John A. Moody is a Scientist Emeritus Research Hydrologist with the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
I was born and raised in Colorado, and have a BA and MA in physics from the CU Boulder and SUNY at Stony Brook. In 1968, I studied Oceanography at MIT and WHOI. I taught Earth Sciences, Marine Biology and Oceanography on Cape Cod and worked as a Physical Oceanographer for the USGS doing environmental research on the Continental Shelf and in submarine canyons. I returned to Colorado in 1987 to coordinate a multidiscipline project studying sediment-transported pollutants in the Mississippi River, and to work on additional research that focuses on river geomorphology. A severe wildfire in Colorado and subsequent flooding in 1996 provided the opportunity to study the geomorphic response of burned watersheds.
Education
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 9/1968. Minor: various oceanography courses
- State University of New York, 1967-1968. Major: Physics. Degree: M. A. 6/1968
- University of Colorado, 1962-1967. Major: Physics. Degree: B.A. 6/1967
Professional Studies/Experience
- Research Hydrologist, GS-15, U.S. Geological Survey
- October 1996 TO: Present - PROJECT TITLE: Erosion and Deposition Studies - Wildfire and its consequences have become major problems after 100 years of fire suppression in the United States. Process-based research has been conducted in Colorado, New Mexico and California to understand the changes in the complex hydrologic processes caused by the heat from a wildfire and to improve the predictions of rainfall-runoff, erosion and sedimentation at a watershed scale.
- October 1995 TO: Present - PROJECT TITLE: Flood plain dynamics - River restoration, dam removal, and management have generated a need for understanding the physical processes of river flood plain growth and evolution. The focus is on the short-time scale process (days to decades) that dominate flood plain dynamics. The primary research location is in southeastern Montana on the Powder River.
- October 1987 TO: 1995 - PROJECT TITLE: Studies of Large Rivers - Studies of sediment transport of contaminants in large rivers such as the Mississippi River in the United States of America and the Ob’ River in Russia used the Lagrangian sampling method to collect samples of the same water mass as it flowed downstream. Using this method the evolution of the properties of these water masses could be determined.
- October 1978 TO: 1987 - PROJECT TITLE: Physical Oceanography of Continental Shelf and Slope - This work involved the measurement of the circulation pattern and suspended sediment transport on the eastern continental shelf ofNorth America and in the submarine canyons along the edge of the shelf.
Science and Products
Powder River: Data for Cross-Channel Profiles at 22 Sites in Southeastern Montana, 1975 through 2019
Hydrologic and Erosion Responses of Burned Watersheds
Sediment Deposition on Floodplains and Point Bars of Powder River in Southeastern Montana from 1979 through 2017
Thickness and characteristics of overbank sediment deposited during an extreme flood in May 1978 along Powder River, Montana
Soil-physical and soil-hydraulic properties as a function of burn severity for 2013, 2015, and 2017 in the area affected by the 2013 Black Forest Fire, Colorado USA
Channel Cross-section Data for Powder River between Moorhead and Broadus, Montana from 1975 to 2016
Eighteen years (1996-2014) of channel cross-sectional measurements made in Spring Creek after the 1996 Buffalo Creek wildfire and subsequent flood
Bathymetric map of Lydonia Canyon, U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf
The effects of discharge and bank orientation on the annual riverbank erosion along Powder River in Montana, USA
Post-fire temporal trends in soil-physical and -hydraulic properties and simulated runoff generation: Insights from different burn severities in the 2013 Black Forest Fire, CO, USA
Reconstruction of an extreme flood hydrograph and morphodynamics of a meander bend in a high-peak discharge variability river (Powder River, USA)
Parameter estimation for multiple post-wildfire hydrologic models
Sources of inherent infiltration variability in postwildfire soils
Dynamic relations for the deposition of sediment on floodplains and point bars of a freely-meandering river
Influence of extreme and annual floods on point-bar sedimentation: Inferences from Powder River, Montana, USA
Decadal changes in channel morphology of a freely meandering river—Powder River, Montana, 1975–2016
Description of chronostratigraphic units preserved as channel deposits and geomorphic processes following a basin-scale disturbance by a wildfire in Colorado
Residence times and alluvial architecture of a sediment superslug in response to different flow regimes
Synthesis of soil-hydraulic properties and infiltration timescales in wildfire-affected soils
Synthesising empirical results to improve predictions of post-wildfire runoff and erosion response
Science and Products
- Science
Powder River: Data for Cross-Channel Profiles at 22 Sites in Southeastern Montana, 1975 through 2019
Powder River rises in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming and flows northward through a semi-arid landscape in Wyoming and Montana to the Yellowstone River. The river drains an area of 34,700 square kilometers and has an average discharge of about 500 million cubic meters per year. Cross-channel profile data were collected at 22 sites on the river and its tributaries from 1975 through 2014.Hydrologic and Erosion Responses of Burned Watersheds
The enhanced probability of catastrophic wildfires has increased our need to understand the risk of floods, erosion, and debris and contaminant transport in burned watersheds. This project investigates the relation between rainfall intensity and peak discharge; erosion and deposition processes; and water-quality impacts to minimize the loss of life and property resulting from post-wildfire floods. - Data
Sediment Deposition on Floodplains and Point Bars of Powder River in Southeastern Montana from 1979 through 2017
This data release consist of the annual sediment depositional volume at five floodplain and five point bar sites on Powder River in southeastern Montana from 1979 through 2017. These 10 sites are a subgroup of a larger group of cross-sections established in 1975 and 1977 to monitor the channel changes along a 90-kilometer reach of Powder River. In addition to the sediment deposition data, characteThickness and characteristics of overbank sediment deposited during an extreme flood in May 1978 along Powder River, Montana
This data release consists of tables with the thickness and particle-size characteristics of overbank sediment deposited in May 1978 along the valley of Powder River in southeastern Montana. About 900 sediment samples were collected at regularly-spaced distances from 20 valley transects along a 90-kilometer reach of Powder River between Moorhead and Broadus, Montana. The decrease in sediment thickSoil-physical and soil-hydraulic properties as a function of burn severity for 2013, 2015, and 2017 in the area affected by the 2013 Black Forest Fire, Colorado USA
Wildfire can impact soil-physical and soil-hydraulic properties, with major implications for hydrologic and ecologic response. The durations of these soil impacts are poorly characterized for some forested environments. This dataset sheds light on the first four years of recovery of soil-physical properties of bulk density, loss on ignition (measure of soil organic matter), and soil particle sizeChannel Cross-section Data for Powder River between Moorhead and Broadus, Montana from 1975 to 2016
This data release consist of 34 channel cross sections of Powder River measured from 1975 through 2016 along a 90-kilometer reach from Moorhead to Broadus, Montana. Most channel cross sections were measured annually from 1975 through 1998 and then intermittently through 2016. In 1978, after all cross sections had been established, there was a extreme flood with an approximate 50-year recurrence inEighteen years (1996-2014) of channel cross-sectional measurements made in Spring Creek after the 1996 Buffalo Creek wildfire and subsequent flood
The consequence of a 1996 wildfire disturbance and a subsequent high-intensity summer convective rain storm (~100 mm h-1) was the deposition of a sediment superslug in the Spring Creek basin (26.8 km2) of the Front Range Mountains in Colorado. Changes in the superslug near the confluence of Spring Creek with the South Platte River were monitored by cross-section surveys at 19 nearly equally-space - Maps
Bathymetric map of Lydonia Canyon, U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf
Lydonia Canyon is one of several large submarine canyons that indent the eastern U.S. Continental Shelf along the southern flank of Georges Bank (Index map). This bathymetric map of the upper part of Lydonia Canyon (water depths shallower than about 2,00 m) was prepared as part of a study of the physical oceanography and geology of Lydonia Canyon (Butman and others, 1983; Twichell, 1983). An acc - Publications
Filter Total Items: 43
The effects of discharge and bank orientation on the annual riverbank erosion along Powder River in Montana, USA
Annual bank erosion was measured at multiple cross sections along the free-flowing meandering Powder River in the western United States from 1979 through 2019. Bank erosion was separated into two components—above water and underwater erosion. Above water erosion was measured as the annual bank retreat rate (0–15.4 m y−1). Underwater erosion rate (0–47 m3 m−1 y−1) was calculated as the volume erodeAuthorsJohn A. MoodyPost-fire temporal trends in soil-physical and -hydraulic properties and simulated runoff generation: Insights from different burn severities in the 2013 Black Forest Fire, CO, USA
Burn severity influences on post-fire recovery of soil-hydraulic properties controlling runoff generation are poorly understood despite the importance for parameterizing infiltration models. We measured soil-hydraulic properties of field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs), sorptivity (S), and wetting front potential (ψf) for four years after the 2013 Black Forest Fire, Colorado, USA at six sitAuthorsBrian A. Ebel, John A. Moody, Deborah A. MartinReconstruction of an extreme flood hydrograph and morphodynamics of a meander bend in a high-peak discharge variability river (Powder River, USA)
Understanding of morphodynamic processes associated with large-scale floods has recently improved following significant advances of modern technologies. Nevertheless, a clear link between flood discharge and in-channel sedimentation processes remains to be resolved. The hydrological and geomorphological data available for the meandering Powder River (Montana, USA) since 1977 makes it a perfect labAuthorsMassimiliano Ghinassi, John A. MoodyParameter estimation for multiple post-wildfire hydrologic models
Predictions of post‐wildfire flooding and debris flows are needed, typically with short lead times. Measurements of soil‐hydraulic properties necessary for model parameterization are, however, seldom available. This study quantified soil‐hydraulic properties, soil‐water retention, and selected soil physical properties within the perimeter of the 2017 Thomas Fire in California. The Thomas Fire burnAuthorsBrian A. Ebel, John A. MoodySources of inherent infiltration variability in postwildfire soils
An automated disc infiltrometer was developed to improve the measurements of soil hydraulic properties (saturated hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity) of soils affected by wildfire. Guidelines are given for interpreting curves showing cumulative infiltration as a function of time measured by the autodisc. The autodisc was used to measure the variability of these soil hydraulic properties in threAuthorsJohn A. Moody, Richard G. Martin, Brian A. EbelDynamic relations for the deposition of sediment on floodplains and point bars of a freely-meandering river
Fluvial features such as floodplains and point bars are built by sediment deposition and sculpted by erosion. Long-term measurements (38 yr) of the cross-section topography of active floodplains and point bars along the freely-meandering Powder River in southeastern Montana, USA (mean daily discharge of 12.5 m3 s−1), were used to develop dynamic relations between annual sediment deposition and peaAuthorsJohn A. MoodyInfluence of extreme and annual floods on point-bar sedimentation: Inferences from Powder River, Montana, USA
Effects of discharge variability on point-bar sedimentation are not well documented, although resulting changes in flow patterns are well known. This paper focuses on a meander of Powder River in Montana (USA). In May 1978, Powder River had a 50-year recurrence flood, which caused outer bank retreat of ∼70 m. This bank continued to retreat over ∼40 m in response to annual floods between 1979 and 2AuthorsM. Ghinasse, John A. Moody, Deborah A. MartinDecadal changes in channel morphology of a freely meandering river—Powder River, Montana, 1975–2016
Few studies exist on the long-term geomorphic effects of floods. However, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was able to begin such a study after a 50-year recurrence interval flood in 1978 because 20 channel cross sections along a 100-kilometer reach of river were established in 1975 and 1977 as part of a study for a proposed dam on Powder River in southeastern Montana. These cross-section measureAuthorsJohn A. Moody, Robert H. MeadeDescription of chronostratigraphic units preserved as channel deposits and geomorphic processes following a basin-scale disturbance by a wildfire in Colorado
The consequence of a 1996 wildfire disturbance and a subsequent high-intensity summer convective rain storm (about 110 millimeters per hour) was the deposition of a sediment superslug in the Spring Creek basin (26.8 square kilometers) of the Front Range Mountains in Colorado. Spring Creek is a tributary to the South Platte River upstream from Strontia Springs Reservoir, which supplies domestic watAuthorsJohn A. Moody, Deborah A. MartinResidence times and alluvial architecture of a sediment superslug in response to different flow regimes
A superslug was deposited in a basin in the Colorado Front Range Mountains as a consequence of an extreme flood following a wildfire disturbance in 1996. The subsequent evolution of this superslug was measured by repeat topographic surveys (31 surveys from 1996 through 2014) of 18 cross sections approximately uniformly spaced over 1500 m immediately above the basin outlet. These surveys allowed thAuthorsJohn A. MoodySynthesis of soil-hydraulic properties and infiltration timescales in wildfire-affected soils
We collected soil-hydraulic property data from the literature for wildfire-affected soils, ash, and unburned soils. These data were used to calculate metrics and timescales of hydrologic response related to infiltration and surface runoff generation. Sorptivity (S) and wetting front potential (Ψf) were significantly different (lower) in burned soils compared with unburned soils, whereas field-satuAuthorsBrian A. Ebel, John A. MoodySynthesising empirical results to improve predictions of post-wildfire runoff and erosion response
Advances in research into wildfire impacts on runoff and erosion have demonstrated increasing complexity of controlling factors and responses, which, combined with changing fire frequency, present challenges for modellers. We convened a conference attended by experts and practitioners in post-wildfire impacts, meteorology and related research, including modelling, to focus on priority research issAuthorsRichard A. Shakesby, John A. Moody, Deborah A. Martin, Peter R. Robichaud