Earth Scientist
Earth Scientist

Biography

Thomas Wild is a senior Earth scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Joint Global Change Research Institute, and he is jointly appointed to the research faculty at the University of Maryland’s Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, where he directs the Complex Systems Lab. His research focuses on MultiSector Dynamics. His formal training was in water resources and environmental systems analysis, but he now studies these challenges through a MultiSector Dynamics lens, considering water’s dynamic, uncertain, multi‐sector interactions with energy, land, climate, and socioeconomic systems across diverse spatiotemporal scales, from local to global. His research has spanned science and policy challenges across a wide range of systems, including water resources and environmental systems, energy–water–land systems, and the energy evolution, with recent focus on multiscale, multi-model power systems analysis. His research has contributed to developing sustainable hydropower systems, identifying and attenuating energy–water–land tradeoffs and conflicts, managing surface water quality, equitably sharing transboundary resources, and identifying long-term energy pathways. He holds MS and PhD degrees from Cornell University in civil engineering, and a BS degree from the University of Maryland in civil engineering.

Disciplines and Skills

  • Multisector Dynamics
  • Hydrology
  • Power Systems
  • Water Power Engineering
  • Water Resources and Environmental Systems

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University
  • Master of Science, Civil Engineering, Cornell University
  • Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, University of Maryland College Park

Publications

2025

  • Yarlagadda, B., Zhao, X., Iyer, G., Wild, T.B., Hultman, N., Weber, M., Lamontagne, J. (accepted). Emissions leakage and economic losses may undermine deforestation-linked oil crop import restrictions. Nature Communications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56693-1.
  • Niazi, H., Ferencz, S., Graham, N.T., Yoon, J., Wild, T.B., Hejazi, M., Watson, D., Vernon, C., (2025). Long-term Hydro-economic Analysis Tool for Evaluating Global Groundwater Cost and Supply: Superwell v1.0. Geoscientific Model Development. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-799
  • Wessel, J., Birnbaum, A., Moraites, G., Snyder, A., Morris, J., Wild, T.B., Lamontagne, J. (2025). Discovering the Multisectoral Impacts of Global Energy Sector Outcomes through Multiple Ensemble Aggregation Measures. Earth’s Future.

2024

  • Wessel, J., Iyer, G., Lamontagne, J., Wild, T.B., Ou, Yang, McJeon, H. (2024). Large Ensemble Exploration of Global Energy Transitions Under National Emissions Pledges. Earth’s Future. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2024EF004754.
  • Birnbaum, A.N., Shabestanipour, G., Snyder, A., Zhao, M., Wild, T.B., Lamontagne, J.R. (2024). Characterizing the Multisectoral Impacts of Future Global Hydrologic Variability. Environmental Research Letters. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad52af.
  • Zhao, M., Wild, T.B., Kim, S., Graham, N., Abeshu, G., Li, H-Y. (2024). Representing Reservoir Storage in the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM). Geoscientific Model Development. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2023-204.
  • Niazi, H., Wild, T.B., Hejazi, M., Graham, N.T., Turner, S.W.D, Lamontagne, J., Zhao, M., Msangi, S., Kim, S. (2024). Groundwater Depletion Rates Peak Globally over the 21st Century. Nature Sustainability. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01306-w.
  • Sulis, A., Wild, T.B., and Loucks, D.P. (2024). A Comparison of Eulerian and semi-Lagrangian Approaches for Modeling Stream Water Quality. International Journal of River Basin Management. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15715124.2023.2294449.
  • Chowdhury, K., Wild, T.B., Binsted, M., Zhang, Y., Iyer, G., Kim, S., Wise, M., and Lamontagne, J. (2023). Future Hydropower Expansion in Eco-sensitive River Basins Under Global Energy-economic Change. Nature Sustainability. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01260-z

2023

  • Chowdhury, K., Wild, T.B., Galleli, S., Deshmukh, R., Iyer, G. (2023). Geophysical constraints on decarbonized systems – building spatiotemporal uncertainties into future grid planning. Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40518-023-00229-y
  • de La Beaumelle, N., Blok, K., de Chalendar, J., Clarke, L., Hahmann, A., Huster, J., Nemet, G., Suri, D., Wild, T.B., Azevedo, I. (2023). The global technical, economic, and feasible potential of renewable electricity (2023). Annual Review of Environment and Resources. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-environ-112321-091140.
  • Chowdhury, K., Wessel, J., Wild, T.B., Lamontagne, J., Kanyako, F. (2023). Exploring Sustainable Electricity System Development Pathways in South America’s MERCOSUR Sub-Region. Energy Strategy Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2023.101150.
  • Abeshu, G., Tian, F., Wild, T.B., Zhao, M., Turner, S., Chowdhury, A.F.M.K., Vernon, C., Hu., H., Hejazi, M., Li, H-Y., (2023). A new representation of water management for global hydrological models. Geoscientific Model Development. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-5449-2023.
  • Graham, N.T., Iyer, G., Wild, T.B., Dolan, F., Lamontagne, J., Calvin, K. (2023). Agricultural Market Integration Preserves Future Global Water Resources. One Earth.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2023.08.003
  • Yarlagadda, B., Wild, T.B., Zhao, X., Clarke, L., Birnbaum, A., Lamontagne, J., Khan, Z. (2023). Trade and Climate Mitigation Interactions Create Agro-Economic Opportunities with Social and Environmental Trade-offs in Latin America and the Caribbean. Earth’s Future. ­­­­
  • Khan, Z., Thompson, I., Vernon, C., Graham, N., Chen, M., Wild, T.B. (2023). A global 0.5° gridded multi-sector monthly water withdrawal dataset for 2015-2100 under alternative futures. Nature Scientific Data. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02086-2

2022

  • Kanyako, F., Baker, E., Lamontagne, J., Turner, S., Wild, T.B. (2022). Seasonality and Trade in Hydro-heavy Electricity Markets: The West Africa Power Pool (WAPP). Applied Energy. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.120214
  • Zhang, Y., Binsted, M., Iyer, G., Kim, S., Wise, M., Wild, T.B., Zhao, M. (2022). Basin-scale Hydropower Expansion and its Role in Evolving Energy Systems under Alternate Socio-Economic Futures. Environmental Research Letters. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac9ac9.
  • Khan, Z., Zhao, M., Vernon, C., Wild, T.B., Yarlagadda, B. (2022). rmap – A comprehensive R mapping package to plot data onto highly customizable maps. Journal of Open Source Software. DOI: https://joss.theoj.org/papers/10.21105/joss.04015
  • Birnbaum, A.N., Lamontagne, J.R., Wild, T.B., Dolan, F., Yarlagadda, B. (2022). Drivers of Physical and Economic Water Scarcity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Earth’s Future. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF002764.
  • Kondolf, G.M., Schmitt, R.J.P., Arias, M., Bizzi, S., Carling, P., Castelletti, A., Cochrane, T., Darby, S., Gibson, S., Kummu, M., Minderhoud, P., Nguyen, D., Oeurng, C., Opperman, J., Rubin, Z., San, D., Tran, N.N., Wild, T.B. (2022). Save the Mekong Delta from Drowning. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.abm5176.
  • Khan, Z., Elshorbagy, A., Krueger, E., Grubert, E., Tuninetti, M., Parkinson, S., Jones, L., Vinca, A., Sampedro, J., Dekker, S., Sanders, K., McManamay, R., Payet-Burin, R., Jewett, G., Wild, T.B., et al. (2022). Emerging themes and future directions of multi-sector nexus research and implementation. Frontiers in Environmental Science. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.918085.

2021

  • Wild, T.B., Khan, Z., Zhao, M., Suriano, M., Bereslawski, J., Roberts, P., Cassado, J., Gavino Novillo, M., Clarke, L., Hejazi, M., Miralles-Wilhelm, F., Munoz-Castillo, R., Vernon, C., Snyder, A., Yarlagadda, B., Birnbaum, A., Lamontagne, J., White, D., Ojeda-Matos, G. (2021-a). The Implications of Global Change for the Co-Evolution of Argentina’s Integrated Energy-Water-Land Systems. Earth’s Future. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001970.
  • Da Silva, S.R.S., Hejazi, M., Iyer, G., Wild, T.B., Binsted, M., Miralles-Wilhelm, F., Patel, P., Snyder, A., Vernon, C. (2021-a). Power Sector Investment Implications of Climate Impacts on Renewable Resources in Latin America and the Caribbean. Nature Communications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21502-y.
  • Khan, Z., Wild, T.B., Iyer, G., Hejazi, M., Vernon, C. (2021). Evolution of energy-water-agriculture interconnectivity across the U.S. Environmental Research Letters. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac046c.
  • Graham, N.T., Iyer, G., Wise, M., Hejazi, M., Wild, T.B. (2021). Future Evolution of Virtual Water Trading in the United States Electricity Sector. Environmental Research Letters. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac3289.
  • Da Silva, S.R.S., Iyer, G., Wild, T.B., Hejazi, M., Vernon, C., Binsted, M., Miralles-Wilhelm, F. (2021-b). The implications of uncertain renewable resource potentials for global wind and solar electricity projections. Environmental Research Letters. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac3c6b.
  • Wild, T.B., Khan, Z., Clarke, L., Hejazi, M., Bereslawski, J., Suriano, M., Roberts, P., Casado, J., Miralles-Wilhelm, F., Gavino Novillo, M., Munoz-Castillo, R., Moreda, F., Yarlagadda, B., Lamontagne, J., Birnbaum, A. (2021-b). Integrated Energy-Water-Land Nexus Planning in the Colorado River Basin (Argentina). Regional Environmental Change. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-021-01775-1.
  • Zhao, M., Binsted, M., Wild, T.B., Khan, Z., Iyer, G., Yarlagadda, B., Vernon, C., Patel, P., (2021). Plutus - An R package to calculate electricity investments and stranded assets from the Global Change Analysis Model. Journal of Open Source Software, 6(65), 3212. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.03212.
  • Shrestha, B., Cochrane, T.A., Caruso, B.S., Arias, M.E., Wild, T.B. (2021). Sediment management for reservoir sustainability and cost implications under land use/land cover change uncertainty. Water Resources Research. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR028351.
  • Wild, T.B., Birnbaum, A.N., Reed, P.M., and Loucks, D.P. (2021-c). A Reservoir and Sediment Simulation Framework for Identifying and Evaluating Reservoir Siting, Design, and Operation Alternatives. Environmental Modeling and Software. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104947.

2020

  • Delgado, R., Wild, T.B., Arguello, R., Clarke, L. (2020). Options for Colombia’s Mid-Century Deep Decarbonization Strategy. Energy Strategy Reviews. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2020.100525.
  • Bataille, C., Vogt-Schilb, A., Jaramillo, M., Waisman, H., Briand, Y., Svensson, J., Lallana, F., Bravo, G., Le Treut, G., Lefevre, J., Delgado, R., Arguello, R., Wild, T.B., Clarke, L., Godinez, G., Quiros-Tortos, J., Howells, M., Soria, R., Carvajal, P., Schaeffer, R., Tovilla, J., Buira, D., Farbes, J., Jones, R., Gomez, X., Requejo, F., Collado, M., Ugarte, D. (2020). Net-zero deep decarbonization pathways in Latin America: challenges and opportunities. Energy Strategy Reviews. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2020.100510.
  • Link, R., Wild, T.B., Snyder, A., Hejazi, M., Vernon, C. (2020). 100 Years of Data is not Enough to Establish Reliable Drought Thresholds. Journal of Hydrology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydroa.2020.100052.
  • Khan, Z., Wild, T.B., Carrazzone, M., Gaudioso, R., Mascari, M.P., Bianchi, F., Weinstein, F., Perez, F., Perez, W., Miralles-Wilhelm, F., Clarke, L., Hejazi, M., Vernon, C., Kyle, P., Edmonds, J., Munoz-Castillo, R., (2020a). Integrated energy-water-land nexus planning to guide national policy: An example from Uruguay. Environmental Research Letters. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab9389.
  • Khan, Z., Wild, T.B., Vernon, C., Miller, A., Clarke, L., Hejazi, M.I., Miralles-Wilhelm, F., Munoz-Castillo, R., Moreda, F., Bereslawski, J., Suriano, M. (2020b). Metis – A tool to harmonize and analyze multi-sectoral data and linkages at variable spatial scales. Journal of Open Research Software. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/jors.292.

2019

  • Wild, T.B., Reed, P.M., Loucks, D.P., Mallen-Cooper, M., Jensen, E.D. (2019a). Balancing Hydropower Development and Ecological Impacts in the Mekong: Tradeoffs for Sambor Mega Dam. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0001036.
  • Wild, T.B., Loucks, D.P., and Annandale, G.W. (2019b). SedSim: A River Basin Simulation Screening Model for Reservoir Management of Sediment, Water, and Hydropower. Journal of Open Research Software, 7: 22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/jors.261.

2018

  • Kondolf, G.M., Schmitt, R.J., Carling, P., Darby, S., Arias, M., Bizzi, S., Castelletti, A., Cochrane, T., Gibson, S., Kummu, M., Oeurng, C., Rubin, Z., Wild, T.B. (2018). Changing sediment budget of the Mekong: Cumulative threats and management strategies for a large river basin. Science of the Total Environment, 625, 114-134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.361.

2016

  • Wild, T.B., Loucks, D.P., Annandale, G.W., and Kaini, P. (2016). Maintaining Sediment Flows through Hydropower Dams in the Mekong River Basin. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 142(1), 05015004. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000560.

2015

  • Wild, T.B. and Loucks, D.P. (2015b). Mitigating Dam Conflicts in the Mekong River Basin. Chapter 2 in Conflict Resolution in Water Resources and Environmental Management, edited by K.W. Hipel et al., Springer (Heidelberg), pp. 25-48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14215-9_2.
  • Wild, T.B. and Loucks, D.P. (2015a). An Approach to Simulating Sediment Management in the Mekong River Basin. Chapter 12 in Sediment Matters, edited by P. Heininger and J. Cullman, Springer (Heidelberg), pp. 187-99. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14696-6_12.

2014

  • Wild, T.B. and Loucks, D.P. (2014). Managing Flow, Sediment, and Hydropower Regimes in the Sre Pok, Se San, and Se Kong Rivers of the Mekong Basin. Water Resources Research, 50, 5141-57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2014WR015457.

2009