Christopher Magirl
Chris Magirl manages the USGS Science Publishing Network (SPN), a world-class science publishing team that supports USGS authors in producing high-quality publications that are clear, compelling, and always freely accessible. The SPN releases 300-400 USGS series products each year, including professional papers, scientific investigations reports, fact sheets, and circulars.
Chris was a Bureau Approving Official (BAO) in the USGS Office of Science Quality and Integrity from 2020–2025, helping USGS authors publish their science and remain policy compliant under Fundamental Science Practices. From 2015–2020, Chris was the Associate Director for Investigations at the USGS Arizona Water Science Center, disseminating high-quality hydrologic reports and data on water resources in Arizona and the Southwest. From 2000–2015, Chris was a hydrologist, research hydrologist, and project chief at the USGS, working on multiple projects involving fluvial geomorphology throughout the western United States. Chris researched rapids on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon and Cataract Canyon, the Elwha River dam-removal project, the 2014 Oso Landslide, sediment production from glaciated stratovolcanoes, and the interactions between geomorphology and aquatic ecology pertaining to salmon.
Before joining the USGS, Chris was an engineer and R&D project manager with the Hewlett-Packard Company building color inkjet printers. As a youth, Chris was fascinated with fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, thunderstorms, flash floods, airplanes, rockets, and rivers. Chris is the inventor of 5 patents and has authored or co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed papers and reports on topics ranging from directional solidification, microscopic droplet ejection, landslides, debris flows, extreme rainfall events, extreme floods, to the hydraulics of rapids—it’s all fluid mechanics, just different scales and viscosities.
Professional Experience
US Geological Survey, Science Publishing Network Manager, 2025–present
US Geological Survey, Bureau Approving Official, 2020–2025
US Geological Survey, Tucson, AZ, AZWSC Studies Chief, 2015–2020
US Geological Survey, Tacoma, WA, Research Hydrologist, 2008–2015
US Geological Survey, Tucson, AZ, Hydrologist, 2000–2008
Tetra Tech, Inc, Tucson, AZ, Hydrologist, 2000
Hewlett-Packard Company, San Diego, CA, Project Manager and Engineer, 1992–1999
Education and Certifications
The University of Arizona, PhD, Hydrology (minor in geology)
Purdue University, MS, Mechanical Engineering
The University of Arizona, BS, Aerospace Engineering
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 60
Spatial distribution and frequency of precipitation during an extreme event: July 2006 mesoscale convective complexes and floods in southeastern Arizona Spatial distribution and frequency of precipitation during an extreme event: July 2006 mesoscale convective complexes and floods in southeastern Arizona
An extreme, multiday rainfall event over southeastern Arizona during 27–31 July 2006 caused record flooding and a historically unprecedented number of slope failures and debris flows in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. An unusual synoptic weather pattern induced repeated nocturnal mesoscale convective systems over southeastern Arizona for five continuous days, generating...
Authors
Peter G. Griffiths, Christopher S. Magirl, Robert H. Webb, Erik Pytlak, Peter A. Troch, Steve W. Lyon
Water velocity and the nature of critical flow in large rapids on the Colorado River, Utah Water velocity and the nature of critical flow in large rapids on the Colorado River, Utah
Rapids are an integral part of bedrock‐controlled rivers, influencing aquatic ecology, geomorphology, and recreational value. Flow measurements in rapids and high‐gradient rivers are uncommon because of technical difficulties associated with positioning and operating sufficiently robust instruments. In the current study, detailed velocity, water surface, and bathymetric data were...
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Jeffrey W. Gartner, Graeme M. Smart, Robert H. Webb
Slopes fail, debris flows in extremis Slopes fail, debris flows in extremis
No abstract available.
Authors
Robert Webb, Christopher S. Magirl, Peter G. Griffiths, Ann M. Youberg, Philip A Pearthree
Debris flows and floods in southeastern Arizona from extreme precipitation in July 2006 — Magnitude, frequency, and sediment delivery Debris flows and floods in southeastern Arizona from extreme precipitation in July 2006 — Magnitude, frequency, and sediment delivery
From July 31 to August 1, 2006, an unusual set of atmospheric conditions aligned to produce record floods and an unprecedented number of slope failures and debris flows in southeastern Arizona. During the week leading up to the event, an upper-level low-pressure system centered over New Mexico generated widespread and locally heavy rainfall in southeastern Arizona, culminating in a...
Authors
Robert H. Webb, Christopher S. Magirl, Peter G. Griffiths, Diane E. Boyer
Modeling Water-Surface Elevations and Virtual Shorelines for the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona Modeling Water-Surface Elevations and Virtual Shorelines for the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona
Using widely-available software intended for modeling rivers, a new one-dimensional hydraulic model was developed for the Colorado River through Grand Canyon from Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek. Solving one-dimensional equations of energy and continuity, the model predicts stage for a known steady-state discharge at specific locations, or cross sections, along the river corridor. This model...
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Michael J. Breedlove, Robert H. Webb, Peter G. Griffiths
Modeling the Spatial and Temporal Variation of Monthly and Seasonal Precipitation on the Nevada Test Site and Vicinity, 1960-2006 Modeling the Spatial and Temporal Variation of Monthly and Seasonal Precipitation on the Nevada Test Site and Vicinity, 1960-2006
The Nevada Test Site (NTS), located in the climatic transition zone between the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts, has a network of precipitation gages that is unusually dense for this region. This network measures monthly and seasonal variation in a landscape with diverse topography. Precipitation data from 125 climate stations on or near the NTS were used to spatially interpolate...
Authors
Joan B. Blainey, Robert H. Webb, Christopher S. Magirl
Debris flows and record floods from extreme mesoscale convective thunderstorms over the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona Debris flows and record floods from extreme mesoscale convective thunderstorms over the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona
Ample geologic evidence indicates early Holocene and Pleistocene debris flows from the south side of the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona, but few records document historical events. On July 31, 2006, an unusual set of atmospheric conditions aligned to produce record floods and an unprecedented number of debris flows in the Santa Catalinas. During the week prior to the...
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Craig Shoemaker, Robert H. Webb, Mike Schaffner, Peter G. Griffiths, Erik Pytlak
Impact of recent extreme Arizona storms Impact of recent extreme Arizona storms
Heavy rainfall on 27–31 July 2006 led to record flooding and triggered an historically unprecedented number of debris flows in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Ariz. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) documented record floods along four watercourses in the Tucson basin, and at least 250 hillslope failures spawned damaging debris flows in an area where less than 10 small...
Authors
C. S. Magirl, R. H. Webb, Peter G. Griffiths, M. Schaffner, C. Shoemaker, E. Pytlak, S. Yatheendradas, S. W. Lyon, Peter A. Troch, S. L. E. Desilets, D.C. Goodrich, C.L. Unkrich, Ann Youberg, P. A. Pearthree
ADV point measurements within rapids of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon ADV point measurements within rapids of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Rapids on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon attract over 20,000 white-water enthusiasts a year and are considered one of the premiere collections of rapids in North America. While this collection of rapids is an important recreational resource, relatively little is known of the specific hydraulics of individual rapids. Flow measurements are occasionally made in the low-velocity reaches...
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Peter G. Griffiths, Robert Webb
Debris flow deposition and reworking by the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona Debris flow deposition and reworking by the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona
Flow regulation by large dams affects downstream flow competence and channel maintenance. Debris flows from 740 tributaries in Grand Canyon, Arizona, transport coarse‐grained sediment onto debris fans adjacent to the Colorado River. These debris fans constrict the river to form rapids and are reworked during river flows that entrain particles and transport them downstream. Beginning in...
Authors
Brian J. Yanites, Robert H. Webb, Peter G. Griffiths, Christopher S. Magirl
Changes in the water surface profile of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, between 1923 and 2000 Changes in the water surface profile of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, between 1923 and 2000
In 1923, a U.S. Geological Survey expedition surveyed the water surface profile of the Colorado River through Grand Canyon with theodolite and stadia rod. In 2000, lidar overflights collected topographic data centered on the river corridor, allowing construction of a new water surface profile and detection of change in the profile since 1923. By registering the surveys with respect to...
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Robert H. Webb, Peter G. Griffiths
The state of the Colorado River ecosystem in Grand Canyon: A report of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center 1991-2004 The state of the Colorado River ecosystem in Grand Canyon: A report of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center 1991-2004
This report is an important milestone in the effort by the Secretary of the Interior to implement the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 (GCPA; title XVIII, secs. 1801-1809, of Public Law 102-575), the most recent authorizing legislation for Federal efforts to protect resources downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. The chapters that follow are intended to provide decision makers and the...
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 60
Spatial distribution and frequency of precipitation during an extreme event: July 2006 mesoscale convective complexes and floods in southeastern Arizona Spatial distribution and frequency of precipitation during an extreme event: July 2006 mesoscale convective complexes and floods in southeastern Arizona
An extreme, multiday rainfall event over southeastern Arizona during 27–31 July 2006 caused record flooding and a historically unprecedented number of slope failures and debris flows in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. An unusual synoptic weather pattern induced repeated nocturnal mesoscale convective systems over southeastern Arizona for five continuous days, generating...
Authors
Peter G. Griffiths, Christopher S. Magirl, Robert H. Webb, Erik Pytlak, Peter A. Troch, Steve W. Lyon
Water velocity and the nature of critical flow in large rapids on the Colorado River, Utah Water velocity and the nature of critical flow in large rapids on the Colorado River, Utah
Rapids are an integral part of bedrock‐controlled rivers, influencing aquatic ecology, geomorphology, and recreational value. Flow measurements in rapids and high‐gradient rivers are uncommon because of technical difficulties associated with positioning and operating sufficiently robust instruments. In the current study, detailed velocity, water surface, and bathymetric data were...
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Jeffrey W. Gartner, Graeme M. Smart, Robert H. Webb
Slopes fail, debris flows in extremis Slopes fail, debris flows in extremis
No abstract available.
Authors
Robert Webb, Christopher S. Magirl, Peter G. Griffiths, Ann M. Youberg, Philip A Pearthree
Debris flows and floods in southeastern Arizona from extreme precipitation in July 2006 — Magnitude, frequency, and sediment delivery Debris flows and floods in southeastern Arizona from extreme precipitation in July 2006 — Magnitude, frequency, and sediment delivery
From July 31 to August 1, 2006, an unusual set of atmospheric conditions aligned to produce record floods and an unprecedented number of slope failures and debris flows in southeastern Arizona. During the week leading up to the event, an upper-level low-pressure system centered over New Mexico generated widespread and locally heavy rainfall in southeastern Arizona, culminating in a...
Authors
Robert H. Webb, Christopher S. Magirl, Peter G. Griffiths, Diane E. Boyer
Modeling Water-Surface Elevations and Virtual Shorelines for the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona Modeling Water-Surface Elevations and Virtual Shorelines for the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona
Using widely-available software intended for modeling rivers, a new one-dimensional hydraulic model was developed for the Colorado River through Grand Canyon from Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek. Solving one-dimensional equations of energy and continuity, the model predicts stage for a known steady-state discharge at specific locations, or cross sections, along the river corridor. This model...
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Michael J. Breedlove, Robert H. Webb, Peter G. Griffiths
Modeling the Spatial and Temporal Variation of Monthly and Seasonal Precipitation on the Nevada Test Site and Vicinity, 1960-2006 Modeling the Spatial and Temporal Variation of Monthly and Seasonal Precipitation on the Nevada Test Site and Vicinity, 1960-2006
The Nevada Test Site (NTS), located in the climatic transition zone between the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts, has a network of precipitation gages that is unusually dense for this region. This network measures monthly and seasonal variation in a landscape with diverse topography. Precipitation data from 125 climate stations on or near the NTS were used to spatially interpolate...
Authors
Joan B. Blainey, Robert H. Webb, Christopher S. Magirl
Debris flows and record floods from extreme mesoscale convective thunderstorms over the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona Debris flows and record floods from extreme mesoscale convective thunderstorms over the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona
Ample geologic evidence indicates early Holocene and Pleistocene debris flows from the south side of the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona, but few records document historical events. On July 31, 2006, an unusual set of atmospheric conditions aligned to produce record floods and an unprecedented number of debris flows in the Santa Catalinas. During the week prior to the...
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Craig Shoemaker, Robert H. Webb, Mike Schaffner, Peter G. Griffiths, Erik Pytlak
Impact of recent extreme Arizona storms Impact of recent extreme Arizona storms
Heavy rainfall on 27–31 July 2006 led to record flooding and triggered an historically unprecedented number of debris flows in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Ariz. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) documented record floods along four watercourses in the Tucson basin, and at least 250 hillslope failures spawned damaging debris flows in an area where less than 10 small...
Authors
C. S. Magirl, R. H. Webb, Peter G. Griffiths, M. Schaffner, C. Shoemaker, E. Pytlak, S. Yatheendradas, S. W. Lyon, Peter A. Troch, S. L. E. Desilets, D.C. Goodrich, C.L. Unkrich, Ann Youberg, P. A. Pearthree
ADV point measurements within rapids of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon ADV point measurements within rapids of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Rapids on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon attract over 20,000 white-water enthusiasts a year and are considered one of the premiere collections of rapids in North America. While this collection of rapids is an important recreational resource, relatively little is known of the specific hydraulics of individual rapids. Flow measurements are occasionally made in the low-velocity reaches...
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Peter G. Griffiths, Robert Webb
Debris flow deposition and reworking by the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona Debris flow deposition and reworking by the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona
Flow regulation by large dams affects downstream flow competence and channel maintenance. Debris flows from 740 tributaries in Grand Canyon, Arizona, transport coarse‐grained sediment onto debris fans adjacent to the Colorado River. These debris fans constrict the river to form rapids and are reworked during river flows that entrain particles and transport them downstream. Beginning in...
Authors
Brian J. Yanites, Robert H. Webb, Peter G. Griffiths, Christopher S. Magirl
Changes in the water surface profile of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, between 1923 and 2000 Changes in the water surface profile of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, between 1923 and 2000
In 1923, a U.S. Geological Survey expedition surveyed the water surface profile of the Colorado River through Grand Canyon with theodolite and stadia rod. In 2000, lidar overflights collected topographic data centered on the river corridor, allowing construction of a new water surface profile and detection of change in the profile since 1923. By registering the surveys with respect to...
Authors
Christopher S. Magirl, Robert H. Webb, Peter G. Griffiths
The state of the Colorado River ecosystem in Grand Canyon: A report of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center 1991-2004 The state of the Colorado River ecosystem in Grand Canyon: A report of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center 1991-2004
This report is an important milestone in the effort by the Secretary of the Interior to implement the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 (GCPA; title XVIII, secs. 1801-1809, of Public Law 102-575), the most recent authorizing legislation for Federal efforts to protect resources downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. The chapters that follow are intended to provide decision makers and the...