Research Topics

Lauren Hay

Lauren Hay has worked as research hydrologist at the USGS National Research Program, Central Region, Denver, Colorado since 1989 where she is a member of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling research group. The research group has the broad goal of understanding precipitation-runoff processes and developing improved hydrologic models. Project objectives are to investigate watershed hydrologic processes and processes interactions to (1) improve understanding of watershed system dynamic; (2) develop computer models to simulate and evaluate the effects of various combinations of precipitation, climate, and land use on streamflow, sediment yield, and other hydrologic components; and (3) develop procedures and techniques to estimate model parameters using measurable watershed and climatic characteristics.

George Leavesley

Precipitation-runoff modeling, the coupling of atmospheric and hydrologic models, model parameter estimation using physical measures from digital databases and remotely sensed data, simulation of the processes of snow accumulation and melt, and the development of a modular modeling system.

Steve Markstrom

Steve Markstrom has worked as hydrologist at the USGS National Research Program, Central Region, Denver, Colorado since 1991 where he is a member of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling research group. The research group has the broad goal of understanding precipitation-runoff processes and developing improved hydrologic models. He is currently part of the team developing an integrated gound- and surface- water simulation model (GSFLOW). He is a technical team leader for the Watershed and River Systems Management Program (WARSMP), a cooperative effort between the USGS and US Bureau of Reclamation to develop decision support systems and tools that integrate physically based process models and resource management models. Also, he develops and supports the Modular Modeling System (MMS).

Steve Regan

Surface-Water and Ground-water integration modeling

Stream Flow Routing

Coupled Land-Use, Surface-Water and Ground-Water Model for the Spring Creek Watershed, Centre County, Pennsylvania

Roland Viger

Geographic Information Science (GIScience), Hydrologic modeling. Scaling and model integration.

Richard M T Webb

Watershed modeler; Sediment. I synthesize spatial and temporal observations of climate, hydrology, and water quality to test and improve numerical models developed to simulate the flux and geochemical evolution of waters as they flow through the landscapes. I am the primary developer of the Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Model (WEBMOD) that is being developed in the Modular Modeling System. WEBMOD was developed to simulate how the quantity and quality of water flowing through pristine watersheds might respond to changes in acid rain deposition and climate change. This research contrinues under the auspices of the Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budget Program. More recently WEBMOD is being used to better understand water budgets in predominantly agricultural watersheds. That research is being funded by the National Water Quality Assessment Program. The model is being beta tested and should be released to the public by the summer of 2008.

Other areas of research: Upland erosion, sediment transport, reservoir sedimentation, coastal processes, marine geology, coral reef ecosystems.

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://wwwbrr.cr.usgs.gov/projects/SW_MoWS/resTopics/resTopics.shtml
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Page Last Modified: November 17, 2006