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Amber S. Jones

Amber S. Jones (she/her) is a Physical Scientist for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area. 

Amber is an expert on data workflows for the Hydrologic Networks Branch. Her work focuses on streamlining records processing, automated data screening, and other National Water Information System related applications. Amber’s background is in watershed hydrology, surface water quality, data science and machine learning, hydroinformatics, and environmental engineering. Amber has degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Utah State University, and she is working toward completing a PhD. Her dissertation addresses data science applications for water including anomaly detection for aquatic sensor data and current developments in water data science instruction. She has also worked as an environmental scientist and as a river guide. She is located in Logan, UT.​ 

Professional Experience

  • Physical Scientist. USGS Water Mission Area. 2022- present

  • Research Assistant. Utah State University. 2019-2022

  • Research Engineer. Utah Water Research Laboratory. 2011-2018

  • Data Manager. iUTAH Project. Utah State University. 2013-2018

  • Environmental Scientist. Hillsborough County. 2009-2010

Education and Certifications

  • ​MS, Utah State University, Civil and Environmental Engineering 

  • BS, Utah State University, Environmental Engineering​ 

Honors and Awards

  • USU Civil and Environmental Engineering Doctoral Research Student of the Year, 2022

  • Purdue University FAIR CyberTraining Fellow for Climate and Water, 2021

  • USU Cyberinfrastructure for Intelligent Water Supply, Data Visualization Challenge, First Place, 2021

  • USU College of Engineering Technical Writing Competition Award Winner, Graduate Division, 2021 and 2019

Science and Products

Non-USGS Publications**

Jones, A.S., Horsburgh, J.S., Bastidas Pacheco, C.J., Flint, C.G., Lane, B.A. (2022). Advancing Hydroinformatics and Water Data Science Instruction: Community Perspectives and Online Learning Resources. Frontiers in Water. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2022.901393
Jones, A.S., Jones, T.L., Horsburgh, J.S. (2022). Toward automating post processing of aquatic sensor data. Environmental Modelling and Software, 151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2022.105364
Jones, A.S., Horsburgh, J.S., Eiriksson, D.P. (2018) Assessing Subjectivity in Environmental Sensor Data Post Processing via a Controlled Experiment. Ecological Informatics, 46, 86-96, doi: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2018.05.001.
Jones, A.S., Aanderud, Z.T., Horsburgh, J.S., Eiriksson, D.P., Dastrup, D., Cox, C., Jones, S.B., Bowling, D.R., Carlisle, J., Carling, G.T., Baker, M.A. (2017) Designing and Implementing a Network for Sensing Water Quality and Hydrology Across Mountain to Urban Transitions. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 53:5, 1095-1120, doi: 10.1111/1752-1688.12557.
Flint, C.G., Jones, A.S., Horsburgh, J.S. (2017). Data Management Dimensions of Social Water Science: The iUTAH Experience. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 53:5, 988-996, doi: 10.1111/1752-1688.12568.
Jones, A.S., Horsburgh, J.S., Jackson-Smith, D., Ramirez, M., Flint, C.G., and Caraballo, J. (2016). A Web-based, interactive visualization tool for social environmental survey data, Environmental Modelling & Software, 84, 412-426, doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2016.07.013.
Horsburgh, J. S., Aufdenkampe, A. K., Mayorga, E., Lehnert, K. A., Hsu, L., Song, L., Jones, A.S., Damiano, S. G., Tarboton, D. G., Valentine, D., Zaslavsky, I., Whitenack, T. (2016). Observations Data Model 2: A community information model for spatially discrete Earth observations, Environmental Modelling & Software, 79, 55-74, doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2016.01.010.
Jones, A.S., J. S. Horsburgh, S.L. Reeder, M. Ramirez, J. Caraballo (2015). A data management and publication workflow for a large-scale, heterogeneous sensor network, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187:348, doi:10.1007/s10661-015-4594-3.
Horsburgh, J. S., S. L. Reeder, A. S. Jones, J. Meline (2015). Open source software for visualization and quality control of continuous hydrologic and water quality sensor data, Environmental Modelling & Software, 70, 32-44, doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2015.04.002.
Jones, A. S., J. S. Horsburgh, N. O. Mesner, R. J. Ryel, and D. K. Stevens (2012), Influence of Sampling Frequency on Estimation of Annual Total Phosphorus and Total Suspended Solids Loads. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 1-18, doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.2012.00684.x.
Jones, A.S., D. K. Stevens, J. S. Horsburgh, and N. O. Mesner (2011), Surrogate measures for providing high frequency estimates of total suspended solids and total phosphorus concentrations, Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 47(2), 239-253, doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00505.x.
Horsburgh, J. S., A. S. Jones, D. K. Stevens, D. G. Tarboton, and N. O. Mesner (2010), A sensor network for high frequency estimation of water quality constituent fluxes using surrogates, Environmental Modelling & Software, 25, 1031-1044, doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2009.10.012.

**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

Non-USGS Publications**

Jones, A.S., Horsburgh, J.S., Bastidas Pacheco, C.J., Flint, C.G., Lane, B.A. (2022). Advancing Hydroinformatics and Water Data Science Instruction: Community Perspectives and Online Learning Resources. Frontiers in Water. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2022.901393
Jones, A.S., Jones, T.L., Horsburgh, J.S. (2022). Toward automating post processing of aquatic sensor data. Environmental Modelling and Software, 151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2022.105364
Jones, A.S., Horsburgh, J.S., Eiriksson, D.P. (2018) Assessing Subjectivity in Environmental Sensor Data Post Processing via a Controlled Experiment. Ecological Informatics, 46, 86-96, doi: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2018.05.001.
Jones, A.S., Aanderud, Z.T., Horsburgh, J.S., Eiriksson, D.P., Dastrup, D., Cox, C., Jones, S.B., Bowling, D.R., Carlisle, J., Carling, G.T., Baker, M.A. (2017) Designing and Implementing a Network for Sensing Water Quality and Hydrology Across Mountain to Urban Transitions. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 53:5, 1095-1120, doi: 10.1111/1752-1688.12557.
Flint, C.G., Jones, A.S., Horsburgh, J.S. (2017). Data Management Dimensions of Social Water Science: The iUTAH Experience. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 53:5, 988-996, doi: 10.1111/1752-1688.12568.
Jones, A.S., Horsburgh, J.S., Jackson-Smith, D., Ramirez, M., Flint, C.G., and Caraballo, J. (2016). A Web-based, interactive visualization tool for social environmental survey data, Environmental Modelling & Software, 84, 412-426, doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2016.07.013.
Horsburgh, J. S., Aufdenkampe, A. K., Mayorga, E., Lehnert, K. A., Hsu, L., Song, L., Jones, A.S., Damiano, S. G., Tarboton, D. G., Valentine, D., Zaslavsky, I., Whitenack, T. (2016). Observations Data Model 2: A community information model for spatially discrete Earth observations, Environmental Modelling & Software, 79, 55-74, doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2016.01.010.
Jones, A.S., J. S. Horsburgh, S.L. Reeder, M. Ramirez, J. Caraballo (2015). A data management and publication workflow for a large-scale, heterogeneous sensor network, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187:348, doi:10.1007/s10661-015-4594-3.
Horsburgh, J. S., S. L. Reeder, A. S. Jones, J. Meline (2015). Open source software for visualization and quality control of continuous hydrologic and water quality sensor data, Environmental Modelling & Software, 70, 32-44, doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2015.04.002.
Jones, A. S., J. S. Horsburgh, N. O. Mesner, R. J. Ryel, and D. K. Stevens (2012), Influence of Sampling Frequency on Estimation of Annual Total Phosphorus and Total Suspended Solids Loads. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 1-18, doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.2012.00684.x.
Jones, A.S., D. K. Stevens, J. S. Horsburgh, and N. O. Mesner (2011), Surrogate measures for providing high frequency estimates of total suspended solids and total phosphorus concentrations, Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 47(2), 239-253, doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00505.x.
Horsburgh, J. S., A. S. Jones, D. K. Stevens, D. G. Tarboton, and N. O. Mesner (2010), A sensor network for high frequency estimation of water quality constituent fluxes using surrogates, Environmental Modelling & Software, 25, 1031-1044, doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2009.10.012.

**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.