Jon Chorover

Jon Chorover is a Joint Professor of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences and Professor/Department Head of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on biogeochemical processes governing the mobility of metals and organics in Earth's near-surface environments, emphasizing interactions between aqueous solutions, mineral particles, and microorganisms. Key areas include nanoparticle formation during weathering, contaminant remediation, and climate-driven changes in mine tailings. Chorover holds a PhD in Soil Chemistry from UC Berkeley (1993) and leads projects at the NSF Jemez River Basin Critical Zone Observatory and the Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants.

His expertise spans soil-water interface dynamics, redox-driven contaminant transformations, and microbial-mineral interactions across scales. Recent work highlights groundwater-snowmelt interactions in water resource management, wildfire impacts on critical zone hydrology, and CO₂ sequestration via engineered rock weathering. Chorover collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to address environmental challenges, including PFAS detection and arsenic bioavailability in mine tailings.

Research highlights include groundbreaking studies on silicon isotope fractionation as a tracer of water flow pathways and microbial mediation of arsenic release from contaminated soils. His lab develops novel remediation strategies using zero-valent iron systems and polyaniline polymers for persistent contaminants. Chorover’s work bridges field observations, experimental catchments (e.g., Landscape Evolution Observatory at Biosphere 2), and advanced analytical techniques (e.g., synchrotron X-ray spectromicroscopy).