Samuel H Austin
Hydrologist, USGS Virginia Water Science Center
Biography
Duke University School of the Environment, MF, Forestry; Warren Wilson College, BA, Environmental Science
Areas of interest: Surface water hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, environmental and economic analytics, forest management, forecasting, scenario analysis. Evaluating management decisions, trends, time-series, economic and financial questions, supply-chain dynamics, logistics, impulse-response problems.
Special skills: System dynamics modeling, developing project specific analytical tools, custom design of sampling experiments, characterizing statistical variation and relations, determining probable outcomes, testing data for trends, evaluating large and small datasets, reconditioning data.
Methods applied: Discrete and dynamic modeling and simulation. Evaluation of processes, decision interactions, and outcomes that include identifying system structure and simulating endogenous feedback. Interpreting, and characterizing large datasets using innovative statistical methods.
Fields of endeavor: Forest land-use and carbon metrics, surface water flows, hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, processes that include humans and ecosystems.
Areas of special knowledge: forest hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, watershed analysis, forest ecosystem dynamics, open channel flow, suspended and bed sediments, particle shear stress, critical shear velocities, stream classification and evaluation, production-distribution and control systems, management decision-making, biogeochemical cycling and feedback in natural systems.
Examples illustrating the educational potential of interactive simulation tools are found here: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5626-023X
- Darcy's Law
- Urban Runoff
- Sediment Motion
Science and Products
Freshwater Flow into Chesapeake Bay
Explore resources here describing estimates of freshwater flow entering Chesapeake Bay.
The health of the Chesapeake Bay is greatly affected by freshwater flow from rivers draining its watershed. The amount of freshwater flow (also called streamflow) will:
• Change salinity levels in the Bay, which affect oysters, crabs, and finfish.
• Influence the...
Chesapeake Bay Estimated Streamflow: METHODS
Methods for Estimating Streamflow to Chesapeake Bay
The following is a description of how data presented on the website "Chesapeake Bay Estimated Streamflow" are computed.
Essentially, the methodology was published more than 51 years ago, and has been adapted for use in modern automated computing systems....
Modeling summer month hydrological drought probabilities in the United States using antecedent flow conditions
Climate change raises concern that risks of hydrological drought may be increasing. We estimate hydrological drought probabilities for rivers and streams in the United States (U.S.) using maximum likelihood logistic regression (MLLR). Streamflow data from winter months are used to estimate the chance of hydrological drought during summer months. Daily streamflow data collected from 9,144...
Contact the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
For more information and data, contact the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center:
USGS-VDOT Bridge Scour Pilot Study
Cost effective and safe highway bridge designs are required to ensure the long-term sustainability of Virginia’s road systems. The water flows that, over time, scour streambed sediments from bridge piers inherently affect bridge safety and design costs. To ensure safety, bridge designs must anticipate streambed scour at bridge piers over the lifespan of a bridge. Until recently Federal Highway...
Estimating Drought Streamflow Probabilities for Virginia Streams
Planning for drought conditions in Virginia streams is essential to the sound management of water resources and associated riparian and watershed ecosystems. Reliable estimations of the likelihood that stream flows during drought-prone months will exceed specific low-flow thresholds can provide advance warning of drought conditions, allowing extended lead times for improved drought awareness...
Estimating Peak Streamflow Per Square Mile in Virginia’s Urban Basins
Models are presented that describe Virginia urban area annual peak streamflow per square mile based on basin percent urban area and basin drainage area.
Peak-Flow Characteristics of Virginia Streams
Economic growth, and the development, management, and protection of Virginia’s natural resources require anticipating peak stream flows and changes in peak stream flows over time. Extensive hydraulic analysis and smart design are needed to limit the environmental impacts of buildings, pavements, highways, and bridges. Effective design and placement of structures built near streams and on flood...
Forecasting drought probabilities for streams in the northeastern United States
Maximum likelihood logistic regression (MLLR) models for the northeastern United States forecast drought probability estimates for water flowing in rivers and streams using methods previously identified and developed. Streamflow data from winter months are used to estimate chances of hydrological drought during summer months. Daily streamflow data...
Austin, Samuel H.
Drought forecasting for streams and groundwaters in northeastern United States
BackgroundWhen rainfall is lower than normal over an extended period, streamflows decline, groundwater levels fall, and hydrological drought can occur. Droughts can reduce the water available for societal needs, such as public and private drinking-water supplies, farming, and industry, and for ecological health, such as maintenance of water...
Austin, Samuel H.; Dudley, Robert W.
U.S. Geological Survey - Virginia Department of Transportation: Bridge scour pilot study
BackgroundCost effective and safe highway bridge designs are required to ensure the long-term sustainability of Virginia’s road systems. The streamflows that, over time, scour streambed sediments from bridge piers inherently affect bridge safety and design costs. To ensure safety, bridge design must anticipate streambed scour at bridge piers over...
Austin, Samuel H.
Variability of hydrological droughts in the conterminous United States, 1951 through 2014
Spatial and temporal variability in the frequency, duration, and severity of hydrological droughts across the conterminous United States (CONUS) was examined using monthly mean streamflow measured at 872 sites from 1951 through 2014. Hydrological drought is identified as starting when streamflow falls below the 20th percentile streamflow value for...
Austin, Samuel H.; Wolock, David M.; Nelms, David L.
Characteristics of peak streamflows and extent of inundation in areas of West Virginia and southwestern Virginia affected by flooding, June 2016
Heavy rainfall occurred across central and southern WestVirginia in June 2016 as a result of repeated rounds of torrentialthunderstorms. The storms caused major flooding and flashflooding in central and southern West Virginia with Kanawha,Fayette, Nicholas, and Greenbrier Counties among the hardesthit. Over the duration of the storms, from 8 to 9....
Austin, Samuel H.; Watson, Kara M.; Lotspeich, R. Russell; Cauller, Stephen J.; White , Jeremy S.; Wicklein, Shaun M.
Modeling summer month hydrological drought probabilities in the United States using antecedent flow conditions
Climate change raises concern that risks of hydrological drought may be increasing. We estimate hydrological drought probabilities for rivers and streams in the United States (U.S.) using maximum likelihood logistic regression (MLLR). Streamflow data from winter months are used to estimate the chance of hydrological drought during summer months....
Austin, Samuel H.; Nelms, David L. Variability of runoff-based drought conditions in the conterminous United States
In this study, a monthly water-balance model is used to simulate monthly runoff for 2109 hydrologic units (HUs) in the conterminous United States (CONUS) for water-years 1901 through 2014. The monthly runoff time series for each HU were smoothed with a 3-month moving average, and then the 3-month moving-average runoff values were converted to...
McCabe, Gregory J.; Wolock, David M.; Austin, Samuel H.
Methods for estimating drought streamflow probabilities for Virginia streams
Maximum likelihood logistic regression model equations used to estimate drought flow probabilities for Virginia streams are presented for 259 hydrologic basins in Virginia. Winter streamflows were used to estimate the likelihood of streamflows during the subsequent drought-prone summer months. The maximum likelihood logistic regression models...
Austin, Samuel H.
Methods and equations for estimating peak streamflow per square mile in Virginia’s urban basins
Models are presented that describe Virginia urban area annual peak streamflow per square mile based on basin percent urban area and basin drainage area. Equations are provided to estimate Virginia urban peak flow per square mile of basin drainage area in each of the following annual exceedance probability categories: 0.995, 0.99, 0.95, 0.9, 0.8, 0...
Austin, Samuel H.
Low-flow characteristics of Virginia streams
Low-flow annual non-exceedance probabilities (ANEP), called probability-percent chance (P-percent chance) flow estimates, regional regression equations, and transfer methods are provided describing the low-flow characteristics of Virginia streams. Statistical methods are used to evaluate streamflow data. Analysis of Virginia streamflow data...
Austin, Samuel H.; Krstolic, Jennifer L.; Wiegand, Ute
Peak-flow characteristics of Virginia streams
Peak-flow annual exceedance probabilities, also called probability-percent chance flow estimates, and regional regression equations are provided describing the peak-flow characteristics of Virginia streams. Statistical methods are used to evaluate peak-flow data. Analysis of Virginia peak-flow data collected from 1895 through 2007 is summarized....
Austin, Samuel H.; Krstolic, Jennifer L.; Wiegand, Ute
Annual Maximum Stages and Discharges of Selected Streams in Virginia through 2007
Annual maximum stages and discharges for continuous-record and partial-record streamflow-gaging stations in Virginia are summarized through the 2007 water year. Data are included for over 500 active and discontinued streamflow-gaging stations operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and other...
Austin, Samuel H.; Wiegand, Ute