Brian A. Ebel
(He/him)Brian Ebel is a Research Hydrologist for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Brian Ebel is a hydrologist who uses field measurements combined with numerical modeling to advance prediction and assessment for water resources through improved process representation. His work focuses on landscape disturbance impacts (e.g., wildfire, forestry, legacy mining) on water availability and water-related hazards to human lives and infrastructure. He was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2019 for his contributions to understanding post-wildfire flooding and water availability issues. In 2023, Brian was selected as a Kavli Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences. Brian is currently in the Earth System Processes Division of the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Professional Experience
2014-present: Research Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Mission Area
2013-2014: Research Assistant Professor, Colorado School of Mines
2012-2013: Research Assistant Professor, University of Colorado-Boulder
2008-2012: Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Mission Area
Education and Certifications
Stanford University, Ph.D. in Hydrogeology
Washington University in St. Louis, B.A. in Earth and Planetary Science
Science and Products
Finite-element modelling of physics-based hillslope hydrology, Keith Beven, and beyond
An overview of current applications, challenges, and future trends in distributed process-based models in hydrology
Illuminating wildfire erosion and deposition patterns with repeat terrestrial lidar
Aspect-dependent soil saturation and insight into debris-flow initiation during extreme rainfall in the Colorado Front Range
Relations between soil hydraulic properties and burn severity
Infiltration and runoff generation processes in fire-affected soils
Rethinking infiltration in wildfire-affected soils
Wildfire and aspect effects on hydrologic states after the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire
Soil-water dynamics and unsaturated storage during snowmelt following wildfire
An alternative process model of preferential contaminant travel times in the unsaturated zone: Application to Rainier Mesa and Shoshone Mountain, Nevada
Difference infiltrometer: a method to measure temporally variable infiltration rates during rainstorms
Aspect control of water movement on hillslopes near the rain–snow transition of the Colorado Front Range
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
Finite-element modelling of physics-based hillslope hydrology, Keith Beven, and beyond
An overview of current applications, challenges, and future trends in distributed process-based models in hydrology
Illuminating wildfire erosion and deposition patterns with repeat terrestrial lidar
Aspect-dependent soil saturation and insight into debris-flow initiation during extreme rainfall in the Colorado Front Range
Relations between soil hydraulic properties and burn severity
Infiltration and runoff generation processes in fire-affected soils
Rethinking infiltration in wildfire-affected soils
Wildfire and aspect effects on hydrologic states after the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire
Soil-water dynamics and unsaturated storage during snowmelt following wildfire
An alternative process model of preferential contaminant travel times in the unsaturated zone: Application to Rainier Mesa and Shoshone Mountain, Nevada
Difference infiltrometer: a method to measure temporally variable infiltration rates during rainstorms
Aspect control of water movement on hillslopes near the rain–snow transition of the Colorado Front Range
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.