Michelle Walvoord
(She/her)Michelle Walvoord is a Research Hydrologist in the Earth System Processes Division of the Water Resources Mission Area.
Dr. Michelle A. Walvoord is a hydrogeologist whose current research focuses on understanding hydrologic response to climate change and wildfire disturbance. With expertise in non-isothermal, multiphase subsurface flow and transport, she has led a variety of process-based vadose zone and groundwater studies in systems ranging from mid-latitude deserts to high-latitude boreal forests. Her research relies on a blend of field, statistical, and physics-based modeling approaches and typically intersects with multiple disciplines including biogeochemistry, ecology, and geophysics.
Professional Experience
Research Hydrologist, USGS Earth System Processes Division, Denver, CO (2017 – present)
Research Hydrologist, USGS National Research Program, Denver, CO (2004-2017)
National Academy of Sciences Postdoctoral Research Associate, Denver, CO (2002-2004)
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Science, New Mexico Tech
M.S. in Hydrology, New Mexico Tech
B.A. in Geology, Hamilton College
Affiliations and Memberships*
Affiliate Faculty, Geology and Geological Engineering Dept., Colorado School of Mines (2016 – present)
Graduate Faculty Appointment, Geological Sciences Dept., University of Colorado, Boulder (2016 – present)
Associate Faculty, Université Laval (2021 – present)
Member of the USGS Water Mission Area’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Employee Leadership Team (2022-present)
Member of the American Geophysical Union Hydrology Section’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee (2021-present)
Board of Directors, United States Permafrost Association (2021-2022)
Associate Editor, Water Resources Research (2015 – present)
Associate Editor, Hydrogeology Journal (2014-2017)
Member of the Terrestrial Multidisciplinary distributed Observatories for the Study of Arctic Connection (t-MOSAIC) Land-Water Processes Action Group (2019 – present)
Science Steering Committee, Permafrost Action Team for the National Science Foundation’s Study of Environmental Arctic Change Project (SEARCH) (2015 – present)
Science Advisory Board, USGS Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis (2015 – 2019)
Honors and Awards
Woo Distinguished Lecture in Hydrology, Canadian Geophysical Union, 2022
Outstanding Woman in Science Award, Geological Society of America, 2005
Langmuir Award for Excellence in Research, New Mexico Tech, 2004
Science and Products
Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)
Potential Impacts of Prospective Climate Change on Groundwater Recharge in the Western United States
Water Level, Temperature, and Discharge of Headwater Streams in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, 2016 and 2017
Geophysical and related field data from the West Fork of Dall Creek, AK 2017-2019
A history of cryohydrogeology modeling and recent advancements through the integration of solute transport
Thermo-hydrologic processes governing supra-permafrost talik dynamics in discontinuous permafrost near Umiujaq (Québec, Canada)
Opportunities and challenges for precipitation forcing data in post-wildfire hydrologic modeling applications
Wind-modulated groundwater discharge along a microtidal Arctic coastline
Integrated water resources trend assessments: State of the science, challenges, and opportunities for advancement
Wildfire-induced shifts in groundwater discharge to streams identified with paired air and stream water temperature analyses
Modeling post-wildfire hydrologic response: Review and future directions for applications of physically based distributed simulation
Long-term, high-resolution permafrost monitoring reveals coupled energy balance and hydrogeologic controls on talik dynamics near Umiujaq (Nunavik, Québec, Canada)
Sentinel responses of Arctic freshwater systems to climate: linkages, evidence, and a roadmap for future research
Sea-level rise and warming mediate coastal groundwater discharge in the Arctic
Heterogeneous patterns of aged organic carbon export driven by hydrologic flow paths, soil texture, fire, and thaw in discontinuous permafrost headwaters
Complex vulnerabilities of the water and aquatic carbon cycles to permafrost thaw
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)
Potential Impacts of Prospective Climate Change on Groundwater Recharge in the Western United States
Water Level, Temperature, and Discharge of Headwater Streams in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, 2016 and 2017
Geophysical and related field data from the West Fork of Dall Creek, AK 2017-2019
A history of cryohydrogeology modeling and recent advancements through the integration of solute transport
Thermo-hydrologic processes governing supra-permafrost talik dynamics in discontinuous permafrost near Umiujaq (Québec, Canada)
Opportunities and challenges for precipitation forcing data in post-wildfire hydrologic modeling applications
Wind-modulated groundwater discharge along a microtidal Arctic coastline
Integrated water resources trend assessments: State of the science, challenges, and opportunities for advancement
Wildfire-induced shifts in groundwater discharge to streams identified with paired air and stream water temperature analyses
Modeling post-wildfire hydrologic response: Review and future directions for applications of physically based distributed simulation
Long-term, high-resolution permafrost monitoring reveals coupled energy balance and hydrogeologic controls on talik dynamics near Umiujaq (Nunavik, Québec, Canada)
Sentinel responses of Arctic freshwater systems to climate: linkages, evidence, and a roadmap for future research
Sea-level rise and warming mediate coastal groundwater discharge in the Arctic
Heterogeneous patterns of aged organic carbon export driven by hydrologic flow paths, soil texture, fire, and thaw in discontinuous permafrost headwaters
Complex vulnerabilities of the water and aquatic carbon cycles to permafrost thaw
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government