David J Topping
My research is focused on sediment transport and sedimentology, and the physics linking sediment transport, sediment grain size, and channel morphology in rivers. Much of my work over the past decade has been on developing new methods for making continuous measurements of suspended-sediment transport and grain size in rivers.
Biography
I received my Bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999, my Master's degree from the University of Washington in 1991, and my doctorate from the University of Washington in 1997. I have authored or co-authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications in the scientific literature that have received over 1300 citations. I began my career with the USGS in 1993 in the National Research Program of the Water Mission Area and, in 2007, moved my research project to the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center in the Southwest Biological Science Center.
Science and Products
River Sediment Dynamics
Sediment controls the physical habitat of river ecosystems. Changes in the amount and areal distribution of different sediment types cause changes in river-channel form and river habitat. The amount and type of sediment suspended in the water column determines water clarity. Understanding sediment transport and the conditions under which sediment is deposited or eroded from the various...