Mark Schmeeckle

Mark Schmeeckle is a Professor at Arizona State University's School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, with an affiliation to the Water Institute. His research focuses on landscape mechanisms, particularly sediment transport and environmental fluid dynamics. He develops advanced numerical models for turbulence in environmental flows, including LES and RANS techniques, to simulate bedload transport and morphodynamics in rivers and aeolian systems.

Educated at the University of Colorado-Boulder (Ph.D., 1998), University of Washington-Seattle (M.S. 1992; B.S. 1988), he has led major grants from NSF, USGS, and industry partners. His work integrates experimental and computational approaches to study fluvial processes, turbulence-structure interactions, and sediment dynamics. Courses taught include GIS programming and statistical methods for geography.

Key research interests include aeolian and fluvial sediment transport, bedform evolution, and the effects of vegetation on sediment movement. His publications analyze turbulence-driven bedload, riverbank stability, and ancient organism-environment interactions. He has advised numerous projects on Grand Canyon sediment dynamics and coastal aquifer modeling.

Recent projects include modeling thermal erosion of lava channels and statistical mechanics of bedload transport. His contributions span environmental engineering, geomorphology, and paleontology, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to Earth surface processes.