Associate Professor Ilka Wallis

Ilka Wallis’ is a quantitative hydrogeologist with an extensive record of applied research in contaminant hydrology and hydrochemistry. Ilka’s major research interest is the development of reactive (bio)geochemical transport models and their application to elucidate the fate of organic and inorganic pollutants at the laboratory-scale and in contaminated aquifers. The integration of mathematical models in conjunction with field/laboratory work to form a complimentary research approach is thereby a central aspect of her work. Areas of specialization include the assessment and prediction of the mobility of macro- and micropollutants and their interaction with sediments and soils (e.g. nitrates, PFAS compounds), water quality changes during managed aquifer recharge, incorporation of environmental tracer data into biogeochemical reaction networks (age indicators, such as Helium/Tritium), the mobilisation and remediation of metals (e.g arsenic; molybdenum) and the quantifying of feedback mechanisms between chemical reactions and physical flow in aquifer systems.

Ilka obtained her MSc at Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany and her PhD at Flinders University, specialising on the quantification of arsenic mobilisation and attenuation by coupled flow and multi-component reactive transport modelling. Ilka Wallis has worked at the Geological Surveys of South Africa, Great Britain and Germany and at Aquaterra Simulations Pty, Australia.

Selection of current research projects:

• Mine Pit Lake Assessment and Management: A National Initiative to Support Mine Closure and Regional Opportunities. CRC for Transformations in Mining Economies (2023 - 2027, 3.2Mio$). Chief Investigator.
• Improved Prediction, Remediation and Closure of Acid and Neutral Metalliferous Drainage (AMD/NMD) sites by Examination of MineWate Behaviour at the Meso-scale. CRC for Transformations in Mining Economies  (2022 - 2027, 4.5Mio$). Chief Investigator.
• Groundwater Modelling Decision Support Initiative (GMDSI) (2019 - 2025, 1.4Mio$). Project lead (Flinders)
• Effect of faults and barriers on groundwater flow and solute transport. ARC linkage grant LP180101153 (2019-2025, 838 000$)

Selection of completed research projects (last 5 years): 

• Estimating PFAS Contaminant Dilution Factors for Airports and Airbases. Commissioned research CSIRO, DCCEEW (2023)
• PFAS mobility and plume development at affected Defense sites. Commissioned research CSIRO, Dep. of Defence (2019-2021)
• Retardation and mobilization of arsenic at redox fronts under advective flow conditions  (AdvectAs). International cooperation partner. In collaboration with Uni. of Tuebingen, Karlsruher Institue for Technology and EAWAG Switzerland; (2016 - 2019). 
• Quantification of governing geochemical reactions, which control leachate water quality at the Brukunga Mine site South Australia. In collaboration with the Department of State Development, SA. (2017-2018)