Michael R McHale
Biography
I began working for the U.S. Geological Survey in 1997. One of my primary research interests is long-term monitoring and trend analyses. This research involves collecting and analyzing long-term monitoring data to determine the effects of climate and land use change on water quality, water quantity and soil chemistry in minimally disturbed watersheds across the United States. I also conduct watershed research in the Catskill Mountains of New York which is the primary source of drinking water for New York City. My work in the Catskills during the last 2 decades has included the effects of agricultural best management practices on stream water quality, nutrient cycling, and sediment transport. Recently I have become involved in evaluating the effectiveness of green infrastructure in Buffalo, NY as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Education
- Ph.D., 1999, State University of New York, College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, Major: Forest Hydrology, Areas of Study: Biogeochemistry, Hydrology
- B.S., 1992, State University of New York at Cortland, Cortland, NY Major: Geology
Science and Products
A whole ecosystem approach to studying climate change in interior Alaska
Yukon River Basin Principal Investigators Workshop; Portland, Oregon, 18-20 January 2011; High latitudes are known to be particularly susceptible to climate warming, leading to an emphasis of field and modeling research on arctic regions. Subarctic and boreal regions such as the Yukon River Basin (YRB) of interior Alaska and western Canada are...
Riggins, Susan; Striegl, Robert G.; McHale, MichaelU.S. Geological Survey Catskill/Delaware Water-Quality Network: Water-Quality Report Water Year 2006
The U.S. Geological Survey operates a 60-station streamgaging network in the New York City Catskill/Delaware Water Supply System. Water-quality samples were collected at 13 of the stations in the Catskill/Delaware streamgaging network to provide resource managers with water-quality and water-quantity data from the water-supply system that supplies...
McHale, Michael R.; Siemion, JasonQuality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2005 through June 2007
The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were...
Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.Quality-assurance data for routine water analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2003 through June 2005
The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were...
Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.Quality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2001 Through June 2003
The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were...
Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.Effects of Forest Harvesting on Ecosystem Health in the Headwaters of the New York City Water Supply, Catskill Mountains, New York
The effects of forest clearcutting and selective harvesting on forest soils, soil and stream water chemistry, forest regrowth, and aquatic communities were studied in four small headwater catchments. This research was conducted to identify the sensitivity of forested ecosystems to forest disturbance in the northeastern United States. The study...
McHale, Michael R.; Murdoch, Peter; Burns, Douglas A.; Baldigo, Barry P.Factors controlling nitrogen release from two forested catchments with contrasting hydrochemical responses
Quantifying biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen (N) and the associated fluxes to surface waters remains challenging, given the need to deal with spatial and temporal variability and to characterize complex and heterogeneous landscapes. We focused our study on catchments S14 and S15 located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, USA, which have...
Christopher, S.F.; Mitchell, M.J.; McHale, Michael; Boyer, E.W.; Burns, Douglas A.; Kendall, C.Phosphorus Concentrations in Stream-Water and Reference Samples - An Assessment of Laboratory Comparability
In 2003, a study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy and precision of 10 laboratories that analyze water-quality samples for phosphorus concentrations in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State. Many environmental studies in this region rely on data from these different laboratories for water-quality analyses, and the data may be used in...
McHale, Michael R.; McChesney, DennisFactors controlling soil water and stream water aluminum concentrations after a clearcut in a forested watershed with calcium-poor soils
The 24 ha Dry Creek watershed in the Catskill Mountains of southeastern New York State USA was clearcut during the winter of 1996-1997. The interactions among acidity, nitrate (NO3- ), aluminum (Al), and calcium (Ca2+) in streamwater, soil water, and groundwater were evaluated to determine how they affected the speciation, solubility, and...
McHale, M.R.; Burns, Douglas A.; Lawrence, G.B.; Murdoch, Peter S.Recent climate trends and implications for water resources in the Catskill Mountain region, New York, USA
Climate scientists have concluded that the earth’s surface air temperature warmed by 0.6 °C during the 20th century, and that warming induced by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases is likely to continue in the 21st century, accompanied by changes in the hydrologic cycle. Climate change has important implications in the...
Burns, Douglas A.; Klaus, Julian; McHale, Michael R.Quality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York--July 1999 through June 2001
The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were...
Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.Quality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York-July 1997 through June 1999
The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were...
Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.