Sheila Murphy
Sheila Murphy is a Research Hydrologist for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Sheila Murphy is a hydrologist who works on assessing and predicting how disturbances (such as wildfire and floods) affect water availability. In 2023 Sheila received a Superior Service Award from the Department of the Interior for making fundamental advancements in understanding the effects that wildfire can have on water supplies.
Science and Products
Diel and synoptic sampling data from Boulder Creek and South Boulder Creek, near Boulder, Colorado, September–October 2019 Diel and synoptic sampling data from Boulder Creek and South Boulder Creek, near Boulder, Colorado, September–October 2019
Multiple sampling campaigns were conducted near Boulder, Colorado, to quantify constituent concentrations and loads in Boulder Creek and its tributary, South Boulder Creek. Diel sampling was initiated at approximately 1100 hours on September 17, 2019, and continued until approximately 2300 hours on September 18, 2019. During this time period, samples were collected at two locations on...
Temperature, relative humidity and cloud immersion data for Luquillo Mountains, eastern Puerto Rico, 2014-2019 Temperature, relative humidity and cloud immersion data for Luquillo Mountains, eastern Puerto Rico, 2014-2019
Supplementary data for studies conducted in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF), eastern Puerto Rico include measurements of temperature, relative humidity and cloud immersion at 30-minute resolution. Temperature and relative humidity were measured at five sites; two primary sites have records from March 2014 to June 2019; other sites have shorter records within that period. From...
Chemistry of water, stream sediment, wildfire ash, soil, dust, and mine waste for Fourmile Creek Watershed, Colorado, 2010-2019 Chemistry of water, stream sediment, wildfire ash, soil, dust, and mine waste for Fourmile Creek Watershed, Colorado, 2010-2019
In response to the 2010 Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder, Colorado, the U.S. Geological Survey collected data to support investigations into the magnitude and critical drivers of water-quality impairment after wildfire. We analyzed chemistry of stream water, sediment, wildfire ash, soil, dust, and mine waste for metals and other parameters in order to evaluate the effects of legacy...
Geospatial data for Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico: Mean annual precipitation, elevation, watershed outlines, and rain gage locations Geospatial data for Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico: Mean annual precipitation, elevation, watershed outlines, and rain gage locations
These geospatial data sets were developed as part of a new analysis of all known current and historical rain gages in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico published in the journal article Murphy, S.F., Stallard, R.F., Scholl, M.A., Gonzalez, G., and Torres-Sanchez, A.J., 2017, Reassessing rainfall in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico: Local and global ecohydrological implications: PLOS...
Filter Total Items: 60
Intersection of wildfire and legacy mining poses risk to water quality Intersection of wildfire and legacy mining poses risk to water quality
Mining and wildfires are both landscape disturbances that pose elevated and substantial hazards to water supplies and ecosystems due to increased erosion and transport of sediment, metals, and debris to downstream waters. The risk to water supplies may be amplified when these disturbances occur in the same watershed. This work describes mechanisms by which the intersection of mining and...
Authors
Sheila F. Murphy, Johanna Blake, Brian A. Ebel, Deborah A. Martin
Dynamic water-quality responses to wildfire in Colorado Dynamic water-quality responses to wildfire in Colorado
In 2020, Colorado experienced the most severe wildfire season in recorded history, with wildfires burning 625 357 acres across the state. Two of the largest fires burned parts of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), and a study was initiated to address concerns about potential effects on drinking water quality from mobilization of ash and sediment. The study took advantage of a wealth of...
Authors
David W. Clow, Garrett Alexander Akie, Sheila F. Murphy, Evan J. Gohring
Opportunities and challenges for precipitation forcing data in post-wildfire hydrologic modeling applications Opportunities and challenges for precipitation forcing data in post-wildfire hydrologic modeling applications
The frequency and extent of wildfires have increased in recent decades with immediate and cascading effects on water availability in many regions of the world. Precipitation is used as primary input to hydrologic models and is a critical driver of post-wildfire hydrologic hazards including debris flows, flash floods, water-quality effects, and reservoir sedimentation. These models are...
Authors
Trevor Fuess Partridge, Zachary Johnson, Rachel Sleeter, Sharon L. Qi, Michelle A. Walvoord, Sheila F. Murphy, Cara L. Peterman-Phipps, Brian A. Ebel
Urbanization and water management control stream water quality along a mountain to plains transition Urbanization and water management control stream water quality along a mountain to plains transition
Urbanization can have substantial effects on water quality due to altered hydrology and introduction of constituents to water bodies. In arid and semi-arid environments, streams are further stressed by dewatering as a result of diversions. We conducted a high-resolution synoptic survey of two streams in Colorado, USA that transition abruptly from granitic/metamorphic forested mountains...
Authors
Sheila F. Murphy, Robert L. Runkel, Edward G. Stets, Alex J Nolan, Deborah A. Repert
Prolonged drought in a northern California coastal region suppresses wildfire impacts on hydrology Prolonged drought in a northern California coastal region suppresses wildfire impacts on hydrology
Wildfires naturally occur in many landscapes, however they are undergoing rapid regime shifts. Despite the emphasis in the literature on the most severe hydrological responses to wildfire, there remains a knowledge gap on the thresholds of wildfire (i.e. burned area/drainage area ratio, BAR) required to initiate hydrological responses. We investigated hydrological changes in the Russian...
Authors
Michelle E. Newcomer, Jennifer C. Underwood, Sheila F. Murphy, Craig Ulrich, Todd Schram, Stephen R. Maples, Jasquelin Pena, Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn, Marcus Trotta, Jay Jasperse, Donald Seymour, Susan S. Hubbard
Chemical characteristics of wildfire ash across the globe and their environmental and socio-economic implications Chemical characteristics of wildfire ash across the globe and their environmental and socio-economic implications
The mobilisation of potentially harmful chemical constituents in wildfire ash can be a major consequence of wildfires, posing widespread societal risks. Knowledge of wildfire ash chemical composition is crucial to anticipate and mitigate these risks. Here we present a comprehensive dataset on the chemical characteristics of a wide range of wildfire ashes (42 types and a total of 148...
Authors
Carmen Sanchez-Garcia, Cristina Santín, Jonay Neris, Gabriel Sigmund, Xose Lois Otero, Joella Manley, Gil Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Claire Belcher, Artemi Cerdá, Abbey L Marcotte, Sheila F. Murphy, Charles Rhoades, Gary J. Sheridan, Tercia Strydom, Peter R. Robichaud, Stefan H. Doerr
Science and Products
Diel and synoptic sampling data from Boulder Creek and South Boulder Creek, near Boulder, Colorado, September–October 2019 Diel and synoptic sampling data from Boulder Creek and South Boulder Creek, near Boulder, Colorado, September–October 2019
Multiple sampling campaigns were conducted near Boulder, Colorado, to quantify constituent concentrations and loads in Boulder Creek and its tributary, South Boulder Creek. Diel sampling was initiated at approximately 1100 hours on September 17, 2019, and continued until approximately 2300 hours on September 18, 2019. During this time period, samples were collected at two locations on...
Temperature, relative humidity and cloud immersion data for Luquillo Mountains, eastern Puerto Rico, 2014-2019 Temperature, relative humidity and cloud immersion data for Luquillo Mountains, eastern Puerto Rico, 2014-2019
Supplementary data for studies conducted in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF), eastern Puerto Rico include measurements of temperature, relative humidity and cloud immersion at 30-minute resolution. Temperature and relative humidity were measured at five sites; two primary sites have records from March 2014 to June 2019; other sites have shorter records within that period. From...
Chemistry of water, stream sediment, wildfire ash, soil, dust, and mine waste for Fourmile Creek Watershed, Colorado, 2010-2019 Chemistry of water, stream sediment, wildfire ash, soil, dust, and mine waste for Fourmile Creek Watershed, Colorado, 2010-2019
In response to the 2010 Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder, Colorado, the U.S. Geological Survey collected data to support investigations into the magnitude and critical drivers of water-quality impairment after wildfire. We analyzed chemistry of stream water, sediment, wildfire ash, soil, dust, and mine waste for metals and other parameters in order to evaluate the effects of legacy...
Geospatial data for Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico: Mean annual precipitation, elevation, watershed outlines, and rain gage locations Geospatial data for Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico: Mean annual precipitation, elevation, watershed outlines, and rain gage locations
These geospatial data sets were developed as part of a new analysis of all known current and historical rain gages in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico published in the journal article Murphy, S.F., Stallard, R.F., Scholl, M.A., Gonzalez, G., and Torres-Sanchez, A.J., 2017, Reassessing rainfall in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico: Local and global ecohydrological implications: PLOS...
Filter Total Items: 60
Intersection of wildfire and legacy mining poses risk to water quality Intersection of wildfire and legacy mining poses risk to water quality
Mining and wildfires are both landscape disturbances that pose elevated and substantial hazards to water supplies and ecosystems due to increased erosion and transport of sediment, metals, and debris to downstream waters. The risk to water supplies may be amplified when these disturbances occur in the same watershed. This work describes mechanisms by which the intersection of mining and...
Authors
Sheila F. Murphy, Johanna Blake, Brian A. Ebel, Deborah A. Martin
Dynamic water-quality responses to wildfire in Colorado Dynamic water-quality responses to wildfire in Colorado
In 2020, Colorado experienced the most severe wildfire season in recorded history, with wildfires burning 625 357 acres across the state. Two of the largest fires burned parts of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), and a study was initiated to address concerns about potential effects on drinking water quality from mobilization of ash and sediment. The study took advantage of a wealth of...
Authors
David W. Clow, Garrett Alexander Akie, Sheila F. Murphy, Evan J. Gohring
Opportunities and challenges for precipitation forcing data in post-wildfire hydrologic modeling applications Opportunities and challenges for precipitation forcing data in post-wildfire hydrologic modeling applications
The frequency and extent of wildfires have increased in recent decades with immediate and cascading effects on water availability in many regions of the world. Precipitation is used as primary input to hydrologic models and is a critical driver of post-wildfire hydrologic hazards including debris flows, flash floods, water-quality effects, and reservoir sedimentation. These models are...
Authors
Trevor Fuess Partridge, Zachary Johnson, Rachel Sleeter, Sharon L. Qi, Michelle A. Walvoord, Sheila F. Murphy, Cara L. Peterman-Phipps, Brian A. Ebel
Urbanization and water management control stream water quality along a mountain to plains transition Urbanization and water management control stream water quality along a mountain to plains transition
Urbanization can have substantial effects on water quality due to altered hydrology and introduction of constituents to water bodies. In arid and semi-arid environments, streams are further stressed by dewatering as a result of diversions. We conducted a high-resolution synoptic survey of two streams in Colorado, USA that transition abruptly from granitic/metamorphic forested mountains...
Authors
Sheila F. Murphy, Robert L. Runkel, Edward G. Stets, Alex J Nolan, Deborah A. Repert
Prolonged drought in a northern California coastal region suppresses wildfire impacts on hydrology Prolonged drought in a northern California coastal region suppresses wildfire impacts on hydrology
Wildfires naturally occur in many landscapes, however they are undergoing rapid regime shifts. Despite the emphasis in the literature on the most severe hydrological responses to wildfire, there remains a knowledge gap on the thresholds of wildfire (i.e. burned area/drainage area ratio, BAR) required to initiate hydrological responses. We investigated hydrological changes in the Russian...
Authors
Michelle E. Newcomer, Jennifer C. Underwood, Sheila F. Murphy, Craig Ulrich, Todd Schram, Stephen R. Maples, Jasquelin Pena, Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn, Marcus Trotta, Jay Jasperse, Donald Seymour, Susan S. Hubbard
Chemical characteristics of wildfire ash across the globe and their environmental and socio-economic implications Chemical characteristics of wildfire ash across the globe and their environmental and socio-economic implications
The mobilisation of potentially harmful chemical constituents in wildfire ash can be a major consequence of wildfires, posing widespread societal risks. Knowledge of wildfire ash chemical composition is crucial to anticipate and mitigate these risks. Here we present a comprehensive dataset on the chemical characteristics of a wide range of wildfire ashes (42 types and a total of 148...
Authors
Carmen Sanchez-Garcia, Cristina Santín, Jonay Neris, Gabriel Sigmund, Xose Lois Otero, Joella Manley, Gil Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Claire Belcher, Artemi Cerdá, Abbey L Marcotte, Sheila F. Murphy, Charles Rhoades, Gary J. Sheridan, Tercia Strydom, Peter R. Robichaud, Stefan H. Doerr