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
Saltwater intrusion intensifies coastal permafrost thaw
Integrating observations and models to determine the effect of seasonally frozen ground on hydrologic partitioning in alpine hillslopes in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA
Rapid-response unsaturated zone hydrology: Small-scale data, small-scale theory, big problems
Invited perspective: What lies beneath a changing Arctic?
USGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources
Permafrost hydrogeology
Wildfire-initiated talik development exceeds current thaw projections: Observations and models from Alaska's continuous permafrost zone
Landscape matters: Predicting the biogeochemical effects of permafrost thaw on aquatic networks with a state factor approach
Integrating hydrology and biogeochemistry across frozen landscapes
Soil physical, hydraulic, and thermal properties in interior Alaska, USA: Implications for hydrologic response to thawing permafrost conditions
Investigating lake-area dynamics across a permafrost-thaw spectrum using airborne electromagnetic surveys and remote sensing time-series data in Yukon Flats, Alaska
Development of perennial thaw zones in boreal hillslopes enhances potential mobilization of permafrost carbon
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
Saltwater intrusion intensifies coastal permafrost thaw
Integrating observations and models to determine the effect of seasonally frozen ground on hydrologic partitioning in alpine hillslopes in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA
Rapid-response unsaturated zone hydrology: Small-scale data, small-scale theory, big problems
Invited perspective: What lies beneath a changing Arctic?
USGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources
Permafrost hydrogeology
Wildfire-initiated talik development exceeds current thaw projections: Observations and models from Alaska's continuous permafrost zone
Landscape matters: Predicting the biogeochemical effects of permafrost thaw on aquatic networks with a state factor approach
Integrating hydrology and biogeochemistry across frozen landscapes
Soil physical, hydraulic, and thermal properties in interior Alaska, USA: Implications for hydrologic response to thawing permafrost conditions
Investigating lake-area dynamics across a permafrost-thaw spectrum using airborne electromagnetic surveys and remote sensing time-series data in Yukon Flats, Alaska
Development of perennial thaw zones in boreal hillslopes enhances potential mobilization of permafrost carbon
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