CISE logo

My pictureGeorge Christakos, PhD, PEng
Director, Center for the Integrated Study of the Environment

Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
                  CB# 7431, Room 111 Rosenau Hall,
              School of Public Health,
              University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
                  Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431

Adjunct Professor, Department of Statistics
                                 New West, Cameron Ave.
                             University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
                                 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3260

Member, Center of Environmental Health and Susceptibility

Member, Environmental Assessment & Control Focus Group

Phone (Office):  919-966.1767
               (Lab):  919-966.1173
Fax     (Office):   919-966.7911
Email:  george_christakos@unc.edu

Education

  • PhD Applied Sciences, Harvard University, USA
  • PhD Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece
  • MS Civil Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
  • MSc Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, University of Birmingham, UK
  • Diploma in Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece

Editorial positions

Editor in Chief:
Journal of Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment

Editorial boards:
Advances in Water Resources
Environmental and Ecological Statistics

Research Activities

  • Multi-disciplinary integration theories in uncertain environments (coupled human and natural systems, conceptual blending and knowledge synthesis techniques)
  • Theoretical and computational modelling of natural systems
  • Environmental health and human exposure assessment
  • Modern geostatistics and spatiotemporal statistics
  • Fluid dynamics
  • Flow and transport processes in subsurface systems
  • Advanced stochastic PDE techniques (diagrammatic, space transformation, and differential geometry techniques)
  • Natural hierarchy of scales and upscaling analysis
  • Stochastic logic and random field theory
  • Atmospheric pollution monitoring and control
  • Medical geography
  • Spatiotemporal epidemiology
  • Toxicokinetics models
  • Decision analysis and risk assessment

 

Public Domain Computer Libraries

 

Modern Spatiotemporal Statistics/Geostatistics Literature

MSS/Glit

 

Recent Students

Research Associates

Presentations

Click here to download a PDF file with a list of keynote speaches, invited lectures and seminars (as of Sept., 2003).
 

Publications

Books

 

  • Christakos, G., R.A. Olea, M.L. Serre, H.L. Yu and L. Wang:  Interdisciplinary Public Health Reasoning and Epidemic Modelling: The Case of Black Death. Springer-Verlag, New York, N.Y., 2005.

 

  • Christakos, G., P. Bogaert, and M.L. Serre:  Temporal GIS.  Springer-Verlag, New York, N.Y., 220 p., With CD-ROM, 2002.

 

  • Christakos, G.:  Modern Spatiotemporal Geostatistics.  Oxford Univ. Press, New York, N.Y., 304 p., 2000.  (3nd Reprint, 2001).

 

  • Christakos, G. and D.T. Hristopulos:  Spatiotemporal Environmental Health Modelling.  Kluwer Academic Publ.,  Boston, Mass., 423 p., 1998.

 

  • Christakos, G.: Random Field Models in Earth Sciences:  Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 474 p., 1992.  (Out of Print.)
  • New edition (2005), Dover Publ. Inc., Mineola, NY.

 

  • Christakos, G., I. Clark, M. David, A.G. Journel, D.G. Krige and R.A. Olea:  Geostatistical Glossary & Multilingual Dictionary:  Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, U.K., 177 p., 1991. 

 

Selected Recent Articles

 

 

      2004

  • Serre, M., G. Christakos and S-J Lee, "Soft data space/time mapping of coarse particulate matter annual arithmetic average over the US".  In geoENV IV, 

Sanchez-Vila, X. and J. Carrera (editors), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Geostatistics for Environmental Applications: Dordrecht, 2004.

 

  • Christakos, G.  "The Study of Uncertainty in Life Support Systems".  In Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems.  UNESCO, London, UK, 2005.

 

  • Law, D.G., M.L. Serre, G. Christakos, P.A. Leone and W.C Miller, "Spatial analysis and mapping of sexually transmitted diseases to optimize intervention  and prevention strategies". Jour. of Sexually Transmitted Infections. Vol. 80, pp. 294-299, 2004.

 

  • Kovitz, J. and G. Christakos, "Assimilation of fuzzy data by the BME method". Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment:

Vol. 18(2), pp. 79-90, 2004.

 

  • Kovitz, J. and G. Christakos, "Spatial statistics of clustered data". Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment: Vol. 18(3), pp. 147-166, 2004.

 

  • Christakos, G., A. Kolovos, M. L Serre and F. Vukovich, "Total ozone mapping by integrating data bases from remote sensing instruments and empirical models.", IEEE Trans. on Geosciences and Remote Sensing. Vol. 42(5), pp. 991-1008, 2004.

 

  • Christakos, G., “A Sociological Approach to the State of Stochastic Hydrogeology”, Forum on the State of Stochastic Hydrology:

Stoch. Envir. Res. and Risk Assess. Vol. 18(4), pp. 274-277, 2004.

 

  • Christakos, G. "Recent developments in geophysical assimilation modelling".  Reviews of Geophysics: Invited paper, 2005.

 

  • Yu, H-L, and G. Christakos, “An Epistemic Cognition Solution of the 2-D Porous Media Upscaling Problem”. SIAM, Appl. Math., submitted, 2004 

 

  • Christakos, G., " Integrated modelling in space-time environments:  Toward a synthetic theory of human exposure ".  METMA’04:

2nd Spanish Workshop on Spatio-Temporal Modelling of Environmental Processes (METMA’04), Granada, Spain, June 1-4, 2004..

 

  • Christakos, G., "Global BME mapping of ozone distribution by assimilating soft information and data from TOMS and SBUV instruments on

the Nimbus 7 satellite".  In geoENV IV, Sanchez-Vila, X. and J. Carrera (editors), Kluwer Academic Publishers,

Geostatistics for Environmental Applications: Dordrecht, 2004.

 

  • Olea, R.A. and G. Christakos,  "Duration assessment of urban mortality for the 14th century Black Death epidemic”. Human Biology, Submitted,  2004.

 

  • Christakos, G.,  "New conditional probability formulas of stochastic deduction in life sciences”. Mathematical Biosciences & Engineering, Submitted, 2004.

 

  • Kolovos, A., G. Christakos, D.T. Hristopulos and M.L. Serre,  "Methods for generating non-separable spatiotemporal covariance models with potential environmental applications". Advances in Water Resources, Vol. 27, pp. 815-830, 2004.

 

 

 

      2003

  • Serre, M.L., A. Kolovos, G. Christakos and K. Modis, "An application of the holistochastic human exposure methodology to naturally occurring Arsenic in        

Bangladesh drinking water". Risk Analysis: Vol. 23(3), pp. 515-528, 2003.

 

  • Choi, K-M, M. L. Serre, and G. Christakos.  "Efficient mapping of California mortality fields at different spatial scales". Jour. of Exposure Analysis & 

Environmental Epidemiology: Vol. 13(2), pp. 120-133, 2003.

 

  • Law, D.G., M.L. Serre, G. Christakos, P.A. Leone and W.C Miller, "Spatiotemporal Changes in Chlamydial Infection and Persistence of the Core".  

Epidemiology: Submitted, 2003.

 

  • Christakos, G., "Critical conceptualism in environmental modelling and prediction". Environmental Science & Technology: Vol. 37, pp. 4685-4693, 2003.

 

  • Christakos, G., "Soil behaviour under dynamic loading conditions: Experimental procedures and statistical trends". Vol. 17(3), pp. 175-190, 2003.  

 

  • Serre, M.L., G. Christakos, H. Li and C. T. Miller, "A BME solution of the inverse problem". Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment:

Vol. 17(5-6), pp. 354-369, 2003.

 

  • Christakos, G., "Another look at the conceptual fundamentals of porous media upscaling". Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment: Vol. 17(5- 6), pp. 276-290, 2003.

 

  • Baker, R. and G. Christakos, "Revisiting uninformative priors, Part I:  Physical consideration of Jaynes' invariance principle." IEEE Trans. on Information 

Theory. Submitted, 2003.

 

  • Baker, R. and G. Christakos, "Revisiting uninformative priors, Part II: Implications in maximum entropy analysis." IEEE Trans. on Information Theory. 

Submitted, 2003.

 

  • Savelieva, E, V. Demyanov, M. Kanevski, M.L. Serre,  G. Christakos, “BME application for uncertainty assessment of the Chernobyl fallout”.

Geoderma: Submitted, 2003.

 

  • Christakos, G., Kolovos, A., Serre, M.L., and Vukovich, F.M., "Generating high spatial resolution analyses of SBUV stratospheric ozone for calculating the 

ropospheric ozone residual (TOR)".  ModelCARE2002: In Proceed of Intern. Geoscience & Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS2003),

Toulouse, France, 21-25 July, 2003.

 

  • Savelieva, E., V. Demyanov, M. Kanevski, M.L. Serre and G. Christakos, "BME application for uncertainty assessment of the Chernobyl fallout", Pedometrics 2003: 5th Conf. of the Provisional Commission on Pedometrics of the Intern. Union of Soil Sciences, Reading, U.K., September 2003.

 

  • Christakos, G., "The role of conceptual frameworks in hydrologic research and development".  K. Kovar and Z. Hrkal (eds.), IAHS Publ. 277, Oxfordshire,

U.K., Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling: A Few Steps Closer to Reality: pp. 277- 285, 2003. 

 

  • Serre, M.L. and G. Christakos. "Efficient BME estimation of subsurface hydraulic properties using measurements of water table elevation in

unidirectional flow". K. Kovar and Z. Hrkal (eds.), IAHS Publ. 277, Oxfordshire, U.K., Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling:

A Few Steps Closer to Reality: pp. 321-327, 2003.

 

  • Kolovos, A., G. Christakos, D.T. Hristopulos and M.L. Serre,  "Non-separable spatiotemporal covariance models for homogeneous/stationary and non 

homogeneous/non-stationary hydrologic data ".  Advances in Water Resources: Submitted, 2003.

 

2002

  • Choi, K-M, G. Christakos, and M.L. Wilson. "A new multi-scale modelling approach for space/time random field estimation", Joint International Symposium on Geospatial Theory, Processing & Applications Ottawa, Canada, July 9-12, 2002

 

  • Christakos, G., A. Kolovos and M.L. Serre, C. Abhichek and F. Vukovich, "Towards global mapping of ozone distribution using soft information and data    from TOMS and SBUV instruments on the Nimbus-7 satellite", Air Pollution 2002: Segovia, Spain, July 1-3, 2002.

 

  • Serre, M.L. and G. Christakos, "Efficient exposure mapping across space-time of particulate matter in the US", Air Pollution 2002:

      Segovia, Spain, July 1-3, 2002.

 

  • Serre, M.L. and G. Christakos, "BME-based hydrogeologic parameter estimation in groundwater flow modelling", ModelCARE2002:

pp. 566-570 (June 17-20, 2002), Prague, Czech Rep., 2002. 

 

  • Christakos, G., "Conceptual framework of physical knowledge synthesis in uncertain environments."  ModelCARE2002:

Keynote talk, pp. 535-539 (June 17-20, 2002), Prague, Czech Rep., 2002.

 

  • Christakos, G.,  "On a deductive logic-based spatiotemporal random field theory". Probability Theory & Mathematical Statistics

Teoriya Imovirnostey ta Matematychna Statystyka): Vol. 66, pp. 54-65,  2002.

 

  • Kolovos, A., G. Christakos, M.L. Serre and C.T. Miller, "Computational BME solution of  a stochastic advection-reaction equation

in the light of site-  specific information".  Water Resources Research: Vol. 38(12), pp. 1318-1334, 2002.

 

  • Christakos, G.,  "On the assimilation of uncertain physical knowledge bases:  Bayesian and non-Bayesian techniques".  Advances in Water Resources:

Vol. 25 (8-12), pp. 1257-1274, 2002.

 

2001

  • Christakos, G.  "Stochastic Modelling of Human Exposure".  In Encyclopedia of Enviromentrics, A. H. El-Shaarawi & W.W. Piegorsch (eds.),

Vol. 3, 1290-1296, J. Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Chichester, U.K., 2001.

 

  • D'Or, D., P. Bogaert and G. Christakos, "Applications of BME to soil texture mapping". Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment: Vol. 15(1), pp. 87-100, 2001.

 

  • Christakos, G., M.L. Serre and J. Kovitz, "BME representation of particulate matter distributions in the state of California on the basis of uncertain 

measurements". Jour. of Geophysical Research: Vol. 106(D9), pp. 9717-9731, 2001

 

  • Serre, M., G. Christakos, J. Howes and A.G. Abdel-Rehiem, "Powering an Egyptian air quality information system with the BME space/time analysis

toolbox:  Resultsfrom the Cairo baseline year study".  Monestiez, P., D. Allard and R. Froidevaux (eds.), Geostatistics for Environmental Applications:

pp. 91-100, Kluwer Acad. Publ., Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 2001.

 

  • Christakos, G., M.G. Serre, V. Demyanov, M. Kanevski, E. Savelieva, S. Chernov, and V. Timonin, "BME analysis of Neural network residual data

from the   Chernobyl fallout:  Bayesian and Non-Bayesian approaches". Monestiez, P., D. Allard and R. Froidevaux (eds.), Geostatistics for

Environmental Applications: pp. 509-510, Kluwer Acad. Publ., Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 2001.

 

  • Choi, K-M, M. L. Serre, and G. Christakos.  "Space/time BME analysis and mapping of mortality in California".  International Statistical Institute:

53rd Session, Seoul, S. Korea, 22-29 August, 2001.

 

  • Hristopoulos, D.T. and G. Christakos, "Practical calculation of non-Gaussian multivariate moments in BME analysis". Mathematical Geology:

Vol. 33(5), pp. 543-568, 2001.

 

2000

  • Christakos, G. and M.L. Serre, "A spatiotemporal study of exposure-health effect associations". Jour. of Exposure Analysis &

Environmental Epidemiology: Vol. 10(2), pp. 168-187, 2000.

 

  • Christakos, G. and V. Papanicolaou, "Norm-dependent covariance permissibility of weakly homogeneous spatial random fields”.

Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment: Vol. 14(6), pp. 1-8, 2000.

 

  • Christakos, G. and M.L. Serre, "BME analysis of spatiotemporal particulate matter distributions in North Carolina". Atmospheric Environment: Vol. 34(20), pp. 3393-3406, 2000.

 

  • Demyanov, V., M.L. Serre, G. Christakos, V. Timonin, V., M. Kanevski, E. Savelieva, and      S. Chernov, "Neural network residual BME analysis of Chernobylfallout-Part II". 3rd European Confer. on Geostatistics for Environmental Applications, GeoEnv2000:

Vol. 1, pp. 99-110 (Nov. 22-24, 2000), Avignon, France, 2000.

 

  • Christakos, G., D.T. Hristopulos and P. Bogaert, "On the physical geometry hypotheses at the basis of spatiotemporal analysis of hydrologic geostatistics". 

Advances in Water Resources: Vol. 23, pp. 799-810, 2000. 

 

  • Christakos, G., D.T. Hristopulos and A. Kolovos, "Stochastic flowpath analysis of multiphase flow in random porous media".  SIAM-Applied Mathematics.  Vol. 60(5), pp. 1520-1542, 2000.

 

       1999

  • Christakos, G. and A. Kolovos, "A study of the spatiotemporal health impacts of ozone exposure". Jour. of Exposure Analysis & Environmental 

Epidemiology: Vol. 9(4), pp. 322-335, 1999.

 

  • Serre, M.L. and G. Christakos, "Modern Geostatistics: Computational BME in the light of uncertain physical knowledge -The Equus Beds study".

Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment: Vol. 13(1), pp. 1-26, 1999. 

 

  • Hristopulos, D.T. and G. Christakos, "Renormalization group analysis of permeability upscaling". Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment: Vol. 13(2), pp. 131-160, 1999.

 

  • Bogaert, P., M.L. Serre and G. Christakos, "Efficient computational BME analysis of non-Gaussian data in terms of transformation functions". 5th  AnnualConfer.,Trodheim, Norway, International Association for Mathematical Geology: Vol. 1, pp. 57-62, 1999.

 

  • Christakos, G., D.T. Hristopoulos, and M.L. Serre. "BME studies of stochastic differential equations representing physical laws-Part I". 5th  Annua

Confer., Trodheim, Norway, International Association for Mathematical Geology: Vol. 1, pp. 63-68, 1999. 

 

  • Serre, M.L. and G. Christakos, "BME studies of stochastic differential equations representing physical laws-Part II". 5th  Annual Confer.,

Trodheim, Norway, International Association for Mathematical Geology: Vol. 1, pp. 93-98, 1999.

 

  • Hristopoulos, D.T., G. Christakos, and M. Serre, "Implementation of a space transformation approach for solving the three-dimensional flow equation".

SIAM-Scientific Computing.  Vol. 20(2), pp. 619-647, 1999.

 

  • Hristopulos, D.T. and G. Christakos, "Monte Carlo calculations of single-phase effective permeability in 2-D anisotropic porous media". 

Bulletin of American Physical Society: Vol. 44(6), p. 23, 1999.  

 

  • Bogaert, P., M.L. Serre and G. Christakos, "Efficient computational BME analysis of non-Gaussian data in terms of transformation functions". 5th  AnnualConfer.,Trodheim, Norway, International Association for Mathematical Geology: Vol. 1, pp. 57-62, 1999.

 

      1998

  • Christakos, G. and V. Vyas, "A novel method for studying population health impacts of spatiotemporal ozone distribution". Social Science & Medicine: Vol. 

47(8), pp. 1051-1066, 1998.

 

  • Christakos, G. and V. Vyas "A composite spatiotemporal study of ozone distribution over Eastern United States".  Vol. 32(16), pp. 2845-2857, 1998.

 

  • Miller, C.T., G. Christakos, P.T. Imhoff, J.F. McBride, J.A. Pedit, and J.A. Trangenstein, "Multiphase flow and transport modelling in heterogeneous porous  

media: Challenges and approaches". Advances in Water Resources:      Vol. 21(2), pp. 77-120, 1998. 

 

  • Cassiani, G. and G. Christakos, "Analysis and estimation of spatial non-homogeneous    natural processes using secondary information". Stochastic Hydrolology & Hydraulics: Vol. 30(1), pp. 57-76, 1998. 

 

  • Christakos, G. and X. Li, "Bayesian maximum entropy analysis and mapping: A farewell to kriging estimators?"  Stochastic Hydrolology & Hydraulics:

Vol. 30(4), pp. 435-462, 1998

 

  • Cassiani, G. and G. Christakos, "Analysis and estimation of spatial non-homogeneous    natural processes using secondary information".

Mathematical Geology: Vol. 30(1), pp. 57-76, 1998. 

 

  • Christakos, G. and X. Li, "Bayesian maximum entropy analysis and mapping: A farewell to kriging estimators?" 

Mathematical Geology: Vol. 30(4), pp. 435-462, 1998.

 

  • Christakos, G., "Spatiotemporal information systems in soil and environmental sciences".  Geoderma: Vol. 85(2-3), pp. 141-179, 1998.

 

  • Choi, K-M., G. Christakos, and M.L. Serre, "Recent developments in vectorial and multi-point BME  analysis".  4th Annual Confer. -Vol. 1,

Buccianti A., G. Nardi& R. Potenza (eds.), International Association for Mathematical Geology: pp. 91-96, De Frede Editore, Naples, Italy, 1998.

 

  • Christakos, G., "While God is raining brains, are we holding umbrellas?  The role of Modern Geostatistics in spatiotemporal analysis and mapping."

Keynote lecture. 4th  Annual Confer. - Vol. 1, Buccianti A., G. Nardi & R. Potenza (eds.), International Association for Mathematical Geology:

pp. 33-53, De Frede Editore, Naples, Italy, 1998.

 

  • Bogaert P. and G. Christakos, "Stochastic analysis of space/time processes using a multicomponent regressive model".  4th  Annual Confer. –

Vol.1, Buccianti A., G. Nardi and R. Potenza (eds.), International Association for Mathematical Geology: pp. 85-90,

De Frede Editore, Naples, Italy, 1998.

 

  • Serre, M.L., P. Bogaert and G. Christakos, "Computational investigations of Bayesian maximum entropy spatiotemporal mapping". 

4th  Annual Confer. - Vol.1, Buccianti A., G. Nardi and R. Potenza (eds.), International Association for Mathematical Geology:

pp. 117-122, De Frede Editore, Naples, Italy, 1998. 

 

  • Christakos, G., D.T. Hristopulos and X. Li, "Multiphase flow in heterogeneous porous media: A stochastic differential geometry viewpoint".

Water Resources Research: Vol. 34(1), pp. 93-102, 1998. 

 

  • Christakos, G., "Multi-point BME space/time mapping of environmental variables". Burganos, V.N., G.P. Karatzas, A.C. Payatakes, W.G. Gray &

G.F. Pinder (eds.), Computational Methods in Surface & Groundwater Transport: Vol. 2, pp. 289-296, Computational Mechanics Publ.,

Southampton, U.K., 1998.

 

1997

  • Christakos, G. and J. Lai, "A study of the breast cancer dynamics in North Carolina". Social Science & Medicine: Vol. 45(10), pp. 1503-1517, 1997.

 

  • Vyas, V. and G. Christakos, "Spatiotemporal analysis and mapping of sulfate deposition data over the conterminous USA".

Atmospheric Environment: Vol. 31(21), pp. 3623-3633, 1997. 

 

  • Bogaert, P. and G. Christakos, "Spatiotemporal analysis and processing of thermometric data over Belgium". Jour. of Geophysical Research:

Vol. 102(D22), pp. 25,831-25,846, 1997.

 

  • Hristopulos D. T. and G. Christakos, "Diagrammatic theory of nonlocal effective hydraulic conductivity".  Stochastic Hydrolology & Hydraulics:

Vol. 11(5), pp. 369-395, 1997. 

 

  • Bogaert, P. and G. Christakos, "Stochastic analysis of spatiotemporal solute content  measurements using a regressive model". 

Stochastic Hydrolology & Hydraulics: Vol. 1(4), pp. 267-295, 1997.

 

  • Hristopulos, D.T. and G. Christakos, "An analysis of hydraulic conductivity upscaling".  Nonlinear Analysis: Vol. 30(8), pp. 4979-4984, 1997.

 

  • Christakos, G. and D. T. Hristopulos, "Stochastic indicator analysis of contaminated sites".  Jour. of Applied Probability: Vol. 34(4), pp. 988-1008, 1997.

 

  • Christakos, G. and D.T. Hristopulos, "Stochastic Radon operators in porous media hydrodynamics". Quarterly Applied Mathematics:

Vol. LV(1), pp. 89-112, 1997.

 

  • Hristopoulos, D.T. and G. Christakos,  "A variational calculation of the effective  fluid permeability of heterogeneous media". 

Physical Review E: Vol. 55(6), pp. 7288-7298, 1997.