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Althea A. Archer, PhD

(she/her)

Dr. Althea A. Archer (she/her) is a data visualization specialist in the Data Science Branch of the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.

​​Althea combines her passion for statistics, design, and reproducibility to create visualizations of water resource data that are effective and accessible. Her goal is to use data visualizations and science communication to educate the public about USGS water science.​ 

Professional Experience

  • 2020-2022: Assistant Professor, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota

  • 2017-2020: Assistant Professor, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota

  • 2017-2020: Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota

  • PhD Research Associate, Department of Forestry, Auburn University, Alabama

  • Environmental & GIS Specialist, Stantec Consulting, Cottage Grove, Wisconsin

Education and Certifications

  • ​​2015: PhD in Forestry, Auburn University, Alabama 

  • ​2008: Graduate Certificate in GIS, University of Wisconsin—Madison 

  • ​2007: BA in Biology Honors, Minor in Geography, Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota​ 

Science and Products

The water cycle

An illustrated diagram of the water cycle. This is a modern, updated version of the widely used diagram featured on the USGS Water Science School. Notably, this new water cycle diagram depicts humans and major categories of human water use as key components of the water cycle, in addition to the key pools and fluxes of the hydrologic cycle. This product targets an 8th grade audience and is designe
Authors
Hayley R. Corson-Dosch, Cee S. Nell, Rachel E. Volentine, Althea A. Archer, Ellen Bechtel, Jennifer L. Bruce, Nicole Felts, Tara A. Gross, Dianne Lopez-Trujillo, Charlotte E. Riggs, Emily K. Read
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center (CFWSC), Colorado Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
A timeseries of monthly Oceanic Niño Index values from 1950 to 2023.
link
Timeseries: down/upwards - Ocean currents cycle between warmer (el Niño) and cooler (la Niña) periods
A scatter plot of water temperature versus air temperature on April 27, 2019, for the Paine Run stream in Shenandoah National
link
Timeseries: correlation - Hysteresis (image 1)
Animation showing changes in stream temperature relative to air temperature over the course of a day.
link
Timeseries: correlation - Hysteresis (image 2)
A map of the contiguous U.S. using a snowflake hex pattern to show snow cover for March 2023.
link
Relationships: positive/negative - March 2023 snow covered area
A map of the contiguous U.S. using a snowflake hex pattern to show relative snow cover for March 2023 compared to 20-year avg
link
Relationships: positive/negative - March 2023 relative snow covered area
A Tale of two winters. A map of CONUS and lollipop style charts show the difference in percent snow covered area
link
Distributions: high/low - A tale of two winters
A data visualization showing how Minimum Annual Streamflow has changed from generation to generation over the past 100 years.
link
Comparisons: historical - minimum annual streamflow across generations
Six panel data visualization in the graphical form of a comic. Rest of the description is in the detailed description section
link
Comparisons: fauna/flora - urban trees
A landscape depicting where water is (in bright blue) and how it moves (with arrows). Human activities are shown throughout.
link
The Water Cycle (PNG)
A landscape depicting where water is (in bright blue) and how it moves (with arrows). Human activities are shown throughout.
link
El Ciclo del Agua - The Water Cycle, Spanish (PNG)
link

Reproducible code demonstrating the evolution of a recent data viz of CONUS snow cover: Origin and development of a Snowflake Map

The process for making a snow cover map, from concept to product, is described in this example of Open Science.

Read Article

Science and Products

  • Publications

    The water cycle

    An illustrated diagram of the water cycle. This is a modern, updated version of the widely used diagram featured on the USGS Water Science School. Notably, this new water cycle diagram depicts humans and major categories of human water use as key components of the water cycle, in addition to the key pools and fluxes of the hydrologic cycle. This product targets an 8th grade audience and is designe
    Authors
    Hayley R. Corson-Dosch, Cee S. Nell, Rachel E. Volentine, Althea A. Archer, Ellen Bechtel, Jennifer L. Bruce, Nicole Felts, Tara A. Gross, Dianne Lopez-Trujillo, Charlotte E. Riggs, Emily K. Read
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center (CFWSC), Colorado Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
  • Multimedia
    A timeseries of monthly Oceanic Niño Index values from 1950 to 2023.
    link
    Timeseries: down/upwards - Ocean currents cycle between warmer (el Niño) and cooler (la Niña) periods
    A scatter plot of water temperature versus air temperature on April 27, 2019, for the Paine Run stream in Shenandoah National
    link
    Timeseries: correlation - Hysteresis (image 1)
    Animation showing changes in stream temperature relative to air temperature over the course of a day.
    link
    Timeseries: correlation - Hysteresis (image 2)
    A map of the contiguous U.S. using a snowflake hex pattern to show snow cover for March 2023.
    link
    Relationships: positive/negative - March 2023 snow covered area
    A map of the contiguous U.S. using a snowflake hex pattern to show relative snow cover for March 2023 compared to 20-year avg
    link
    Relationships: positive/negative - March 2023 relative snow covered area
    A Tale of two winters. A map of CONUS and lollipop style charts show the difference in percent snow covered area
    link
    Distributions: high/low - A tale of two winters
    A data visualization showing how Minimum Annual Streamflow has changed from generation to generation over the past 100 years.
    link
    Comparisons: historical - minimum annual streamflow across generations
    Six panel data visualization in the graphical form of a comic. Rest of the description is in the detailed description section
    link
    Comparisons: fauna/flora - urban trees
    A landscape depicting where water is (in bright blue) and how it moves (with arrows). Human activities are shown throughout.
    link
    The Water Cycle (PNG)
    A landscape depicting where water is (in bright blue) and how it moves (with arrows). Human activities are shown throughout.
    link
    El Ciclo del Agua - The Water Cycle, Spanish (PNG)
  • News
    link

    Reproducible code demonstrating the evolution of a recent data viz of CONUS snow cover: Origin and development of a Snowflake Map

    The process for making a snow cover map, from concept to product, is described in this example of Open Science.

    Read Article