Thomas Over
Thomas Over, is a Research Hydrologist, with the Central Midwest Water Science Center, located in Urbana, Illinois.
Tom has worked for the USGS, Central Midwest Water Science Center (formerly the Illinois Water Science Center) since 2001 (originally part-time, full-time beginning 2012). He works in areas of prediction of peak and continuous streamflow in ungaged basins by statistical regionalization, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling (HSPF, SWMM, HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, PEST), disaggregation and scaling of precipitation and streamflow, streamflow measurement uncertainty, hydrometeorological data analysis (evaluation of gage and radar-based precipitation observations and forecasts, development of homogeneous weather databases), and effects of urbanization on streamflow.
Prior to his full-time appointment with the USGS he was an assistant research professor at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) in the Geology/Geography Department, a visiting assistant professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and an assistant professor at Texas A&M University in the Civil Engineering Department, where he taught courses in water resources engineering, engineering hydrology, and stochastic hydrology. His research at EIU was in the area of controls of soil moisture and soil hydrophobicity on wind erosion. His Ph.D. is from University of Colorado - Boulder, Geophysics Program - Hydrology Option, where his dissertation was on multifractal space-time scaling properties of precipitation fields. While at CU-Boulder, he worked with Brent Troutman in the USGS (Water) National Research Program on the effects of river basin structure on streamflow. Prior to Ph.D. studies, he worked as a consulting civil engineer.
Professional Experience
2020 to Present, Research Hydrologist, Central Midwest Science Center
2012 to 2020, Hydrologist, Illinois, Illinois-Iowa, Central Midwest Water Science Center
2001 to 2012, Hydrologist (part-time), Illinois Water Science Center
2000 to 2012, Assistant Research Professor (part-time), Department of Geology / Geography, Eastern Illinois University
2000 to 2001, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1996 to 2000, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University
1988 to 1995, Research Assistant, University of Colorado, Boulder
1984 to 1988, Consulting Civil Engineer, Nolte and Associates, San Jose, Calif.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Geophysics Program/Hydrology - University of Colorado-Boulder, 1995
M.S., CIvil and Environmental Engineering - Stanford University, 1984
S.B., Civil and Environmental Engineering - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1983
Science and Products
Bias correction of Simulated Historical Daily Streamflow at Ungauged Locations Using Independently Estimated Flow-Duration Curves: Data Release
Meteorological Database, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, January 1, 1948 - September 30, 2016
Meteorological Database, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, January 1, 1948 - September 30, 2015
Meteorological Database, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, January 1, 1948 - September 30, 2014
Refinement of a regression-based method for prediction of flow-duration curves of daily streamflow in the conterminous United States
Comparison of NEXRAD multisensor precipitation estimates to rain gage observations in and near DuPage County, Illinois, 2002–12
Adjusting annual maximum peak discharges at selected stations in northeastern Illinois for changes in land-use conditions
Estimation of peak discharge quantiles for selected annual exceedance probabilities in northeastern Illinois
Accelerating advances in continental domain hydrologic modeling
Evaluation of statistical and rainfall-runoff models for predicting historical daily streamflow time series in the Des Moines and Iowa River watersheds
Analysis of regional rainfall-runoff parameters for the Lake Michigan Diversion hydrological modeling
A comparison of methods to predict historical daily streamflow time series in the southeastern United States
Multiple regression and inverse moments improve the characterization of the spatial scaling behavior of daily streamflows in the Southeast United States
Evaluation of a mass-balance approach to determine consumptive water use in northeastern Illinois
Estimation of regional flow-duration curves for Indiana and Illinois
Ultimate pier and contraction scour prediction in cohesive soils at selected bridges in Illinois
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
Bias correction of Simulated Historical Daily Streamflow at Ungauged Locations Using Independently Estimated Flow-Duration Curves: Data Release
Meteorological Database, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, January 1, 1948 - September 30, 2016
Meteorological Database, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, January 1, 1948 - September 30, 2015
Meteorological Database, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, January 1, 1948 - September 30, 2014
Refinement of a regression-based method for prediction of flow-duration curves of daily streamflow in the conterminous United States
Comparison of NEXRAD multisensor precipitation estimates to rain gage observations in and near DuPage County, Illinois, 2002–12
Adjusting annual maximum peak discharges at selected stations in northeastern Illinois for changes in land-use conditions
Estimation of peak discharge quantiles for selected annual exceedance probabilities in northeastern Illinois
Accelerating advances in continental domain hydrologic modeling
Evaluation of statistical and rainfall-runoff models for predicting historical daily streamflow time series in the Des Moines and Iowa River watersheds
Analysis of regional rainfall-runoff parameters for the Lake Michigan Diversion hydrological modeling
A comparison of methods to predict historical daily streamflow time series in the southeastern United States
Multiple regression and inverse moments improve the characterization of the spatial scaling behavior of daily streamflows in the Southeast United States
Evaluation of a mass-balance approach to determine consumptive water use in northeastern Illinois
Estimation of regional flow-duration curves for Indiana and Illinois
Ultimate pier and contraction scour prediction in cohesive soils at selected bridges in Illinois
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.