain, and are driven primarily by groundwater level decline due to human water usage. The Virginia...Land Subsidence on the Virginia Coastal Plain
Land subsidence is a loss of ground elevation, often experienced as the ground slowly sinking over the course of years. In eastern Virginia, high rates of groundwater use is a major factor in the land subsidence affecting the area. The Virginia-West Virginia Water Science Center, with the help of our partners, has been monitoring land subsidence in the Virginia Coastal Plain since 1979 using a... - Multimedia
- Publications
Groundwater quality in abandoned underground coal mine aquifers across West Virginia
Abandoned underground coal mine aquifers cover a large part of West Virginia and could supply substantial quantities of water for agricultural, industrial, residential, and public use. Several Federal, State, and academic institutions have studied the availability and quality of water stored in abandoned underground coal mine aquifers for a variety of applications, such as economic development, geAuthorsMitchell A. McAdoo, Gregory T. Connock, Mark D. KozarOccurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and inorganic analytes in groundwater and surface water used as sources for public water supply in West Virginia
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely observed anthropogenic compounds found in water supplies worldwide and increasingly linked with adverse health effects in humans. In 2019, the West Virginia Legislature recognized the contamination risk to public source-water supplies posed by PFAS and passed a resolution that required a statewide PFAS study. The purpose of the resolution was tAuthorsMitchell A. McAdoo, Gregory T. Connock, Terence Messinger - Web Tools
Geonarrative: Land Motion and Subsidence on the Virginia Coastal Plain
Along the coast of Virginia, the USGS and our partners are constantly monitoring our land and waters in new and innovative ways. In Virginia, scientists at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Sciences Center are drilling deep into the Earth to assess the impacts of groundwater use. By studying the impacts of groundwater use, scientists can determine associated risks, such as land subsidence.