12 About the Author
Dr. Francis H. Chapelle was educated at the University of Maryland (Bachelor of Arts in Music and Bachelor of Science in Geology) and the George Washington University (Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Geology). He was a Research Hydrologist with the United States Geological Survey from 1979 to 2021. His research interests focus on how microbial processes affect the chemistry of groundwater in both pristine and contaminated aquifer systems. He is the author of the textbook Ground–Water Microbiology and Geochemistry, 2nd Edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2003), and author of a book for the general reader The Hidden Sea (The National Groundwater Association, 2000) describing groundwater and groundwater systems. His research received a National Award for Environmental Sustainability given by Renew America, Washington D.C. (1996), the O.E. Meinzer Award in Hydrogeology given by the Geological Society of America (2000), and the Distinguished Service Award given by the U.S. Geological Survey (2008).