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Christopher Soulard

Chris Soulard has worked for the U.S. Geological Survey since 2002. He is currently a supervisory research geographer working with the Western Geographic Science Center in Moffett Field, CA. 

I started my career with the U.S. Geological Survey in 2002 as a student intern and have never looked back, fully embracing my role as a civil servant. For over 20 years, I have had the fortune to work on a wide range of remote sensing into projects focusing on multi-temporal change analyses using Landsat imagery and aerial photography, most notably the Land Cover Trends Project. I have also had many opportunities to expand my research scope, including community vulnerability assessments of tsunami and volcanic lahar hazards in the Pacific Northwest, terrestrial laser scanning to monitor soil and vegetation changes in the Mojave Desert and elsewhere, land-use/land-cover forecasting for the Western United States, and vegetation change analyses using Google Earth Engine cloud computing. My career with the U.S. Geological Survey has afforded me the chance to develop technical geospatial and geostatistical research expertise, as well as soft skills like project management, leadership, and communication. I currently serve as the Principal Investigator of the PLACE Project (Patterns in the Landscape – Analyses of Cause and Effect) and supervise the Ecosystem Dynamics Team.

Professional Experience

  • 2020 - present: Supervisory Research Geographer, United States Geological Survey (USGS)

  • 2013 - 2020: Research Geographer, United States Geological Survey (USGS)

  • 2002 - 2013: Geographer, United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Education and Certifications

  • B.A. in Geography, University of California Santa Barbara, 2003*

    *Magna Cum Laude

  • B.A. in Environmental Studies, University of California Santa Barbara, 2003**

    **Environmental Studies Honors Award

  • M.A. in Geographic Information Science with emphasis in remote sensing and land cover change, San Jose State University, 2005

Science and Products

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Filter Total Items: 43

Using terrestrial light detection and ranging (lidar) technology for land-surface analysis in the Southwest

Emerging technologies provide scientists with methods to measure Earth processes in new ways. One of these technologies--ultra-high-resolution, ground-based light detection and ranging (lidar)--is being used by USGS Western Geographic Science Center scientists to characterize the role of wind and fire processes in shaping desert landscapes of the Southwest United States.
Authors
Christopher E. Soulard, Rian Bogle
By
Western Geographic Science Center

Community exposure to lahar hazards from Mount Rainier, Washington

Geologic evidence of past events and inundation modeling of potential events suggest that lahars associated with Mount Rainier, Washington, are significant threats to downstream development. To mitigate potential impacts of future lahars and educate at-risk populations, officials need to understand how communities are vulnerable to these fast-moving debris flows and which individuals and communiti
Authors
Nathan J. Wood, Christopher E. Soulard
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center, Cascades Volcano Observatory

Historical Orthoimagery of the Lake Tahoe Basin

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Geographic Science Center has developed a series of historical digital orthoimagery (HDO) datasets covering part or all of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Three datasets are available: (A) 1940 HDOs for the southern Lake Tahoe Basin, (B) 1969 HDOs for the entire Lake Tahoe Basin, and (C) 1987 HDOs for the southern Lake Tahoe Basin. The HDOs (for 1940, 1969, and 1987
Authors
Christopher E. Soulard, Christian G. Raumann

High-Resolution Digital Terrain Models of the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta Region, California

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region Geographic Science Center, in conjunction with the USGS Water Resources Western Branch of Regional Research, has developed a high-resolution elevation dataset covering the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta region of California. The elevation data were compiled photogrammically from aerial photography (May 2002) with a scale of 1:15,000. The resulting dat
Authors
Tom Coons, Christopher E. Soulard, Noah Knowles

Land-Cover Trends of the Southern California Mountains Ecoregion

This report presents an assessment of land-use and land-cover (LU/LC) change in the Southern California Mountains ecoregion for the period 1973-2001. The Southern California Mountains is one of 84 Level-III ecoregions as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ecoregions have served as a spatial framework for environmental resource management, denoting areas that contain a geogr
Authors
Christopher E. Soulard, Christian G. Raumann, Tamara S. Wilson

Land-Cover Trends of the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion, 1973-2000

The U.S. Geological Survey has developed and is implementing the Land Cover Trends project to estimate and describe the temporal and spatial distribution and variability of contemporary land-use and land-cover change in the United States. As part of the Land Cover Trends project, the purpose of this study was to assess land-use/land-cover change in the Sierra Nevada ecoregion for the period 1973 t
Authors
Christian G. Raumann, Christopher E. Soulard
By
Western Geographic Science Center

Land-Cover Trends of the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Land Cover Trends research project is focused on understanding the amounts, rates, trends, causes, and implications of contemporary land-use and land-cover (LU/LC) change in the United States. This project is supported by the USGS Geographic Analysis and Monitoring Program in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Aerona
Authors
Christopher E. Soulard

Science and Products

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  • Publications
    Filter Total Items: 43

    Using terrestrial light detection and ranging (lidar) technology for land-surface analysis in the Southwest

    Emerging technologies provide scientists with methods to measure Earth processes in new ways. One of these technologies--ultra-high-resolution, ground-based light detection and ranging (lidar)--is being used by USGS Western Geographic Science Center scientists to characterize the role of wind and fire processes in shaping desert landscapes of the Southwest United States.
    Authors
    Christopher E. Soulard, Rian Bogle
    By
    Western Geographic Science Center

    Community exposure to lahar hazards from Mount Rainier, Washington

    Geologic evidence of past events and inundation modeling of potential events suggest that lahars associated with Mount Rainier, Washington, are significant threats to downstream development. To mitigate potential impacts of future lahars and educate at-risk populations, officials need to understand how communities are vulnerable to these fast-moving debris flows and which individuals and communiti
    Authors
    Nathan J. Wood, Christopher E. Soulard
    By
    Natural Hazards Mission Area, Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center, Cascades Volcano Observatory

    Historical Orthoimagery of the Lake Tahoe Basin

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Geographic Science Center has developed a series of historical digital orthoimagery (HDO) datasets covering part or all of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Three datasets are available: (A) 1940 HDOs for the southern Lake Tahoe Basin, (B) 1969 HDOs for the entire Lake Tahoe Basin, and (C) 1987 HDOs for the southern Lake Tahoe Basin. The HDOs (for 1940, 1969, and 1987
    Authors
    Christopher E. Soulard, Christian G. Raumann

    High-Resolution Digital Terrain Models of the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta Region, California

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region Geographic Science Center, in conjunction with the USGS Water Resources Western Branch of Regional Research, has developed a high-resolution elevation dataset covering the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta region of California. The elevation data were compiled photogrammically from aerial photography (May 2002) with a scale of 1:15,000. The resulting dat
    Authors
    Tom Coons, Christopher E. Soulard, Noah Knowles

    Land-Cover Trends of the Southern California Mountains Ecoregion

    This report presents an assessment of land-use and land-cover (LU/LC) change in the Southern California Mountains ecoregion for the period 1973-2001. The Southern California Mountains is one of 84 Level-III ecoregions as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ecoregions have served as a spatial framework for environmental resource management, denoting areas that contain a geogr
    Authors
    Christopher E. Soulard, Christian G. Raumann, Tamara S. Wilson

    Land-Cover Trends of the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion, 1973-2000

    The U.S. Geological Survey has developed and is implementing the Land Cover Trends project to estimate and describe the temporal and spatial distribution and variability of contemporary land-use and land-cover change in the United States. As part of the Land Cover Trends project, the purpose of this study was to assess land-use/land-cover change in the Sierra Nevada ecoregion for the period 1973 t
    Authors
    Christian G. Raumann, Christopher E. Soulard
    By
    Western Geographic Science Center

    Land-Cover Trends of the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Land Cover Trends research project is focused on understanding the amounts, rates, trends, causes, and implications of contemporary land-use and land-cover (LU/LC) change in the United States. This project is supported by the USGS Geographic Analysis and Monitoring Program in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Aerona
    Authors
    Christopher E. Soulard
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