Karen Barry

Biography

Karen Barry is a research projects officer in the Groundwater Systems team and Groundwater Management group of CSIRO’s Environment business unit.

Her primary research activities include data extraction, analysis and interpretation of geological, hydrogeochemical and environmental tracer data. Spatial mapping plus design and implementation of field and laboratory studies.

Karen has a background in soil, groundwater hydrology and microbial ecology with over 30 years of experience in characterising hydrogeological systems across Australia. Her research interests include Managed Aquifer Recharge including ASR/ASTR and SAT, the integration of geology, geophysics, vadose zone and saturated zone hydrology, environmental tracers and hydrogeochemistry for characterising the nature and scale of groundwater flow systems, and quantifying groundwater flow processes (recharge, throughflow and discharge). She is a team member in groundwater resource and managed aquifer recharge assessments, involving drilling programs, geophysical surveys, hydrological monitoring and groundwater and surface water sampling programs, that support desktop and modelling analyses. Her current projects focus on characterising groundwater systems for future economic development or water security.

Currently, Karen is a team member in the groundwater hydrology components of the: (i) Victoria River Water Resource Assessment (ViWRA); (ii) Southern Gulf Water Resource Assessment (SoGWRA); (iii) Upper King River MAR investigations; and (iv) is a Laboratory Site coordinator for the Waite Campus

Karen conducts her research in conjunction with an extensive network of colleagues and collaborators and holds enduring relationships with many important stakeholders including clients, academics, consultants, water regulators and utilities, private landholders and community members.

Karen is an author of >150 publications including journal papers, conference papers and client/technical reports