Dr Kegan Farrick

LECTURER

Ext. 84130
Email:Kegan.Farrick@sta.uwi.edu

Background

I am a Lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. My research is primarily focused in the areas of hydrology and water resources and my research group routinely uses various geochemical and modelling techniques to understand hydrological processes in Tropical environments. I have a multidisciplinary background with a BSc in Zoology and Environmental and Natural Resource Management (UWI), an MSc in Geography with a special emphasis on ecohydrology (University of Waterloo) and a PhD in Geology with a focus on isotope and catchment hydrology (Western University). I serve as the regional expert on Isotope hydrology and currently work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on a range of projects.

I also served as the previous Head of Department from 2019 to 2022. In my spare time I enjoy doing anything outdoors.


Research

My research interests lie in the areas of hydrology and water resources of tropical regions. My main focus is on understanding how runoff and streamflow are generated in watersheds and the impacts of climate and land use change on these processes. I am a co-investigator on examining the water uptake in cocoa-agroforest systems, which is funded by the Royal Society. I am also involved in the hydrological components of quarry restoration and work collaboratively with local NGO IAMovement on the project. My most recent project is with the IAEA and looks at the impacts of extreme events on stream discharge. These projects all use a range of techniques including hydrometric (e.g. measurements of precipitation, discharge, soil moisture), geochemical (e.g. stable water and other isotopes), and modelling.

I currently supervise six graduate students and have been involved at the committee level for other graduate students.

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZzKGtQ0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kegan-Farrick


Publications

Selected Publications

De Caires, S.A., St. Martin, C., Wuddivira, M.N., Farrick, K.K. and Zebarth, B.J. (2023). Predicting soil depth in a humid tropical watershed: A comparative analysis of best-fit regression and geospatial models. Catena, 222.

Farrick, K.K.and Gittens, D. (2022). Rainfall interception influenced by non-native pine forests. Ecohydrology, e2499.

Francis, J.R., Wuddivira, M.N. and Farrick, K.K. (2022). Exotic tropical pine forest impacts on rainfall interception: Canopy, understory and litter. Journal of Hydrology. 609: 127765.

De Caires, S.A., Wuddivira, M.N., Bramble, DS.E., Atwell, M., Roopnarine, R. and Farrick, K.K. (2021). Soil Sampling Strategies for the Characterization of Spatial Variability Under Two Distinct Land Uses. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 52 (19): 2217-2240

Farrick, K.K. Wuddivira, M.N. and Martin, O. (2019) Estimation of soil texture from permanent wilting point measured with a chilled-mirror dewpoint technique. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science. 182: 119-125.

Farrick, K.K., Akweli, Z. and Wuddivira, M. N. (2018) Influence of manure, compost additions and temperature on the water repellency of tropical soils. Soil Research 56(7): 685-695.

Farrick, K.K. and Branfireun, B.A. (2015) Flow pathways, source water contributions and water residence times in a Mexican tropical dry forest catchment. Journal of Hydrology 529: 854-865.

Farrick, K.K. and Branfireun, B.A. (2014) Soil water storage, rainfall and runoff relationships in a tropical dry forest catchment. Water Resources Research. 50: 9236-9250.

Farrick, K.K. and Branfireun, B.A. (2014) Infiltration and soil water dynamics in a tropical dry forest: it may be dry but definitely not arid. Hydrological Processes. 28: 4377-4387.

Farrick, K.K. and Branfireun, B.A. (2013) Left high and dry: a call to action for increased hydrological research in tropical dry forests. Hydrological Processes. 27: 3254-3262.


Teaching

GEOG 2011: Geomorphology
GEOG 2013: Geography Research Methods
GEOG 2018: Residential Field School
GEOG 2019: Physical Hydrology
GEOG 3502: Climate and Environmental Change in the Quaternary
GEOG 6000: Philosophy and Practice of Research in Geography


Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SD Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
SD Goal 13: Climate Action
SD Goal 14: Life Below Water
SD Goal 15: Life on Land

Top of Page