Sergio A. Barbosa Casas

Sergio A. Barbosa Casas is a postdoctoral research associate in the Watershed Systems Modeling Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He is a hydrologist and water-resources engineer whose research integrates coupled surface–subsurface modeling, hydrodynamic simulation, remote sensing, distributed sensor networks, and data-driven methods to improve predictions of floods and groundwater availability.

At ORNL, Barbosa develops and evaluates basin-scale hydrologic models for analyzing compound flooding. His current work uses Amanzi-ATS and diverse observational datasets—including streamflow gauges, distributed water-level sensors, and remote-sensing products—to evaluate flood dynamics across river corridors, floodplains, and urban–rural environments. He is currently contributing to research in the Neches River Basin in Texas and the Russian River Basin in California.

Before joining ORNL, Barbosa was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Virginia, where he investigated compound flooding, coastal resilience, groundwater sustainability, and saltwater intrusion. He earned a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Brigham Young University, where his research combined Earth observations and groundwater modeling to assess groundwater storage and recharge in data-scarce regions of West Africa. His broader research seeks to make hydrologic predictions more accurate, observation-informed, and useful for communities and decision-makers.