Natalia Zakharova

Natalia Zakharova (RECS 2010) is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University and works with the Borehole Research Group at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. As a geologist and geophysist, she is primarily interested in developing geophysical techniques for geologic carbon storage. She is now working on pre-injection reservoir characterization using borehole data from Wallula Pilot sequestration project in Columbia River basalts (implemented by Battelle as a part of Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership). Natalia grew up in Russia and received her Bachelor and Master Degrees with Honors in geology and geophysics from Moscow State University. She specialized in applied geophysics, especially in seismic prospecting, and obtained a strong background in physics and math. She also sought diverse professional experience through a number of internships, including field and research work with Schlumberger, participating in a UNESCO science cruise in the North Atlantic, and working with leading specialists in borehole seismics in Russia. After coming to the U.S. in 2006, Natalia became keenly interested in mitigation strategies for climate change. Her current objective is to use her technical skills and background in geophysics for improving knowledge about CO2 storage and monitoring techniques.