Andy Pearson
Andy Pearson is a Senior Groundwater Scientist.
Qualifications
In 2020, Andy was awarded a PhD in environmental geochemistry and speleothem science from the University of Waikato.
About
Andy undertakes applied research on topics including groundwater quality and drinking-water safety. “Groundwater provides us with water for drinking and irrigation, and feeds many of our lakes, rivers, and streams. However, groundwater isn’t visible on the surface, so we can’t easily see that our activities can have major ramifications for our aquifers. Threats to groundwater quality are increasing due to climate change and increased demand for waste disposal. As a groundwater scientist, it’s my job to research contamination in the subsurface and collaborate with others to develop methods for monitoring and improving our groundwater quality and ensuring the safety of drinking water supplies”, Andy says. Alongside ESR’s Pacific Team, Andy aims to assist Pacific Island nations in addressing their water sustainability challenges. Andy contributes by providing training in deployment of monitoring equipment and guidance on developing groundwater monitoring programmes (e.g., regarding saline intrusion, pollution impacts and over-abstraction). Andy is passionate about raising the profile of groundwater science and therefore established the Early Career Hydrogeologists’ Network for Aotearoa (through the International Association of Hydrogeologists’). Awards: - ESR (2024): ‘Early Career Scientist Award’. - Primary Industries New Zealand (2024): ‘Science & Research’ Category (team member and co-lead for 2 years) for SSIF project ‘Groundwater Remediation: a pathway to cleaner water for Aotearoa’. - New Zealand Hydrological Society (2022): ‘Emerging Scientist Award’. Recent publications: - Pearson, A.R., Fox, B.R., Hellstrom, J.C., Vandergoes, M.J., Breitenbach, S.F., Drysdale, R.N., Höpker, S.N., Wood, C.T., Schiller, M. and Hartland, A., 2024. Warming drives dissolved organic carbon export from pristine alpine soils. Nature Communications, 15(1), p.3522. - Pearson, A.R., Scott, L., Wilson, S.R. and Massey, M.S., 2022. Arsenic in groundwater in the Waitaha/Canterbury region. Journal of Hydrology (New Zealand), 61(2), pp.137-150. - Pearson, A.R., Fox, B.R., Vandergoes, M.J. and Hartland, A., 2022. The sediment fluorescence–trophic level relationship: using water-extractable organic matter to assess past lake water quality in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 56(2), pp.213-233. - Heidke, I., Hartland, A., Scholz, D., Pearson, A., Hellstrom, J., Breitenbach, S.F. and Hoffmann, T., 2021. Lignin oxidation products in soil, dripwater and speleothems from four different sites in New Zealand. Biogeosciences, 18(7), pp.2289-2300. - Hellstrom, J., Sniderman, K., Drysdale, R., Couchoud, I., Hartland, A., Pearson, A. and Bajo, P., 2020. Speleothem growth intervals reflect New Zealand montane vegetation response to temperature change over the last glacial cycle. Scientific reports, 10(1), p.2492. - Nava-Fernandez, C., Hartland, A., Gázquez, F., Kwiecien, O., Marwan, N., Fox, B., Hellstrom, J., Pearson, A., Ward, B., French, A. and Hodell, D.A., 2020. Pacific climate reflected in Waipuna Cave drip water hydrochemistry. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 24(6), pp.3361-3380. - Pearson, A.R., Hartland, A., Frisia, S. and Fox, B.R., 2020. Formation of calcite in the presence of dissolved organic matter: partitioning, fabrics and fluorescence. Chemical Geology, 539, p.119492.