Tami S Christianson
My work involves hydrologic monitoring associated with volcanic hazards and sediment analyses from samples collected nationwide by water science centers for concentration and particle size.
I am the acting Lab Chief for the Cascades Volcano Observatory Sediment Laboratory. I oversee the processing of sediment sample analyses from 18 different states (including Alaska and Hawaii) across the country for several different USGS groups and cooperators. These data are for research projects and public data on sediment in streams.
My hydrologic monitoring work focuses on groundwater wells, lakes and streams around Mount St Helens. I am involved with maintaining and updating a cross-section database showing year of changes in drainages affected by the 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens.
Professional Experience
Hydrologic Technician: (2013 – present), U.S. Geological Survey, Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, WA
Hydrologic Technician, student intern: (2008-2013), U.S. Geological Survey, Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, WA
Volunteer work: Worked with GeoGirls program held by Mount St. Helens Institute
Education and Certifications
B.A. Geology (2013), Portland State University, Portland, OR
B.A. Elementary Education (1987), Dickinson State University, Dickinson, ND
Science and Products
A 40-year story of river sediment at Mount St. Helens A 40-year story of river sediment at Mount St. Helens
The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State unleashed one of the largest debris avalanches (landslide) in recorded history. The debris avalanche deposited 3.3 billion cubic yards of material into the upper North Fork Toutle River watershed and obstructed the Columbia River shipping channel downstream. From the eruption on May 18, 1980, to September 30, 2018, the Toutle...
Authors
Mark Uhrich, Kurt Spicer, Adam Mosbrucker, Dennis Saunders, Tami Christianson
Multidecadal geomorphic evolution of a profoundly disturbed gravel-bed river system—a complex, nonlinear response and its impact on sediment delivery Multidecadal geomorphic evolution of a profoundly disturbed gravel-bed river system—a complex, nonlinear response and its impact on sediment delivery
A 2.5-km3 debris avalanche during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens reset the fluvial landscape of upper North Fork Toutle River valley. Since then, a new drainage network has formed and evolved. Cross-section surveys repeated over nearly 40 years at 16 locations along a 20-km reach of river valley document channel evolution, geomorphic processes, and their impacts on sediment...
Authors
Jon Major, Shan Zheng, Adam Mosbrucker, Kurt Spicer, Tami Christianson, Colin Thorne
Digital database of channel cross-section surveys, Mount St. Helens, Washington Digital database of channel cross-section surveys, Mount St. Helens, Washington
Stream-channel cross-section survey data are a fundamental component to studies of fluvial geomorphology. Such data provide important parameters required by many open-channel flow models, sediment-transport equations, sediment-budget computations, and flood-hazard assessments. At Mount St. Helens, Washington, the long-term response of channels to the May 18, 1980, eruption, which...
Authors
Adam R. Mosbrucker, Kurt Spicer, Jon Major, Dennis R. Saunders, Tami Christianson, Cole Kingsbury
Evaluating turbidity and suspended-sediment concentration relations from the North Fork Toutle River basin near Mount St. Helens, Washington; annual, seasonal, event, and particle size variations - a preliminary analysis. Evaluating turbidity and suspended-sediment concentration relations from the North Fork Toutle River basin near Mount St. Helens, Washington; annual, seasonal, event, and particle size variations - a preliminary analysis.
Regression of in-stream turbidity with concurrent sample-based suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) has become an accepted method for producing unit-value time series of inferred SSC (Rasmussen et al., 2009). Turbidity-SSC regression models are increasingly used to generate suspended-sediment records for Pacific Northwest rivers (e.g., Curran et al., 2014; Schenk and Bragg, 2014...
Authors
Mark Uhrich, Kurt Spicer, Adam Mosbrucker, Tami Christianson
Estimating concentrations of fine-grained and total suspended sediment from close-range remote sensing imagery Estimating concentrations of fine-grained and total suspended sediment from close-range remote sensing imagery
Fluvial sediment, a vital surface water resource, is hazardous in excess. Suspended sediment, the most prevalent source of impairment of river systems, can adversely affect flood control, navigation, fisheries and aquatic ecosystems, recreation, and water supply (e.g., Rasmussen et al., 2009; Qu, 2014). Monitoring programs typically focus on suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) and...
Authors
Adam Mosbrucker, Kurt Spicer, Tami Christianson, Mark Uhrich
Science and Products
A 40-year story of river sediment at Mount St. Helens A 40-year story of river sediment at Mount St. Helens
The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State unleashed one of the largest debris avalanches (landslide) in recorded history. The debris avalanche deposited 3.3 billion cubic yards of material into the upper North Fork Toutle River watershed and obstructed the Columbia River shipping channel downstream. From the eruption on May 18, 1980, to September 30, 2018, the Toutle...
Authors
Mark Uhrich, Kurt Spicer, Adam Mosbrucker, Dennis Saunders, Tami Christianson
Multidecadal geomorphic evolution of a profoundly disturbed gravel-bed river system—a complex, nonlinear response and its impact on sediment delivery Multidecadal geomorphic evolution of a profoundly disturbed gravel-bed river system—a complex, nonlinear response and its impact on sediment delivery
A 2.5-km3 debris avalanche during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens reset the fluvial landscape of upper North Fork Toutle River valley. Since then, a new drainage network has formed and evolved. Cross-section surveys repeated over nearly 40 years at 16 locations along a 20-km reach of river valley document channel evolution, geomorphic processes, and their impacts on sediment...
Authors
Jon Major, Shan Zheng, Adam Mosbrucker, Kurt Spicer, Tami Christianson, Colin Thorne
Digital database of channel cross-section surveys, Mount St. Helens, Washington Digital database of channel cross-section surveys, Mount St. Helens, Washington
Stream-channel cross-section survey data are a fundamental component to studies of fluvial geomorphology. Such data provide important parameters required by many open-channel flow models, sediment-transport equations, sediment-budget computations, and flood-hazard assessments. At Mount St. Helens, Washington, the long-term response of channels to the May 18, 1980, eruption, which...
Authors
Adam R. Mosbrucker, Kurt Spicer, Jon Major, Dennis R. Saunders, Tami Christianson, Cole Kingsbury
Evaluating turbidity and suspended-sediment concentration relations from the North Fork Toutle River basin near Mount St. Helens, Washington; annual, seasonal, event, and particle size variations - a preliminary analysis. Evaluating turbidity and suspended-sediment concentration relations from the North Fork Toutle River basin near Mount St. Helens, Washington; annual, seasonal, event, and particle size variations - a preliminary analysis.
Regression of in-stream turbidity with concurrent sample-based suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) has become an accepted method for producing unit-value time series of inferred SSC (Rasmussen et al., 2009). Turbidity-SSC regression models are increasingly used to generate suspended-sediment records for Pacific Northwest rivers (e.g., Curran et al., 2014; Schenk and Bragg, 2014...
Authors
Mark Uhrich, Kurt Spicer, Adam Mosbrucker, Tami Christianson
Estimating concentrations of fine-grained and total suspended sediment from close-range remote sensing imagery Estimating concentrations of fine-grained and total suspended sediment from close-range remote sensing imagery
Fluvial sediment, a vital surface water resource, is hazardous in excess. Suspended sediment, the most prevalent source of impairment of river systems, can adversely affect flood control, navigation, fisheries and aquatic ecosystems, recreation, and water supply (e.g., Rasmussen et al., 2009; Qu, 2014). Monitoring programs typically focus on suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) and...
Authors
Adam Mosbrucker, Kurt Spicer, Tami Christianson, Mark Uhrich