Soil Scientist
Soil Scientist

Biography

Kenton Rod is a soil scientist focusing his research on biogeochemical processes in hydrologically dynamic systems such as those found at terrestrial aquatic interfaces and river corridors. He has extensive field experience as a soil hydrologist and pedologist in addition to experience designing and conducting laboratory experiments to simulate field hydro-biogeochemistry. He is particularly interested in influence of physical processes like water flooding and nano-colloid facilitated transport on biogeochemical cycles.

Disciplines and Skills

  • Soil physics/hydrology
  • Soil chemistry/mineralogy
  • Terrestrial/aquatic hydro-biogeochemistry
  • Water quality
  • Colloid transport

Education

  • PhD in Soil Science, Washington State University, 2012
  • MSc in Water and Land Resources, University of Alberta, 2001
  • BSc in Geography, University of Calgary, 1994

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • Soil Science Society of America
  • American Geophysical Union
  • Geochemical Society

Patents

  • Fernandez, C.A., P.K. Koech, W. Um, V.A. Glezakou, J. Chun, M.I. Childers, M.T. Nguyen, K.A. Rod. “Self-repairing cement polymer composites and processes of making and using same” U.S. Patent No. 10,875,810, December 29, 2020.
  • Fernandez, C.A., P.K. Koech, W. Um, V.A. Glezakou, J. Chun, M.I. Childers, M.T. Nguyen, K.A. Rod. “Self-repairing cement polymer composites and processes of making and using same” U.S. Patent No. 10,370,577, August 6, 2019.

Publications

2025

  • Regier P.J., Y. Chen, K. Son, J. Bao, B.K. Forbes, A.E. Goldman, and M.H. Kaufman, et al. 2025. "Different methods of estimating riverbed sediment grain size diverge at the basin scale." Frontiers in Earth Science 13:1529503. PNNL-SA-190072. doi:10.3389/feart.2025.1529503
  • Stegen J.C., A. Burgin, M.H. Busch, J.B. Fisher, J. Ladau, J. Abrahamson, and L. Kinsman-Costello, et al. 2025. "Reviews and Syntheses: Variable Inundation Across Earth’s Terrestrial Ecosystems." Biogeosciences 22, no. 4:995-1034. PNNL-SA-194427. doi:10.5194/bg-22-995-2025

2024

  • Machado-Silva F., M. Weintraub, N.D. Ward, K. Doro, P.J. Regier, S. Ehosioke, and S. Pushpajom Thomas, et al. 2024. "Short-term groundwater level fluctuations drive subsurface redox variability." Environmental Science & Technology 58, no. 33:14687-14697. PNNL-SA-201342. doi:10.1021/acs.est.4c01115
  • Patel K.F., K.A. Rod, J. Zheng, P.J. Regier, F. Machado-Silva, B. Bond-Lamberty, and X. Chen, et al. 2024. "Time to anoxia: Observations and predictions of oxygen drawdown following coastal flood events." Geoderma 444. PNNL-SA-190684. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116854
  • Roebuck, Jr. J.A., K.A. Rod, V.A. Garayburu-Caruso, R.K. Chu, A.E. Goldman, L. Renteria, and M.S. Taylor, et al. 2024. "Linkages between mineral element composition of soils and sediments with hyporheic zone dissolved organic matter chemistry across the contiguous United States." Geophysical Research Letters 51, no. 6:Art. No. e2023GL106220. PNNL-SA-189743. doi:10.1029/2023GL106220
  • Smith P., K.A. Rod, T.P. Campbell, K.F. Patel, A. Dohnalkova, M.M. Tfaily, and L. Renteria, et al. 2024. "Moisture-mineral interactions drive bacterial and organic matter turnover in glacier-sourced riparian sediments undergoing pedogenesis." Soil Biology and Biochemistry 199, no. _:Art No. 109617. PNNL-SA-190100. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109617

2023

2022

  • Dwivedi D., A. Santos, M. Barnard, T. Crimmins, A. Malhotra, K.A. Rod, and K. Aho, et al. 2022. "Biogeosciences Perspectives on Integrated, Coordinated, Open, Networked (ICON) Science." Earth and Space Science 9, no. 3:Art. No. e2021EA002119. PNNL-SA-172157. doi:10.1029/2021EA002119
  • Fujii Yamagata A.L., S.A. Saslow, J.J. Neeway, T. Varga, L.R. Reno, Z. Zhu, and K.A. Rod, et al. 2022. "The Behavior of Iodine in Stabilized Granular Activated Carbon and Silver Mordenite in Cementitious Waste Forms." Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 244-245. PNNL-SA-165944. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106824
  • Kaufman M.H., R.N. Ghosh, J.W. Grate, D.S. Shooltz, M. Freeman, T.M. Ball, and R. Loloee, et al. 2022. "Dissolved oxygen sensor in an automated hyporheic sampling system reveals biogeochemical dynamics." PLoS Water 1, no. 4:e0000014. PNNL-SA-151505. doi:10.1371/journal.pwat.0000014
  • Rod K.A., K.F. Patel, and J. Zheng. 2022. Influence of water flow on heterotrophic respiration of natural soils. PNNL-33482. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Influence of water flow on heterotrophic respiration of natural soils

2021

  • Elbakhshwan M., S. Gill, K.A. Rod, E.B. Bingham, A.L. McKinney, N.J. Huerta, and C. Lopano, et al. 2021. "Structural and chemical changes from CO2 exposure to self-healing polymer cement composites for geothermal wellbores." Geothermics 89. PNNL-SA-155591. doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2020.101932
  • Fernandez C.A., M. Correa, M. Nguyen, K.A. Rod, G.L. Dai, L. Cosimbescu, and R.J. Rousseau, et al. 2021. "Progress and Challenges in Self-Healing Cementitious Materials." Journal of Materials Science 56, no. 1:201-230. PNNL-SA-138553. doi:10.1007/s10853-020-05164-7
  • Patel K.F., A.N. Myers-Pigg, B. Bond-Lamberty, S.J. Fansler, C. Norris, S.A. McKever, and J. Zheng, et al. 2021. "Soil carbon dynamics during drying vs. rewetting: Importance of antecedent moisture conditions." Soil Biology and Biochemistry 156. PNNL-SA-156504. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108165
  • Rod K.A., K.J. Cantrell, T. Varga, A. Battu, and C.F. Brown. 2021. "Sealing of Fractures in a Representative CO2 Reservoir Caprock by Migration of Fines." Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology 11, no. 2021:483-492. PNNL-SA-160332. doi:10.1002/ghg.2061

2020

  • Rod K.A., C.A. Fernandez, M. Nguyen, J.B. Gardiner, N.J. Huerta, V. Glezakou, and T. Varga, et al. 2020. "Polymer-cement composites with adhesion and re-adhesion (healing) to casing capability for geothermal wellbore applications." Cement and Concrete Composites 107. PNNL-SA-140589. doi:10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2019.103490
  • Rod K.A., C.A. Fernandez, P.K. Koech, G.L. Dai, M. Correa, N.J. Huerta, and S.D. Burton, et al. 2020. "Self-Repairing Polymer-Modified Cements for High Temperature Geothermal and Fossil Energy Applications." Geothermics 85. PNNL-SA-140314. doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2019.101790
  • Rod K.A., J.K. Iyer, C.E. Lonergan, T. Varga, K.J. Cantrell, and L.R. Reno. 2020. "Geochemical narrowing of cement fracture aperture during multiphase flow of supercritical CO2 and brine." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 95. PNNL-SA-144527. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2020.102978
  • Rod K.A., K.F. Patel, S. Kumar, E. Cantando, W. Leng, R.K. Kukkadapu, and O. Qafoku, et al. 2020. "Dispersible Colloid Facilitated Release of Organic Carbon From Two Contrasting Riparian Sediments." Frontiers in Water 2. PNNL-SA-160357. doi:10.3389/frwa.2020.560707
  • Rod K.A., P. Smith, W. Leng, S.M. Colby, R.K. Kukkadapu, M.E. Bowden, and O. Qafoku, et al. 2020. "Water-dispersible nanocolloids and higher temperatures promote the release of carbon from riparian soil." Vadose Zone Journal 19, no. 1:Article No. e20077. PNNL-SA-156976. doi:10.1002/vzj2.20077

2019

  • Rod K.A., M. Nguyen, M. Elbakhshwan, S. Gill, B. Kutchko, T. Varga, and A.L. McKinney, et al. 2019. "Insights into the physical and chemical properties of a cement-polymer composite developed for geothermal wellbore applications." Cement and Concrete Composites 97. PNNL-SA-131466. doi:10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2018.12.022
  • Rod K.A., W. Um, S.M. Colby, M.L. Rockhold, C.E. Strickland, A.P. Kuprat, and S. Han. 2019. "Relative permeability for water and gas through fractures in cement." PLoS One 14, no. 1:Article Number: e0210741. PNNL-SA-124005. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0210741

2018

  • Fernandez C.A., K.A. Rod, N.J. Huerta, and P.K. Koech. 2018. "Advanced Polymer-Modified Cements for Subsurface Applications." In Proceedings of the 43rd Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, February 12-14, 2018, Stanford, CA, SGP-TR-213, 1-8. Stanford, California:Stanford University. PNNL-SA-132427.
  • Nguyen M., Z. Wang, K.A. Rod, M.I. Childers, C.A. Fernandez, P.K. Koech, and W.D. Bennett, et al. 2018. "Atomic origins of the self-healing function in cement-polymer composites." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 10, no. 3:3011-3019. PNNL-SA-130887. doi:10.1021/acsami.7b13309
  • Rod K.A., W. Um, J. Chun, N. Wu, X. Yin, G. Wang, and K. Neeves. 2018. "Effect of Chemical and Physical Heterogeneities on Colloid-Facilitated Cesium Transport." Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 213, no. June 2018:22-27. PNNL-SA-133847. doi:10.1016/j.jconhyd.2018.03.012

2017

  • Childers M.I., M. Nguyen, K.A. Rod, P.K. Koech, W. Um, J. Chun, and V. Glezakou, et al. 2017. "Polymer-Cement Composites with Self-Healing Ability for Geothermal and Fossil Energy Applications." Chemistry of Materials 29, no. 11:4708-4718. PNNL-SA-127162. doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.7b00344
  • Um W., K.A. Rod, H. Jung, and C.F. Brown. 2017. "Geochemical Alteration of Wellbore Cement by CO2 or CO2+H2S Reaction During Long-Term Carbon Storage." Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology 7, no. 5:852-865. PNNL-SA-114327. doi:10.1002/ghg.1595

2014

  • Neeway J.J., N. Qafoku, B.D. Williams, K.A. Rod, M.E. Bowden, C.F. Brown, and E.M. Pierce. 2014. "Performance of the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Product Under Hydraulically Unsaturated Conditions." Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 131. PNNL-SA-96489. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.10.008

2012

  • Rod K.A., D.M. Wellman, M. Flury, E.M. Pierce, and J.B. Harsh. 2012. "Diffusive release of uranium from contaminated sediments into capillary fringe pore water." Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 140-141. PNNL-SA-86638. doi:10.1016/j.jconhyd.2012.09.002
  • Rod K.A., D.M. Wellman, M. Flury, E.M. Pierce, and J.B. Harsh. 2012. "Diffusive Release of Uranium from Contaminated Sediments into Capillary Fringe Pore Water." Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 140-141. PNNL-SA-99689. doi:10.1016/j.jconhyd.2012.09.002

2011

  • Chang H., W. Um, K.A. Rod, R.J. Serne, A. Thompson, N. Perdrial, and C.I. Steefel, et al. 2011. "Strontium and cesium release mechanisms during unsaturated flow through waste-weathered Hanford sediments." Environmental Science & Technology 45, no. 19:8313-9320. PNNL-SA-82284. doi:10.1021/es2010368

2010

  • Rod K.A., W. Um, and M. Flury. 2010. "Transport of Strontium and Cesium in Simulated Hanford Tank Waste Leachate through Quartz Sand under Saturated and Unsaturated Flow." Environmental Science & Technology 44, no. 21:8089-8094. PNNL-SA-69398. doi:10.1021/es903223x
  • Um W., J.M. Zachara, C. Liu, D.A. Moore, and K.A. Rod. 2010. "Resupply Mechanism to a Contaminated Aquifer: A Laboratory Study of U(VI) Desorption from Capillary Fringe Sediments." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 74, no. 18:5155-5170. PNNL-SA-63210.

2008

  • Um W., R.J. Serne, C.F. Brown, and K.A. Rod. 2008. "Uranium (VI) sorption on iron oxides in Hanford Site sediment: Application of a surface complexation model." Applied Geochemistry 23, no. 9:2649-2657. PNNL-SA-61111. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2008.05.013