Faculty Portrait

Contact Information

Name: Dr. Kevin Cornwell

Title: Professor

Office Location: Placer Hall #1010

Email: cornwell@csus.edu

Office Phone: (916) 278-6667

Mailing Address: Sacramento State 6000 J Street Sacramento, CA 95819-6043

Office Hours: Mon 1:00pm - 2:00 Tues 11:00 - 12:00 Or by appointment

Where to find me : 1010 Placer Hall

Publications

Shroder, J., Cornwell, K., Oviatt, C., Lowndes, T., 2016.  Landslides, Alluvial Fans and Dam Failure at Red Rock Pass: the Outlet of Lake Bonneville. in Lake Bonneville, a Scientific Update, Developments in Earth Science Processes, no. 20, ed. C. Oviatt and J. Shroder, Elsevier Press.

Hammersley, L., Levine, R., Cornwell, K., Kusnick, J., & Hausback, B.P., 2012, The Geology of Mexico: A quantitative evaluation of a course deigned to increase the number of Hispanic students participating in the geosciences at California State University, Sacramento, Journal of Geoscience Education, 60, 189-198

Cornwell, K., Norsby, D, and Marston, D, 2003.  Drainage, sediment transport and denudation rates on the Nanga Parbat Himalaya,Pakistan. Geomorphology Vol. 55 (1-4) p. 25-43.

Cornwell, K., 1998.  Quaternary break-out flood sediments in the Peshawar basin of northern Pakistan.  Geomorphology Vol. 25 (3-4) p. 225-248.

Shroder, J., Bishop, M., Cornwell, K., and Inbar, M. 1997. Catastrophic Geomorphic Processes and Bethsaida Archaeology, Israel, in “Bethsaida, A City by the North Shore of the Sea of Galilee”, Vol 2, ed. by R.Arav and R.Freund, Thomas Jefferson University Press.

Pradhan, A. and Cornwell, K., 1996.  Slug Testing Protected Groundwater Sources.  Iowa Groundwater Quarterly, Vol. 7, No. 3. p. 7-8.

Hamidullah, S. & Cornwell, K., 1995. Floods with special reference to catastrophic floods in Pakistan. Proc. Conf. Geol. Hazards Predictions Mitigations Control, October 8-12, 1994, Dept. Geology, Univ. Peshawar.   p.63-70.

Cornwell, K. and Hamidullah, S., 1993.  Geomorphic Evidence of Catastrophic Flooding along the Middle Indus Valley.  Geol. Bull. Univ. Peshawar, Vol. 25, p. 113-121.  

Cornwell, K. and C. Barnes.  1987.  Evaluation of volcanic ash as a stratigraphic marker beds in playa basins of west Texas. Texas Jour. Sci. 39, p.155-169.

Brown, K., Adair, M., Bozarth, S., Brown, M., Cornwell, K., Fitzgerald, D., Fredlund, G., Logan, B., and Stewart, J.D., 1986. Prehistoric and Historic Cultural Resources of Selected Sites at Harlan County Lake, Harlan County, Nebraska. An Archaeological Project conducted for the Kansas City District of the Corps of Engineers, Contract No. DACW41-85-R-0145.

Courses that I teach

  • Geology 5 - Geology of Mexico
  • Geology 10 - Physical Geology
  • Geology 120 - Surface Processes
  • Geology 150 - Computer Mapping for Geologists
  • Geology 193c - Engineering Geology
  • Geology 220 - Advanced Surface Processes

Abstracts

Sparks, G., Horner, T., Alpers, C.N., Cornwell, K., and Izzo, V.,  2015.  Mercury and methylmercury related to historical mercury mining in three tributaries to Lake Berryessa, Putah Creek Watershed, California.  Abstract for submittal to the 2014 Reclaiming the Sierra, A Conference to Address Historic Mining Impacts

Sparks, G., Horner, T., Alpers, C.N., Cornwell, K., and Izzo, V.,  2015.  Mercury and methylmercury related to historical mercury mining in three tributaries to Lake Berryessa, Putah Creek Watershed, California.  American Geophysical Conference fall, 2014 meeting. 

Covey, J. and Cornwell, K., 2014.  Application of geophysical methods to measure unconsolidated sediment thickness in a meadow system: a case study of Dotta Canyon, Red Clover Meadow Complex, Ca.  American Geophysical Conference fall, 2014 meeting. 

Hill, B., Hoffman, J., and Cornwell, K., 2011.  Groundwater Discharge to Restored and Unrestored Meadows. American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #H51J-1350

Mancuso, L. and Cornwell, K., 2011.  Water budget and flow attenuation in a small montane meadow in the Sierra Nevada, California.  American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #H33F-1369

Lesh, M., Cornwell, K. and Koler, T., 2009.  Evaluation of Lodge Pole Pole Tree Removal on the Storage Potential of a Shallow Aquifer in a Montane Meadow.  Eos, Vol. 90, Number 52, H21C-0874.

Cornwell, K., Brown, K., and Monohan, C., 2007.  Stable Mountain Meadows and their contribution to Sierra Nevada Water Resources.  EOS Trans. Vol 88, p.F449.

Cornwell, K. and Burns, R., 2005.  Hydraulic implications to upper basin stream systems from changing climatic conditions in the Sierra Nevada.  EOS Trans. Vol. 86,

Burns, R, Meyers, R. and Cornwell, K., 2003.  Statistical development of flood frequency and magnitude equations for the Cosumnes and Mokelumne River drainage basins, Sierra Nevada, California.  Eos Trans. 84(46), p. F597.

Cornwell, K., Marston, D., Shroder, J, and Bishop, M., 2003.  Differential uplift and drainage basin dynamics on Nanga Parbat, Himalaya.  GSA Abstracts with Programs Vol. 35, No. 6.

Burns, R. G. and Cornwell, K., 2002.  Estimating Sediment Transport Conditions From Suspended Sediment Loads In the Cosumnes River Drainage Basin, Eos Trans. Vol. 83, No. 47 pp. F465.

Meyer, R. and Cornwell, K., 2002.  Flood frequency and magnitude relationships in the Cosumnes and Mokelumne drainage basins, Sierra Nevada, California, Eos Trans. Vol. 83, No. 47 pp. F435.

Cornwell, K. and Meyer R., 2002.  Morphometric discharge relationships in the Cosumnes drainage basin, Sierra Nevada, California, Eos Trans. Vol. 83, No. 47 pp. F435.

Cornwell, K., 2001.  The impact of the California Flood of 1997 on a Small Drainage Basin on the west Slope of the Sierra Nevada, California.  Eos Trans. Vol. 82, No. 47, pg. H423.

Horner, T.C., Cornwell, K., and Kusnick, J., 2001.  Use of Active Learning Modules in Water Quality and Stream flow to enhance understanding of the scientific method.  Geol. Soc. amer., Abs. w/Prog., Vol 33, No. 6, A193.

Cornwell, K., Norsby, D, and Marston, D, 2001.  Drainage, sediment transport and denudation rates on the Nanga Parbat Himalaya,Pakistan. 32nd Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Cornwell, K., Norsby, D, and Marston, D, 2000.  Discharge and sediment transport conditions of the upper Raikot and Rupal drainage basins on Nanga Parbat, Northern Pakistan during the 1997 summer melt season.  Geol. Soc. Amer., Abs. w/ Prog., Vol. 32, No. 7, pg. A-24.

Cornwell, K., 1999.  Utilizing USGS stream gage data to calibrate hydraulic flow models along select reaches of the Cosumnes River drainage basin, California. EOS Trans., Vol. 80, No.46, pg. F425.

Cornwell, K., Shroder, J.F., Jr. and Bishop, M.P., 1997.  Evidence of Catastrophic Flooding along the Jordan River Valley, Northern Israel, Missouri Academy of Science, April, 1997.

Cornwell, K., Bishop, M., and Shroder, J., Jr., 1996.  Computer modeling of Catastrophic Flood Events along the Jordan River Valley, Northern Israel. Geol. Soc. Amer., Abs. w/ Prog., Vol. 28, No. 7, pg. 305.

Cornwell K., 1995.  Jokulhlaup Slackwater Deposits in North America and Central Asia, a Comparative Analysis.  Geol. Soc. Amer., Abs. w/ Prog., North-Central Section Meeting, Vol. 27, No. 3.

West, J., Bishop, M., Shroder, J. Jr.,  and Cornwell, K., 1995. Catastrophic Flood Simulations using GIS and Hydrologic Modeling. Assoc of Amer. Geographers, 91st Annual Meeting, pg. 323.

Cornwell, K., 1994.  Pleistocene Ice-Dams along the Middle Indus Valley of Northern Pakistan. Geol. Soc. Amer., Abs. w/ Prog., Vol. 26, No. 7.

Hamidullah, S. & Cornwell, K., 1995.  Catastrophic floods and their evidences along Indus Valley, Pakistan. Abst.Conf. Geol. Hazards Predictions Mitigations Control, October 8-12, 1994, Dept. Geology, Univ. Peshawar.  p.xix-xx.

Shroder, John F., Jr.; Cornwell, K.; Khan, M. S.; Lodhi, M.; Vincentini, S.; Wilbanks, Thomas J., 1993.  Repetitive slope failures and floods in the western Himalaya; Association of American Geographers; 89th annual meeting.

Cornwell, K., 1993.  Evidence of Quaternary Jokulhlaups in the Peshawar Basin of Northern Pakistan. Geol. Soc. Amer., Abs. w/ Prog., Vol. 25, No. 6.

Shroder, J. F. Jr., M. S. Khan, K. Cornwell, 1992.  Reinterpreted Geomorphology of Middle Indus Valley, Western Himalaya, Pakistan.  Abstracts, Amer. Assoc. of Geog., San Diego, Calif..

Shroder, J.F., Jr., K. Cornwell, and M. Saqib Khan, 1992, Periglacial and permafrost phenomena in the western Himalaya. International Permafrost Association Report 1991-92, Zurich, Switzerland, Permafrost and Periglacial Processes.

Shroder, J. F. Jr., K. Cornwell, M. S. Khan, 1991.  Catastrophic Breakout Floods in the Western Himalaya, Pakistan. Geol. Soc. Amer., Abs w/ Prog., Vol. 22, No.7, pg. A87.

Shroder, J.F. Jr., M. Saqib Kahn, and K. Cornwell, 1991.  Pleistocene and Holocene Glacier Fluctuations in Nanga Parbat and Karakoram Himalaya.  INQUA Cong. XIII, Beijing, China.

Cornwell, K. and D. Pederson, 1990.  Variations in flow of Dismal River in North Central Nebraska as Related to Atmospheric Pressure Changes.  EOS Trans., Vol. 71, No. 43, pg. 1327.

Pederson, D. and K. Cornwell, 1990.  Threshold Factors Identified in Theory and Laboratory Studies have Applicability to Discharge of Boiling Springs located along the Dismal River in Nebraska. EOS Trans., Vol. 71, No.43, pg. 1327.

Cornwell, K. and J.F. Shroder, Jr., 1990.  Computer modeling of the Lake Bonneville breakout flood through the Red Rock Pass threshold.  Geol. Soc. Amer., Abs w/Prog., Vol. 22, No. 7, pg. A23.

Research Interests

My interests generally revolve around surface and groundwater flow in mountain river systems.  To that end I’ve had the opportunity to explore sediment transport conditions, paleo-flood reconstructions, dam break and breakout flood modeling as well as groundwater flow and modeling studies.  Of late, I’ve been more focused on montane meadows, their ability to store groundwater, how that groundwater volume changes seasonally in degraded meadows and modeling their conversion from a degraded state to a more hydrologiclly functional state.  Specifically my students and I have been measuring and modeling groundwater and surface water conditions that exist in both healthy and degraded meadows and assessing their change throughout the water year. 

I’m also involved in a Sierra Nevada wide effort (with both public and private partners) to hydrologically instrument a number of key mountain meadows to evaluate the efficacy of restoration actions.  This work includes site assessments, instrumentation installation, geomorphic characterization and ground and surface water sourcing.   

 

Professional Organizations

  • Geological Society of America
  • American Geophysical Union
  • Engineers Without Borders (Sacramento Chapter)
  • SAGE