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Clement Alo

Chairperson, Earth and Environmental Studies, College of Science and Mathematics

Office:: Center for Environmental & Life Sciences 220C
Email:: aloc@montclair.edu
Phone:: 973-655-7579
Degrees:: B.S., Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology; M.A., Clark University; Ph.D., University of Connecticut
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My research integrates climate modeling, terrestrial ecosystem modeling, hydrological modeling, and observational data for atmospheric and land surface variables to examine the evolution of Earth’s biosphere and water resources in response to climate variability and change. A key practical focus of my prediction studies is generating science based information on environmental vulnerability associated with global change for effective environmental management.

Education:

Ph.D. University of Connecticut, 2009
Civil and Environmental Engineering (concentration in hydroclimatology and land-atmosphere interactions)
M.A. Clark University, 2004
Geographic Information Science for Environment and Development
B.S. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), 1992
Geomatic Engineering

Academic Appointments:

2016-present Associate Professor Montclair State University
2011-2016 Assistant Professor Montclair State University
2010-2011 Assistant Research Scientist Johns Hopkins University
2009-2010 Postdoctoral Fellow University of Connecticut
2004-2008 Graduate Research Assistant University of Connecticut

Courses Taught at Montclair State University (and other institutions):

Planet Earth
Introductory undergraduate level course focusing on processes and interactions
of the components of the earth system.

Earth Systems Science
Graduate course that provides a descriptive and quantitative introduction to
processes and interactions within and between earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere,
biosphere, and lithosphere.

Hydroclimatology
Graduate/upper level undergraduate course that focuses on the relations
and interactions between climate and the hydrologic cycle, and how the
climate system causes spatial and temporal variations in the hydrologic cycle.

Climatology
Upper level undergraduate course that focuses on Earth's climate system
with an emphasis on understanding the physical processes and dynamics of
the atmosphere, climate variations across space, and climatic change and
variability through time.

Hydrology
Undergraduate level course that introduces students to fundamental
hydrologic processes operating in the atmosphere, surface water and
groundwater systems, including how humans interact with these systems

Engineering Hydrology (University of Connecticut) 2008–2009
Undergraduate level course aimed at understanding and quantifying main
processes of the hydrologic cycle and the application of hydrologic knowledge
to design aspects relating to the use and control of water resources.

Hydraulic Engineering (University of Connecticut) 2009–2010
Upper level undergraduate course dealing with the application of fluid
mechanics principles to the solution of practical Civil Engineering
problems of water conveyance in pipes, open channels, and groundwater
flow in porous media, and the design of hydraulic structures.

Hydrometeorology (University of Connecticut)2009
Graduate course focusing on land-atmosphere interactions via the hydrologic
cycle.

Publications(* indicates student author):

*Oteng F. M, C. A. Alo, M. M. Bitew, and S. M. Yidana (2017), Hydrological analysis of the Nasia catchment in the White Volta Basin: an integrated modeling approach, in preparation
Alo, C. A, * F. M. Oteng, S. M. Yidana, M. M. Bitew, and D. Ophori (2017), Projected mid-twenty-first century hydrological changes in the Nasia catchment of the White Volta basin, West Africa, in preparation
Alo, C. A., and E. N. Anagnostou (2016), A sensitivity study of the impact of dynamic vegetation on simulated future climate change over Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, International Journal of Climatology, online first. DOI: 10.1002/joc.4833
Yidana, S. M., C. A. Alo, M. O. Addai, O. F. Fynn, and S. K. Essel (2015), Numerical analysis of groundwater flow and potential in parts of a crystalline aquifer system in Northern Ghana, International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Online First, doi: 10.1007/s13762-015-0805-2
Yidana, S. M., D. Ophori, and C. A. Alo (2014), Hydrogeological characterization of a tropical crystalline aquifer system, Journal of Applied Water Engineering and Research, Vol.1, No. 1, 13-24. doi: 10.1080/23249676.2014.898572
*Oteng F. M, C. A. Alo, and S. M. Yidana (2014), Evaluation of groundwater recharge estimates in a partially metamorphosed sedimentary basin in a tropical environment: application of natural tracers, The Scientific World Journal, Vol. 2014, Article ID 419508, 8 pages. doi: 10.1155/2014/419508
Justino, F., F. Stordal, C. A. Alo, E. Coppola, A. Setzer, E. Chaves, P. Rodrigues, F. Kucharski, and D. Brumatti (2013), Modeling weather and climate related fire risk in Africa, American Journal of Climate Change, Vol. 2, No. 4, 209-224. doi: 10.4236/ajcc.2013.24022
Wang G., and C. A. Alo (2012), Changes in precipitation seasonality in West Africa predicted by RegCM3 and the impact of dynamic vegetation feedback, International Journal of Geophysics, Vol. 2012, Article ID 597205, 10 pages. doi:10.1155/2012/597205
Wang G., C. A. Alo, R. Mei, and S. Sun (2011), Drought, hydraulic redistribution, and plant
competition in tropical forests, Plant Ecology, 212, 663-673, DOI: 10.1007/s11258-010-9860-4
Alo, C. A., and G. Wang (2010), Role of vegetation dynamics in regional climate predictions over western Africa, Climate Dynamics, 35(5), 907-922, DOI: 10.1007/s00382-010-0744-z
Heald, C. L., M. J. Wilkinson, R. K. Monson, C. A. Alo, G. Wang, and A. Guenther (2009), Response of isoprene emission to ambient CO2 changes and implications for global budgets, Global Change Biology, 15, 4, 1127-1140
Alo, C. A., and G. Wang (2008), Hydrological impact of the potential future vegetation response to climate changes projected by 8 GCMs, Journal of Geophysical Research – Biogeosciences, 113, G03011, doi:10.1029/2007JG000598
Alo, C. A., and R. G. Pontius Jr. (2008), Identifying systematic land-cover transitions using remote sensing and GIS: the fate of forests inside and outside protected areas of Southwestern Ghana, Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 35(2), 280 – 295
Alo, C. A., and G. Wang (2008), Potential future changes of the terrestrial ecosystem based on climate projections by eight general circulation models, Journal of Geophysical Research –
Biogeosciences, 113, G01004, doi:10.1029/2007JG000528

Specialization

Regional Climate and Ecosystem Modeling
Coupled Surface Water-Groundwater Modeling
Land-Atmosphere Interactions
Surface Hydrology
Hydroclimatology
Ecohydrological Impacts of Climate Variability and Change

Resume/CV

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Office Hours

Fall

Tuesday: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Thursday: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Spring

Tuesday: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Thursday: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Links

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Research Projects

Impacts of climate variability and change on water supply availability in the Passaic River Basin, New Jersey

This project will undertake an integrated hydrological study that combines a sophisticated hydrological model and advanced climate scenarios in a novel application to the Passaic River Basin to quantify evolving sensitivities of water availability to climate variability and change.

Integration of surface and sub-surface water flows in assessing climate change impacts on water resources and sustainable rural livelihoods in the Volta Basin, West Africa

This research evaluates potential future climate and hydrological changes in the Volta Basin. The project involves a phase of data collation, multi-climate model analyses of key hydroclimatic variables, including precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration; building and calibration of a coupled surface water-groundwater model, and finally projections into the future.

Development of high-resolution distributed hydroclimatic information for promoting sustainable water management in sub-Saharan Africa

The overall goal of this project is to develop high resolution climate projections for the next ~5 decades to facilitate regional and watershed scale impact assessments in sub-Saharan Africa that will inform sustainable climate-related resource development.

Role of dynamic land cover on the northeast US climate

The goal of this project is to develop an integrated simulation framework that utilizes a climate model, a land surface model and observations to examine climate variability/change in the northeast US and to determine how these variations are influenced by land use/land cover changes.

Prospective Students

I am looking for motivated students to join my group. If you are interested in pursuing graduate research in the areas of regional climate and ecosystem modeling, and integrated assessment and modeling of climate change impacts on water resources, please contact me.