Environmental Engineer, Deep Vadose Zone program manager
Environmental Engineer, Deep Vadose Zone program manager

Biography

Mr. Rob Mackley joined PNNL in 2004. Since March 2022, he has managed the Deep Vadose Zone program, which involves PNNL’s multidisciplinary and coordinated research to directly support the complex cleanup mission of the Hanford Site for the Department of Energy. Rob has provided technical leadership and management on a portfolio of projects involving advanced geophysical monitoring, contaminant attenuation and mobility characterization, remedial design and performance evaluation, and pump-and-treat remedy optimization.

His technical career has been focused on the research and application of groundwater and remediation monitoring, remedy development and implementation, and hydrogeologic characterization. He specializes in aquifer hydraulic testing, advanced groundwater and vadose zone monitoring instrumentation, and remedy performance monitoring and evaluation.

Disciplines and Skills

  • Groundwater Remediation Design, Optimization, and Performance Evaluation
  • Groundwater Monitoring and Contaminant Plume Evaluation
  • Aquifer and Well Hydraulic Characterization
  • Soil and Groundwater Sampling Design and Implementation
  • Groundwater and River Interactions

Education

  • M.S., Geology, Utah State University
  • B.S., Geology, Utah State University

Publications

2025

  • Emerson H.P., N. Qafoku, C.D. Johnson, J.E. Szecsody, M.S. Doughman, R.D. Mackley, and D.I. Kaplan. 2025. "A paradigm shift for evaluating natural attenuation of radioactive iodine in soils and sediments: Species-specific mechanisms and pathways." Journal of Environmental Management 374. PNNL-SA-196595. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124101
  • Hager J.R., A.J. Kugler, R.M. Anguish, K.L. Rue, S. Pochampally, and R.D. Mackley. 2025. A Review of Carbon-14 Removal by Ion Exchange Resins and Potential Remediation Application in the 100-K Area. PNNL-36648. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. A Review of Carbon-14 Removal by Ion Exchange Resins and Potential Remediation Application in the 100-K Area

2024

  • Day-Lewis F.D., R.D. Mackley, and R.L. Bence. 2024. "Sampling in long-screened wells: Issues, misconceptions, and solutions." Groundwater 62, no. 5:669-680. PNNL-SA-190602. doi:10.1111/gwat.13427
  • He X., M.L. Rockhold, Y. Fang, A.R. Lawter, V. Freedman, R.D. Mackley, and N. Qafoku. 2024. "Experimental and Numerical Study of Radioiodine Sorption and Transport in Hanford Sediments." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 8, no. 2:323-334. PNNL-SA-191180. doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00291
  • Johnson T.C., J.N. Thomle, J.L. Robinson, and R.D. Mackley. 2024. Electrical Resistivity Tomography Monitoring of In Situ Soil Flushing at the Hanford 100-K East Area: 100KE Soil Flushing Monitoring. PNNL-35781. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Electrical Resistivity Tomography Monitoring of In Situ Soil Flushing at the Hanford 100-K East Area: 100KE Soil Flushing Monitoring
  • Robinson J.L., T.C. Johnson, J.N. Thomle, J. Cambeiro, K.A. Peta, P. Jaysaval, and R.D. Mackley. 2024. "Interpretation of Large-Scale, Long-Term Electrical Geophysical Monitoring Guided by a Process Simulation." Vadose Zone Journal 23, no. 2:Art. No. e20303. PNNL-SA-190606. doi:10.1002/vzj2.20303
  • Szecsody J.E., R.D. Mackley, and C.T. Resch. 2024. Characterization of Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, and Tritium in D0220 Cores. PNNL-36762. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Characterization of Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, and Tritium in D0220 Cores
  • Zhong L., R.D. Mackley, L. Li, J.N. Thomle, F.D. Day-Lewis, and S.A. Saslow. 2024. "Applying colloidal silica suspensions injection and sequential gelation to block vertical water flow in well annulus: laboratory testing on rheology, gelation, and injection." Frontiers in Environmental Science 12, no. _:Art. No. 1381577. PNNL-SA-192132. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2024.1381577

2023

  • Robinson J.L., J.T. St. Clair, J.N. Thomle, P. Jaysaval, J. Cambeiro, K.A. Peta, and F.D. Day-Lewis, et al. 2023. "Using multiple geophysical methods to refine a stratigraphic conceptual site model at a nuclear waste site." Environmental Processes 10. PNNL-SA-177749. doi:10.1007/s40710-023-00622-1
  • Saslow S.A., T.G. Levitskaia, E. Cordova, N.M. Avalos, D. Boglaienko, Y. Fang, and X. Song, et al. 2023. "Part I: Predicting Performance of Purolite A532E Resins for Remediation of Comingled Contaminants in Groundwater." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 11, no. 3:Art. No. 109618. PNNL-SA-178092. doi:10.1016/j.jece.2023.109618
  • Saslow S.A., T.G. Levitskaia, E. Cordova, N.M. Avalos, D. Boglaienko, Y. Fang, and X. Song, et al. 2023. "Part II: Predicting Performance of DOWEX 21K Resin for Remediation of Comingled Contaminants in Groundwater." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 11, no. 3:Art. No. 109620. PNNL-SA-178093. doi:10.1016/j.jece.2023.109620
  • Song X., H. Ren, Z. Hou, X. Lin, M. Karanovic, M.J. Tonkin, and V.L. Freedman, et al. 2023. "Predicting Future Well Performance for Environmental Remediation Design using Deep Learning." Journal of Hydrology 617, no. Part C:Art. No. 129110. PNNL-SA-178074. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129110

2022

2021

2020

2019

  • Johnson T.C., J.N. Thomle, J.L. Robinson, R.D. Mackley, and M.J. Truex. 2019. Stage B Uranium Sequestration Amendment Delivery Monitoring Using Time-Lapse Electrical Resistivity Tomography. PNNL-28619. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Stage B Uranium Sequestration Amendment Delivery Monitoring Using Time-Lapse Electrical Resistivity Tomography
  • Johnson T.C., M.J. Truex, J.N. Thomle, R.D. Mackley, S.D. Springer, S. Mehta, and D.J. Becker, et al. 2019. "Integration of Real-Time Geophysical Monitoring with In Situ Uranium Remedy Implementation." In Proceedings of the 45th Annual Waste Management Conference (WM2019): Encouraging Young Men & Women to Achieve Their Goals in Radwaste Management, March 3-7 2019, Phoenix, AZ, Paper No. 19094. Tempe, Arizona:WM Symposia. PNNL-SA-139290.
  • Robinson J.L., R.D. Mackley, M.L. Rockhold, T.C. Johnson, and P. Jaysaval. 2019. Geophysical Methods for Stratigraphic Identification. PNNL-29182. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Geophysical Methods for Stratigraphic Identification

2018

2017

  • Zhou T., M. Huang, J. Bao, Z. Hou, E.V. Arntzen, R.D. Mackley, and A.R. Crump, et al. 2017. "A New Approach to Quantify Shallow Water Hydrologic Exchanges in a Large Regulated River Reach." Water 9, no. 9:703. PNNL-SA-123562. doi:10.3390/w9090703

2016

  • Fritz B.G., R.D. Mackley, and E.V. Arntzen. 2016. "Conducting Slug Tests in Mini-Piezometers." Groundwater 54, no. 2:291-295. PNNL-SA-105423. doi:10.1111/gwat.12335
  • Olsen K.B., R.R. Kirkham, V.T. Woods, D.A. Haas, J.C. Hayes, T.W. Bowyer, and D.P. Mendoza, et al. 2016. "Noble Gas Migration Experiment to Support the Detection of Underground Nuclear Explosions." Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 307, no. 3:2603-2610. PNNL-SA-109064. doi:10.1007/s10967-015-4639-7

2015

  • Mackley R.D., D.M. Anderson, J.N. Thomle, and C.E. Strickland. 2015. Technical and Economic Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic for Groundwater Extraction on the Hanford Site. PNNL-24741. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Technical and Economic Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic for Groundwater Extraction on the Hanford Site
  • Truex M.J., V.R. Vermeul, D. Adamson, M. Oostrom, L. Zhong, R.D. Mackley, and B.G. Fritz, et al. 2015. "Field Test of Enhanced Remedial Amendment Delivery Using a Shear-Thinning Fluid." Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation 35, no. 3:34-45. PNNL-SA-101736. doi:10.1111/gwmr.12101

2014

  • Vermeul V.R., C.E. Strickland, P.D. Thorne, B.N. Bjornstad, R.D. Mackley, M.E. Kelley, and E.C. Sullivan, et al. 2014. "FutureGen 2.0 Monitoring Program: An Overview of the Monitoring Approach and Technologies Selected for Implementation." Energy Procedia 63. PNWD-SA-10395. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2014.11.438

2013

  • Carroll K.C., M.J. Truex, M.L. Brusseau, K.R. Parker, R.D. Mackley, and V.J. Rohay. 2013. "Characterization of Persistent Volatile Contaminant Sources in the Vadose Zone." Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation 33, no. 2:68-84. PNNL-SA-89088. doi:10.1111/gwmr.12006
  • Freedman V.L., R.D. Mackley, S.R. Waichler, and J.A. Horner. 2013. "Evaluation of Analytical and Numerical Techniques for Defining the Radius of Influence for an Open-Loop Ground Source Heat Pump System." Journal of Hydrologic Engineering 18, no. 9:1170-1179. PNNL-SA-84739. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0000720

2012

2011

  • Fritz B.G., and R.D. Mackley. 2011. "Author's Reply: Discussion on 'A wet/wet differential pressure sensor for measuring vertical hydraulic gradient'." Groundwater 49, no. 6:782. PNNL-SA-74887. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.2011.00801.x
  • Spane F.A., and R.D. Mackley. 2011. "Removal of River-Stage Fluctuations from Well Response Using Multiple-Regression." Groundwater 49, no. 6:794-807. PNNL-SA-74458. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.2010.00780.x
  • Truex M.J., T. Macbeth, V.R. Vermeul, B.G. Fritz, D.P. Mendoza, R.D. Mackley, and T.W. Wietsma, et al. 2011. "Demonstration of Combined Zero-Valent Iron and Electrical Resistance Heating for In Situ Trichloroethene Remediation." Environmental Science & Technology 45, no. 12:5346-5351. PNNL-SA-76701. doi:10.1021/es104266a
  • Truex M.J., V.R. Vermeul, D.P. Mendoza, B.G. Fritz, R.D. Mackley, M. Oostrom, and T.W. Wietsma, et al. 2011. "Injection of Zero Valent Iron into an Unconfined Aquifer Using Shear-Thinning Fluids." Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation 31, no. 1:50-58. PNNL-SA-70324.

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2003