Teaching
Potential Teaching Areas:
1- Quantitative geomorphology
2- Quaternary Geochronology
3- Geospatial Engineering
Designation: Assistant Professor
Department: Applied Geology
Email: rahulkk[at]iitism[dot]ac[dot]in
Contact Number: 9871282969
Personal Page: Click Here
About Me: Hi! I'm a quantitative geomorphologist with interdisciplinary research interests. I recently joined IIT (ISM) Dhanbad as an Assistant Professor, where I am establishing the Surface Processes Group (SPG), a new research group focused on surface processes & landscape evolution. My research focuses on understanding Earth surface processes and landscape evolution across tectonically active, arid, post-fire, and climate-sensitive environments. I combine quantitative geomorphology, field-based investigations, geochronology, remote sensing, GIS, and numerical modeling to quantify rates of erosion, sediment transport, denudation, and landscape response to environmental and tectonic forcing. My work integrates multiple geochronological techniques, including luminescence dating, terrestrial cosmogenic radionuclides (10Be and 26Al), and fallout radionuclides (210Pb and 137Cs), with advanced geospatial and modeling tools (ArcGIS, Landlab, TopoToolbox) and process-based landscape evolution models. Through this interdisciplinary approach, I investigate Earth surface dynamics over timescales ranging from decades to millions of years. I have worked on a wide range of geomorphic systems, including Himalayan river basins, the Thar Desert, wildfire-affected landscapes in the western United States, and archaeogeomorphic settings associated with Harappan sites (Dholavira and Bhagatrav in Gujarat, India). The primary goal of my research group is to understand how tectonics, surface processes, climate, and human activities shape landscapes and influence sediment transfer across the Earth's surface. —————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ▶▶ FUTURE FACILITIES— As part of my research program at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, I am working toward establishing a Luminescence Geochronology Laboratory and a flume-based experimental facility for studying sediment transport, landscape evolution, and Earth surface dynamics. —————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ▶▶ OPPORTUNITIES— I am always interested in discussing research ideas with enthusiastic students and researchers. If my research interests align with yours, please feel free to get in touch regarding PhD, internship, project, or postdoctoral opportunities.
Research Interest: Quantitative Earth Surface Sciences — Surface processes, Quantitative geomorphology, Quaternary Geochronology (luminescence dating, terrestrial cosmogenic radionuclides (10Be, 26Al), and fallout radionuclides (210Pb & 137Cs), Active Tectonics, Critical Zone Science, Landscape Evolution Modeling, River Science, Environmental Geomorphology, and Remote Sensing & GIS Applications.
Potential Teaching Areas:
1- Quantitative geomorphology
2- Quaternary Geochronology
3- Geospatial Engineering
2013 – 2019: Ph.D. Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IITGN), India
2009 – 2011: M.Tech. in Petroleum Exploration, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad, India
2007 – 2009: MSc Geology, Hansraj College, Department of Geology, University of Delhi, India
2004 – 2007: B.Sc. (H) in Geology with Physics & Mathematics, Hansraj College, Department of Geology, University of Delhi, India
May. 2026 – Present: Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Geology, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India
Sept. 2025 – May 2026: Research Scientist, University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), Arlington, Texas, USA
Oct. 2024 – Sept. 2025: Postdoctoral Researcher, Desert Research Institute (DRI), Reno, Nevada, USA
Oct. 2023 – Oct. 2024: Postdoctoral Researcher, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado, USA
Apr. 2023 – Sept. 2023: Project Scientist, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research at Goa, India
Nov. 2019 – Mar. 2023: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) Ahmedabad, India
Feb. 2019 – Oct. 2019: Research Fellow, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), Gandhinagar, India
Jan. 2017 – July 2017: Visiting Research Fellow, CRPG, CNRS, Nancy, France
July 2013 – Jan. 2019: Senior Research Fellow, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, India
Feb. 2012 – June 2013: Junior Research Fellow, University of Delhi, Delhi, Centre for Advanced Study Department of Geology, India
2026: Ramanujan Fellowship (Selected), 2026, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Government of India.
2025: NSF EPSCoR seed grants, Harnessing the Data Revolution for Fire Science (HDRF) at DRI, Reno [$30,000]
Project: Exploring quartz luminescence as a proxy for soil temperatures in wildfire-affected landscapes; PI: K. Rodrigues (DRI); Co-PI: R Kaushal (DRI)
2024: Commercialization Fellowship at DRI, Reno [$21,600]
Project: From Ash to Ag: Unravelling Post-fire Soil Erosion and Recovery for Agricultural Resilience; PI: K. Rodrigues (DRI); Co-PI: R Kaushal (DRI)
2023: INQUA Financial Support Grant Award, INQUA International Conference INQUA Congress, at Rome, Italy [€ 2,150]
2019: International Travel Grant Award (under young scientist category) from SERB-DST to present my research work in an international conference, EGU General Assembly 2019, at Vienna, Austria, [$1,200].
2018: AGU Travel Grant Award to present my research work at the American Geophysical Union (AGU)-2018 at Washington D.C., USA [$1,000].
2017: Institute Overseas Fellowship, IIT Gandhinagar [ $ 5,000].
Supported overseas research fellowship to work with Prof. Jérôme Lavé (CRPG–CNRS, Nancy, France).