Researcher

Travis McLing

Research Scientist

Research Areas:
Geological and Water Engineering

Biography:

Travis McLing has been working in the field of geology and geochemistry since 1988. He is considered an expert in the fields of geologic mapping, fieldwork, carbon sequestration, geomicrobiology and hydrochemistry. He has spent the last seven years on the development of geochemical models to aid in the characterization of carbon dioxide transport at potential storage sites. In his current capacity, McLing serves as the carbon storage lead for INL and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES), where he leads the research and business development activities for these institutions. His primary interest in this field is the study of the geochemical mineralization reactions controlling the fate and transport of carbon dioxide in subsurface environments. Currently, he is conducting carbon dioxide related research projects associated with the Big Sky Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership through DOE, Shell International Exploration, The Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Carbon Dioxide Water Issues Task Force. One of his primary projects is the study of natural CCS analogues to identify chemical signatures of mineralization and leakage pathways in the near surface. These projects have received national recognition and have been instrumental in the development of strategies to evaluate potential storage sites for anthropogenic carbon dioxide. McLing has also been appointed to the Idaho Governor’s Carbon Sequestration Advisory Committee as the chair of the Idaho Carbon Issues Task Force.

Education:

M.S., Geology - Idaho State University
B.S., Geology - Idaho State University
A.D., Geology - Bingham Young University

Affiliations:

Professional Memberships
American Geophysical Union
Geothermal Research Council
Geochemical Society

Publications:

Ghanashyam, N, Mattson, E.D., McLing T.L., Dobson P.F., Conrad M.E., Wood T. R.,, Cannon C., and Worthing, W., Geothermometric Temperature Comparison Of Hot Springs And Wells In Southern Idaho. Proceeding of the 2015 Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting.

McLing T.L., Carpenter, M. Brandon, W., Zavala, B., Testing Novel Cr-39 Detector Delpoyment System for identification of Subsurface Fractures, Soda Springs, ID. INL/EXT-15-34802.

Dobson P.F., Kennedy B.M., Conrad M.E., McLing T.L., Mattson E., Wood T., Cannon C., Spackman R., van Soest M., and Robertson M., He Isotopic Evidence for Undiscovered Geothermal Systems in the Snake River Plain, PROCEEDINGS, Fortieth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Stanford University, Stanford, California, January 26-28, 2015 SGP-TR-204.

Wood, T.R., Worthing, W., Cannon, C., Palmer, C., Neupane, G., McLing, T., Mattson, E., Dobson, P.F., and Conrad, M. (2015) The Preston geothermal resources; Renewed interest in a known geothermal resource area. Proceedings, 40th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University, Jan. 26-28, 2014, 14 p.

McLing, T.L., Smith, W.W., and Smith R.W., 2014 Utilizing Rare Earth Elements as Tracers in High TDS Reservoir Brines in CCS Applications. Energy Proceedia, Volume 63, 2014, Pages 3963–3974.

Dobson, P.F., Kennedy, B.M., Conrad, M.E., McLing, T., Mattson, E., Wood, T., Cannon, C., Spackman, R., van Soest, M., and Robertson, M. (2015) He isotopic evidence for undiscovered geothermal systems in the Snake River Plain. Proceedings, 40th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University, Jan. 26-28, 2014, 7 p.

Cannon, C., Wood, T., Neupane, G., McLing, T., Mattson, E., Dobson, P., and Conrad, M. (2014) Geochemistry sampling for traditional and multicomponent equilibrium geothermometry in southeast Idaho. Geothermal Resources Council Transactions, 38, 425-431.

Palmer, C. D., Ohly, S.R., Smith, R.W., Neupane, G., McLing, T. L., Mattson, E., Mineral Selection for Multicomponent Equilibrium Geothermometry Proceedings of the 38th annual Geothermal Resources Council Meeting.

McLing T.L., McCurry, M., Cannon, C., Neupane, G., Wood, T., Podgorney, P., Welhan, L., Mines, G., Mattson, E., Wood, R., Palmer, C., and Smith, R., 2014 David Blackwell’s Forty Years In The Idaho Desert, the Foundation for 21st Century Geothermal Research. Proceedings of the 38th annual Geothermal Resources Council Meeting.

Dobson, P., and Conrad, M., 2014 Geochemistry Sampling for Traditional and Multicomponent Equilibrium Geothermometry in Southeast Idaho Proceedings of the 38th annual Geothermal Resources Council Meeting.

Neupane, G., Mattson, E., Cannon, C., McLing T.L., Palmer, C. D., Smith, R. W., Wood, T. R., 2014 Deep Geothermal Reservoir Temperatures in the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho using Multicomponent Geothermometry. Proceedings of the 38th annual Geothermal Resources Council Meeting.

Pollyea, R.M., Fairley, J.P., Podgorney, R.K., and McLing, T.L. 2014. Physical constraints on geologic CO2sequestration in low-volume basalt formations. GSA Bulletin. Vol. 126, No. 3/4, p. 344-351, March/April. doi:10.1130/B30874.1.

Pollyea, R.M., Fairley, J.P., Podgorney, R.K., and McLing, T.L. 2013. A field sampling strategy for semivariogram inference of fractures in rock outcrops. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, Vol. 27, No. 7, p. 1735-1740, October. doi:10.1007/s00477-013-0710-5.

Neupane, G., Mattson, E. D., McLing, T. L., Palmer, C. D. Smith, R.W., Wood, 2014. T.R., Deep geothermal reservoir temperatures in the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho using multicomponent geothermometry. Proceedings of the Thirty-Ninth Stanford Geothermal Workshop.

Mattson E. D., McLing, T.L., William S, Palmer, C., and George Redden, G., 2013. EGS Rock Reactions with SCCO2 Saturated with Water and Water Saturated with SCCO2. Proceeding of the thirty-eighth Stanford Geothermal Workshop.

McLing, T., McCurry, M., Cannon, C., Neupane, G., Wood, T., Podgorney, R., Welhan, J., Mines, G., Mattson, E., Wood, R., Palmer, C. and Smith, R.: David Blackwell’s Forty Years in the Idaho Desert, The Foundation for 21st Century Geothermal Research. Geothermal Resources Council Transactions, 38, (2014), 143–153.

McLing T.L., William, W., Smith, R.W. 2014 Utilizing Rare Earth Elements as Tracers in High TDS Reservoir Brines in CCS Applications, Energy Procedia Volume 63, 2014, Pages 3963–3974.

Winston, P.L., Ginosar, D.M., Rollins, H.W., McLing T.L., Maio, V.C., Cadwallader, L.C. 2014, Options for Disused Radiological Source Deactivation and Permanent Disposal INL/LTD-14-33427.

Palmer, C. D., Ohly, S., McLing, T.L., Smith, R.W., Neupane, G., Mattson E. D., 2013 Mineral Selection for Multicomponent Equilibrium Geothermometry. Proceeding of the Geothermal Resources Council 38th Annual Meeting.

Podgorney, R.K., McCurry, M., Wood T., McLing, T.L., Ghassemi, A., Welhan, J,. Mines, G., Plummer, M., Moore, J., Fairley, J., Wood, R., Enhanced Geothermal System Potential for Sites on the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho. Proceeeding of the thirty-seventh Geothermal Resources Council meeting. v. 37.

Fairley, J., McLing, T. L., and Podgorney R, K., 2012 Sub-Seafloor Carbon Dioxide Storage Potential on the Juan de Fuca Plate, Western North America Energy Proceedia Volume 37, 2013, Pages 5248–5257.

Lewicki, J.L., G.E. Hilley, L. Dobeck, T.L. McLing, B.M. Kennedy, M. Bill, and B.D.V. Marino, Input of geologic CO2 into groundwater and the atmosphere, Soda Springs, ID, USA. Chemical Geology, 339, 61-70,doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2012.06.013, 2013.

Lokey-Aldrich, E., Koerner, C., Perkowski, J.C., McLing, T.L. (2012) “Managing the Risks of Carbon Sequestration: Liability Concerns and Alternatives, in Managing Climate Change Business Risks and Consequences: Leadership for Global Sustainability (Global Sustainability Through Business). Palgrave McMillan pg 181-205.

Raddatz, A., Johnson, T.M., McLing, T.L., (2011) Cr stable isotopes in Snake River Plain aquifer groundwater: Evidence for natural reduction of dissolved Cr(VI). Jan 15;45(2):502-7.

Duke, C.L., Roback, R.C., Reimus, P.W., Bowman, R.S., McLing, T.L., Baker, K.E., and Hull, L.C., Elucidation of Flow and Transport Processes in a Variably Saturated System of Interlayered Sediment and Fractured Rock Using Tracer Tests (2008). Vadose Zone Journal, 6:855-867.

McLing, T.L., Roback, R.C. Use of aquifer temperature distribution and chemical/isotopic characteristics to define groundwater flow paths at the Idaho National Laboratory, (2007). Proceedings of the Great Rift Science Symposium; p.p. 133-138.

Helm-Clark C., McLing, T.L., Ansley, S., Wood, T.R. (2005) Borehole and Well Middle 1823 and its Relationship to the Stratigraphy of the South Central Idaho National Laboratory. US Department of Energy Report number ICP/EXT-05-00790.

Baker, K.E., T.M. McLing, L.S. Street, A.L. Schafer, S. Ansley, L.C. Hull, R.M. Holt, R.C. Roback, and C. Jones. 2005. A Research Park for Studying Processes in Unsaturated Fractured Media. Eos Transactions, AGU 86:15, 19.

Wood, T.R., B. Orr, C.M. Helm-Clark, M. Roddy, H. Huang, M.J. Rohe, S. Magnuson, M.A. Plummer, T. McLing, and R. Podgorney, 2005, Operable Unit 10-08 Summary Report on the Subregional-scale Two-dimensional Aquifer Model, Idaho Cleanup Project report ICP/EXT-05-00979, Rev. 1, 107 p.

Colwell, F. S., Smith, R. W., Ferris, F. G., Reysenbach, A., Fujita, Y., Tyler, T. L., Taylor, J. L., Banta, A., Delwiche, M. E., McLing, T. L., Watwood, M. E. Microbially Mediated Subsurface Calcite Precipitation for Removal of Hazardous Divalent Cations: Microbial Activity, Molecular Biology, and Modeling. In Subsurface Contamination Remediation: Accomplishments of the Environmental Management Science Program; Berkey, E., Zachry, T., Eds.; American Chemical Society Symposium Series 904; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2005; pp 117-137.

Fugita Y., Taylor J. L., Gresham T.L., Delwiche M.E, Colwell F.S., McLing T.L., Petzke L.M., Smith R. W. Stimulation of Microbial Urea Hydrolysis in Groundwater to Enhance Calcite Precipitation(EST-2007-02643g).

McLing, T. L., Smith, R. W., and Johnson, T.M., (2002) Chemical Characteristics of Thermal Water Beneath the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer, GSA Special Paper 353-13.

Johnson T. M., Roback R. C., McLing T. L., Bullen T. D., DePaolo D. J., Doughty C., Hunt R. J., Murrell M. T., and Smith R. W. (2000). Groundwater Fast Paths' in the Snake River Plain Aquifer: Radiogenic Isotope Ratios as Natural Groundwater Tracers, Geology, 28, 871-874.

Luo, S. T. L. Ku, R. Roback, M. Murrell, and T. L. McLing., (2000). Decay-series Disequilibrium Study of In-situ, Long-term Radionuclide Transport in Water-rock Systems. Proceedings on Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXIII, Material Research Society.

Lou S. Ku T.L., Roback R, Murrell M., and McLing T. L., (2000). In-situ Radionuclide Transport and Preferential Groundwater Flows at INEEL (Idaho): Decay-Series Disequilibrium Studies. Geochemica et. Cosmochimica Acta, Vol 64, No. 5, pp. 867-881.

Luo, S., Ku, T.-L., Roback, R ., Murrell, M., McLing, T., 1998, Uranium-series disequilibrium in groundwater: Assessing radio-nuclide migration: International Conference on Isotope Geology, Cosmochemistry and Geochronology, Beijing.

Johnson, T.M., Dipak, S. Doughty, C. Depaolo, McLing, T.L., Smith, R.W., (1998). Investigations of Groundwater Flow Paths in Fractured Aquifers Through Combined Inversion of Strontium Isotope Ratios and Hydraulic Head Data Environmental Management Science Program Workshop.

Rosentreter, J.J.; Quarder, H.S.; Smith, R.W.; McLing, T. (1998). Uranium Sorption onto Natural Sands as a Function of Sediment Characteristics and Solution pH. Metal Absorption by Earth Materials. Academic Press: San Diego, CA.

Groenewold, G. S., Ingram, J. C., McLing, T. L., Gianotto, A. K., (1997). Cs+ Speciation on Soil Particles by TOF-SIMMS Imaging. Analytical Chemistry Vol. 70, No 3, pg. 534-539.

Orr, B.R., Helm-Clark, C.M., Podgorney, R., Plummer, M., McLing T.L., Roddy M., Overview of the Conceptual Model of Groundwater Flow within the Snake River Plain Aquifer at the INL Groundwater, Conceptual Model, Idaho National Laboratory (2007); p.p. 87-94.

Piet, S.J., Cherry, R.S., Brown, L.C., Cooper, C., Heydt, H. J., Holman, R.D., McLing, T.L. Energy in the Mountain West: Colonialism and Independence, Proceedings of the Idaho Academy of Sciences (2008).

Roback R. C., Johnson T. M., McLing T. L., Murrell M. T., Luo, S. and Ku, T.-L. (2001) Uranium isotopic evidence for groundwater chemical evolution and flow patterns in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho, Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull., 113, 1133-1141.

Rosentreter, J. J., Hemming, C., Smith, R. W., McLing, T. L., (1997). Uranium Sorption onto Natural Sands as a Function of Solution Sediment Characteristics. In Adsorption of Metals by Geomedia Variables, Mechanisms, and Model Applications. Editor Everett A. Jenne. Academic Press.

Quander, S. T., Rosentreter, J., Smith, R. W., and McLing T. L., 1996, The Adsorption of Uranium on Iron Coated Sands, Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Swift, Donald J. P., B. S. Parsons, A. Muller, J. L. Wilson R.G. Taylor, R. Holt, R. Smith, A. Schafer, and T. McLing, (1996). Sedimentary Facies as a Guide to Hydrologic Properties in an Experimental Aquifer of Shallow Marine Origin: Virginia's Eastern Shore Peninsula. Transactions American Geophysical Union, 1996 Spring meeting v. 76.

Smith, R.W., T.L. McLing, W. Barrash, and W.P. Clement. 2004. “Geologic Sequestration of CO2: A Uniform Strategy for Assessing Mineralization Trapping Potential Across Rock Types.” Proceeding of the Third Annual Conference on Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Alexandria, VA, May 4, 2004.

Smith, R. W., McLing, T. L., (1996). Relationship Between Reactivity and Permeability for Porous Media Composed of Coated Grains. Geol. Soc. of Amer. Programs 25:A-320.

McLing, T. L., Smith R. W., Pre-Anthropogenic Groundwater Evolution at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho, in Link, P.K. editor, (1994). Hydrology, Waste Disposal, Science and Politics, Proceedings of the 30th symposium on Engineering Geology and Geotechnical Engineering, College of Engineering, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho.

McLing, T.L., 1994, The Pre-Anthropogenic Groundwater Evolution at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho, Master of Science Thesis, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho.

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