Education

• A.B. 1991, Dartmouth College
• M.S. 1993, Stanford University
• Ph.D. 1999, Johns Hopkins University

Specialization

• Coastal Processes
  
• Earth Systems
  
• Water Resources & Hydrology

Research

My research is in the field of hydrogeology, from the role of groundwater in coastal ecohydrology to the origin and evolution of porewaters in large sedimentary basins. A particular focus right now is submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), which discharges nutrients and other solutes to coastal systems ranging from tidal creeks to the continental shelf.

Publications

Xiao, Kai, and 21 other authors (2024) Widespread crab burrows weaken coastal blue carbon sinks. Communications Earth & Environment, v. 5, article no. 437. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01621-2 

Wilson, Stephanie J., Moody, A., McKenzie, T., Cardenas, M.B., Luijendijk, E., Sawyer, A., Wilson, A.M. et al. (2024) Global subterranean estuaries control groundwater nutrient loading to the ocean, L&O Letters v. 9, p. 411-422. http://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10390 

Vincent, Jacob, and A.M. Wilson (2024) Detecting changes in seafloor elevation in sandy coastal environments using low-cost opensource tooling. HardwareX 18, E00532, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00532 

Wilson, A.M., Osborne, A., and White, S.M. (2024) Large-scale groundwater flow and sedimentary diagenesis in continental shelves influence marine chemical budgets. Nature Communications v. 15, article no. 1143. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44919-7 

Yin, M., Xiao, K., Xin, P., Li, H., Zhen, C., Smith, E., and Wilson, A.M. (2023) Randomly Distributed Crab Burrows Enhance Groundwater Flow and Salt Transport in Creek-Marsh Systems. Water Resources Research 59(11), e2023WR035612. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023WR035612 

White, S. M., Smoak, E., Leier, A. L., & Wilson, A. M. (2023). Small Muddy Paleochannels and Implications for Submarine Groundwater Discharge near Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Geosciences, 13(8), 232. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13080232 

Moore, W.S., J. Vincent, J.L. Pinckney, and A.M. Wilson (2022) Predicted episode of submarine groundwater discharge onto the South Carolina, USA, continental shelf and its effect on dissolved oxygen. Geophysical Research Letters v. 49, e2022GL100438. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL100438 

Pinckney, J, S. Saunbrecher, S. Lang, A. Wilson, and A. Knapp (2022) Seasonality of benthic microalgal community abundance in shallow shelf waters. Continental Shelf Research v. 244, 104797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2022.104797 

Xin, Pei, Alicia M. Wilson, Chengji Shen, Zhenming Ge, Kevan B. Moffett, Isaac R. Santos, Xioagang Chen, Xinghua Xu, Yvonne Y.Y. Yau, Willard Moore, Ling Li, and D.A. Barry. (2022) Surface water and groundwater interactions in salt marshes and their impact on plant zonation and outwelling. Reviews of Geophysics 60(1), e2021RG000740. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021RG000740

Correa, R.E., Xiao, K., Conrad, S.R., Wadnerkar, P.D., Wilson, A.M., Sanders, C.J., and Santos, I.R. (2022) Groundwater Carbon Exports Exceed Sediment Carbon Burial in a Salt Marsh. Estuaries and Coasts. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-01021-1

Wilson, Alicia M., Meghan Shanahan, and Erik M. Smith (2021) Salt marshes as groundwater buffers for development: A survey of South Carolina salt marsh basins. Frontiers in Water v.3 article 770819. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2021.770819

Xiao, Kai, Alicia M. Wilson, Hailong Li, Isaac R. Santos, Joseph Tamborski, Erik Smith, Susan Q. Lang, Chunmiao Zheng, Xin Luo, Rogger E. Correa (2021) Large CO2 release and tidal flushing in salt marsh crab burrows reduce the potential for blue carbon sequestration. Limnology and Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.11582

*George, C., W.S. Moore, S.M. White, E. Smoak, S.B. Joye, A. Leier, and A.M. Wilson+ (2020) A new mechanism for submarine groundwater discharge from continental shelves. Water Resources Research, 56, e2019WR026866. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026866.

*Evans, Tyler B., Scott M. White and Alicia M. Wilson+ (2020) Coastal groundwater flow at the nearshore and embayment scales: a field and modeling study. Water Resources Research, 56, e2019WR026445. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026445

Schutte, C.A., W.S. Moore, A.M. Wilson, and S.B. Joye (2020) Groundwater-driven greenhouse gas export reduces salt marsh blue carbon potential. Global Biogeochemical Cycles v. 34, e2020GB006587. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GB006587 

Duque, C., H.A. Michael, and A.M. Wilson (2020) The subterranean estuary: Technical term, simple analogy, or source of confusion? Water Resources Research, Joint special issue on Coastal Hydrology. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026554

Xiao, K, H. Li, Y, Xia, J. Yan, A.M. Wilson, H.A. Michael, X. Geng, E. Smith, M.C. Boufadel, P. Yuan, X. Wang (2019) Effects of tidally varying salinity on groundwater flow and solute transport: insights from modelling an idealized creek-marsh aquifer. Water Resources Research v. 55.  https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR024671.

Xiao, K, A.M. Wilson, H. Li, and C. Ryan (2019) Crab burrows as preferential flow conduits for groundwater flow and transport in salt marshes: a modeling study. Advances in Water Resources. v. 132, 103408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2019.103408 

Xiao, K, H. Li, D.H. Song, Y.Y. Chen, A.M. Wilson, *M. Shanahan, G. Li, Y.M. Huang (2019) Field measurements for investigating the dynamics of the tidal prism during a spring-neap tidal cycle in Jiaozhou Bay, China. Journal of Coastal Research 35, 335 – 347. Doi: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-17-00121.1

Xiao, K., J. Wu, H. Li, Y. Hong, A.M. Wilson, J.J. Jiao, *M. Shanahan (2018) Nitrogen fate in a subtropical mangrove swamp: potential association with seawater-groundwater exchange. Science of the Total Environment, 635:586-597.

Schutte, C.A., A.M. Wilson, T.B. Evans*, W.S. Moore, S.B. Joye (2018) Deep oxygen penetration drives nitrification in intertidal beach sands. Limnology and Oceanography 63, S193-S208. Doi: 10.1002/lno.10731

Xiao, K., H. Li, A.M. Wilson, Y. Xia, L. Wan, C. Zheng, Q. Ma, C. Wang, X, Wang, X. Jiang (2017) Tidal groundwater flow and its ecological effects in a brackish marsh at the mouth of a large sub-tropical river. Journal of Hydrology, 555:198-212. Doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.10.025 

*Evans, Tyler and Alicia M. Wilson (2017) Submarine groundwater discharge and solute transport under a transgressive barrier island. Journal of Hydrology, 547:97-110. Doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.01.028

Michael, H.A., V.E.A. Post, A.M. Wilson, and Adrian D. Werner (2017) Science, society, and the coastal groundwater squeeze. Water Resources Research. 10.1002/2017WR020851.

Savidge, W.B., A.M. Wilson, and G. Woodward** (2016) Using a thermal proxy to examine sediment-water exchange in mid-continental shelf sandy sediment. Aquatic Geochemistry 22:419-441. doi:10.1007/s10498-016-9295-1.

Wilson, Alicia M., G. Woodward, and W.B. Savidge (2016) Using heat as a tracer to estimate the depth of rapid porewater advection below the sediment-water interface. Journal of Hydrology 538; 743-753. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.04.047

*Evans, Tyler and Alicia M. Wilson (2016) Groundwater transport and the freshwater-saltwater interface below beaches. Journal of Hydrology 538: 563-573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.04.014.

Schutte, C.A., S.M. Joye, A.M. Wilson, W.S. Moore, and T.B. Evans (2016) Methanotrophy controls groundwater methane export from a barrier island. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 17:242-256. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.01.022

Schutte, Charles A., S.B. Joye, A.M. Wilson, T.B. Evans, W.S. Moore and K. Casciotti (2015). Intense nitrogen cycling in permeable intertidal sediment revealed by a nitrous oxide hotspot. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 29, doi:10.1002/2014GB005052.

*#Hughes, Wilson, and Moore (2015) Groundwater transport and radium variability in coastal porewaters. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 164, p 94‐104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2015.06.005.

*Wilson, Alicia M., Tyler Evans, Willard Moore, Charles Schutte, and Samanatha Joye (2015) What time scales are important for monitoring tidally‐influenced submarine groundwater discharge? Insights from a salt marsh. Water Resources Research 51, 4198‐4207, doi:10.1002/2014WR015984. 

#Gupta, Ipsita, Alicia M. Wilson, and Benjamin J. Rostron (2015) Groundwater age, brine migration, and large-scale solute transport in the Alberta Basin, Canada. Geofluids 15, 608–620. doi: 10.1111/gfl.12131.

*Wilson, Alicia M., T.B. Evans, A.H. Hughes, W.S. Moore, C.A. Schutte, S.B. Joye (2015) Groundwater controls ecological zonation of macrophytes in salt marshes. Ecology 96, 840-849. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/13-2183.1.

*Das, Reshmi, Michael Bizimis, and Alicia M. Wilson (2013) Tracing mercury seawater vs. atmospheric inputs in a pristine SE USA salt marsh system: Mercury isotope evidence. Chemical Geology 336, p. 50-61.

*Hughes, Andrea L.H., Alicia M. Wilson, and James T. Morris (2012) Hydrologic variability in a salt marsh: Assessing the links between drought and acute marsh dieback. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 111(95-106).

*Wilson, Alicia M. and James T. Morris (2012) The influence of tidal forcing on groundwater flow and nutrient exchange in a salt marsh-dominated estuary. Biogeochemistry v. 108, no. 1, p. 27-38.

#Gupta, Ipsita, Alicia M. Wilson, and Benjamin J. Rostron (2012) Cl/Br ratios as indicators of the origin of brines: Hydrogeologic simulations of the Alberta Basin, Canada. GSA Bulletin, v. 124 no. 1-2, p. 200-212.

*Wilson, Alicia M., Willard, S. Moore, Samantha B. Joye, Joseph L. Anderson, and Charles A. Schutte (2011) Storm-driven groundwater flow in a salt marsh. Water Resources Research, v. 47, W02535, doi:10.1029/2010WR009496, 11 pp.

*Wilson, Alicia M., Marcus Huettel, and Steven Klein (2008) Grain size and depositional environment as predictors of permeability in coastal marine sands, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Sediments 80(1) 193-199.

*Carter, E.S., S.M. White, and A.M. Wilson (2008) Variation in groundwater salinity in a tidal salt marsh basin, North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 76, 543-552.

*Wilson, Alicia M., and Carolyn Ruppel (2007) Salt tectonics and shallow subseafloor fluid convection: models of coupled fluid-heat-salt transport. Geofluids 7 (4), 377-386.

#Thornton, M. M. and Alicia M. Wilson (2007) Topography-driven flow versus buoyancy-driven flow in the U.S. mid-continent: implications for the residence time of brines, Geofluids, 7, 69-78.

*Gardner, Leonard R., and Alicia M Wilson (2006) Comparison of four numerical models for simulating seepage from salt marsh sediments. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 69, 427-437.

*Wilson, A. M., and L. R. Gardner (2006), Tidally driven groundwater flow and solute exchange in a marsh: Numerical simulations, Water Resour. Res., 42, W01405, doi:10.1029/2005WR004302

*Wilson A. M., and L. R. Gardner (2005), Comment on “Subsurface flow and vegetation patterns in tidal environments” by Nadia Ursino, Sonia Silvestri, and Marco Marani, Water Resour. Res., 41, W07021, doi:10.1029/2004WR003554.

*Moore, Willard S., and Alicia M. Wilson (2005) Advective flow through the upper continental shelf driven by storms, buoyancy, and submarine groundwater discharge. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 235, Issues 3-4, 15 July 2005, Pages 564-576.

*Wilson, Alicia M. (2005), Fresh and saline groundwater discharge to the ocean: A regional perspective. Water Resources Research, v. 41, W02016, doi:10.1029/2004WR003399.

Wilson, Alicia M. (2003), The occurrence and chemical implications of geothermal convection in continental shelves: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 30, no. 21, 2127, doi:10.1029/2003GL018499

Wilson, Alicia M., Thomas Fenstemaker, and John M. Sharp, Jr. (2003) Abnormally-pressured beds as barriers to diffusive mass transport in sedimentary basins. Geofluids 3(3), p. 203-212.

Hoffman, J, S.A. Leake, D.L. Galloway, and A.M. Wilson (2003) MODFLOW-2000 ground-water model – User guide to the Subsidence and Aquifer-System Compaction (SUB) Package.  U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-233, 44 p.

Whitaker, Fiona F., Gareth Jones, Ward Sanford, Peter Smart, and Alicia M. Wilson (2002), Hydrology, geochemistry and diagenetic potential of saline groundwater: field results from the Bahamas and model studies: Special Publication of the Karst Waters Institute no. 7, p. 124-128.

Keller, Arturo A., Patricia Holden, and Alicia M. Wilson (2002) Modelling the seasonal variation in bioavailability of residual NAPL in the vadose zone, in Groundwater quality; natural and enhanced restoration of groundwater. S. F. Thornton and S. E. Oswald, eds., IAHS-AISH Publication vol. 275, p. 133-139.

Wilson, Alicia M., Ward Sanford, Fiona Whitaker, and Peter Smart (2001), Spatial patterns of diagenesis during geothermal convection in carbonate platforms: American Journal of Science, v. 301, p. 727-752.

Wilson, Alicia M., James R. Boles, and Grant Garven (2000), Calcium mass transport and diagenesis during compaction-driven flow in the San Joaquin Basin, California: GSA Bulletin, v. 112, no. 6, p. 845-856.

Wilson, Alicia M., Ward Sanford, Fiona Whitaker, and Peter Smart (2000), Geothermal convection: a mechanism for dolomitization at Enewetak Atoll?: Journal of Geochemical Exploration, v. 69-70, no. 1-3, p. 41-45.

Wilson, Alicia M., Grant Garven, and James R. Boles (1999), Paleohydrogeology of the San Joaquin Basin, California: GSA Bulletin, v. 111, No. 3, pp. 432-449.

Wilson, Alicia M., and Steven Gorelick (1996), The effects of pulsed pumping on land subsidence in the Santa Clara Valley, California: Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 184, No. 3-4, p. 375-396.