Ryan C Cahalan, PhD
Ryan is a research geologist with the GMEG Science Center in Portland, Oregon. Since joining the USGS in 2020, Ryan has devoted his career to studying shallow geothermal energy and volcanic systems. Presently, his research focuses on modeling heat recovery in underground thermal energy storage (UTES).
Ryan Cahalan joined the USGS after completing a PhD at the University of Oregon on modeling multiphase transport in water-rich volcanic eruptions. His first project with the USGS was in collaboration with Cascades and Hawaiian Volcano Observatories, studying the December 2020 Kīlauea Volcano eruption focusing on the interaction of the erupted lava and the summit water lake. In November 2022, Ryan joined the Geothermal Resource Investigations Project (GRIP) where he applies his flow modeling background to new problems in underground thermal energy storage. Ryan is also the Powell Center Fellow for the City-scale Geothermal Energy Project.
Professional Experience
2022 - Present, Research Geologist, Mendenhall Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, Portland, Oregon
2020 - 2022, RCUH Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of Hawaii-Hilo/U.S. Geological Survey, Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, 2020
B.S. Geology, The University of Texas, 2012
Affiliations and Memberships*
2012 - Present, American Geophysical Union
2011 - Present, Geological Society of America
2016 - Present, International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of Earth's Interior
Honors and Awards
2012 Outstanding Student Paper Award, American Geophysical Union
Science and Products
SUTRA Models Used to Evaluate Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage Performance in the United States
Plumeria Simulations of 20 December 2020 Kīlauea Volcano Eruption Plume
Reservoir thermal energy storage pre-assessment for the United States
Explosive 2018 eruptions at Kīlauea driven by a collapse-induced stomp-rocket mechanism
Dynamics of the December 2020 ash-poor plume formed by lava-water interaction at the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
City-scale geothermal energy everywhere to support renewable resilience – A transcontinental cooperation
Science and Products
SUTRA Models Used to Evaluate Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage Performance in the United States
Plumeria Simulations of 20 December 2020 Kīlauea Volcano Eruption Plume
Reservoir thermal energy storage pre-assessment for the United States
Explosive 2018 eruptions at Kīlauea driven by a collapse-induced stomp-rocket mechanism
Dynamics of the December 2020 ash-poor plume formed by lava-water interaction at the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
City-scale geothermal energy everywhere to support renewable resilience – A transcontinental cooperation
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government