Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, B. Livneh, A.A. Harpold, J.F. Knowles, D. Schneider (2016), Snowmelt Rate Dictates Streamflow: Geophysical Research Letters, 43(15), 8006-8016
Theodore B Barnhart
Biography
Theo received his PhD in geography from the University of Colorado in 2018 and studied how changes in snowmelt and land cover impacted the partitioning of precipitation between runoff and evapotranspiration. Theo works to improve hydrologic predictions using process-based hydrologic modeling and data-driven techniques. He is particularly interested in furthering our understanding of mountain and high-latitude hydrology and the distribution and variability of the mountain snowpack. To accomplish this, Theo uses hydrologic models, water balance analyses, and remote sensing.
Education:
PhD: Geography, 2018, The University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. Dissertation: The Response of Streamflow and Evapotranspiration to Changes in Snowmelt Across the Western United States.
MS: Geology, 2013, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID. Thesis: Morphodynamics of the Selawik Retrogressive Thaw Slump, Northwest Alaska.
BA: Geology-Environmental Studies, cum laude, 2010, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA. Thesis: Glaciomarine Sediment Flux and Transportation Mechanisms, Kronebreen/Kongsvegan, Kongsfjorden, Svalbard.
Please see his Google Scholar page for a list of peer-reviewed publications.
Science and Products
Date published: August 12, 2020
Status: Active Flow-Conditioned Parameter Grids
Flow-Conditioned Parameter Grids (FCPGs) are a way of storing the upstream average of datasets, such as precipitation or land cover type, for all points on the landscape.
Contacts: Theodore B Barnhart
Attribution: Water Resources, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
Date published: March 20, 2018
Status: Active Geospatial Research and Development to Understand Hydrologic Processes
All natural phenomena have a spatial component. Remote sensing, GIS, and geostatistical methods can be used to evaluate the spatial components of hydrologic phenomena and understand characteristics, such as water quality, streamflow, and hydraulics.
Contacts: Roy Sando , Theodore B Barnhart , Ryan R McShane , DeAnn M Dutton , Laura L Hallberg , Aaron J Heldmyer, August Schultz
Date published: September 27, 2019
Data to Estimate Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development, Williston Basin, United States, 1980-2017
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data Release provides data to estimate water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Williston Basin during 1980-2017. Data included: 1. Data records from the national hydraulic fracturing chemical registry, FracFocus, including the state, county, latitude and longitude of each well, and the year and volume of water used for...
Attribution: Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
Year Published: 2020
Estimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Williston Basin, North Dakota and Montana, 2007–17
This study of water use associated with development of continuous oil and gas resources in the Williston Basin is intended to provide a preliminary model-based analysis of water use in major regions of production of continuous oil and gas resources in the United States. Direct, indirect, and ancillary water use associated with development of...
McShane, Ryan R.; Barnhart, Theodore B.; Valder, Joshua F.; Haines, Seth S.; Macek-Rowland, Kathleen M. ; Carter, Janet M.; Delzer, Gregory C.; Thamke, Joanna N.Attribution: Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program, United States of America
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McShane, R.R., Barnhart, T.B., Valder, J.F., Haines, S.S., Macek-Rowland, K.M., Carter, J.M., Delzer, G.C., and Thamke, J.N., 2020, Estimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Williston Basin, North Dakota and Montana, 2007–17: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2020–5012, 26 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20205012
Year Published: 2020
Runoff sensitivity to snow depletion curve representation within a continental scale hydrologic model
The spatial variability of snow water equivalent (SWE) can exert a strong influence on the timing and magnitude of snowmelt delivery to a watershed. Therefore, the representation of subgrid or subwatershed snow variability in hydrologic models is important for accurately simulating snowmelt dynamics and runoff response. The U.S. Geological Survey...
Sexstone, Graham A.; Driscoll, Jessica M.; Hay, Lauren; Hammond, John; Barnhart, Theodore B.
Year Published: 2019
Analytical framework to estimate water use associated with continuous oil and gas development
An analytical framework was designed to estimate water use associated with continuous oil and gas (COG) development in support of the U.S. Geological Survey Water Availability and Use Science Program. This framework was developed to better understand the relation between the production of COG resources for energy and the amount of water needed to...
Valder, Joshua F.; McShane, Ryan R.; Barnhart, Theodore B.; Wheeling, Spencer L.; Carter, Janet M.; Macek-Rowland, Kathleen M. ; Delzer, Gregory C.; Thamke, Joanna N.Attribution: Dakota Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, United States of America
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Valder, J.F., McShane, R.R., Barnhart, T.B., Wheeling, S.L., Carter, J.M., Macek-Rowland, K.M., Delzer, G.C., and Thamke, J.N., 2019, Analytical framework to estimate water use associated with continuous oil and gas development: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2019–5100, 19 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20195100.
Year Published: 2018
Conceptual model to assess water use associated with the life cycle of unconventional oil and gas development
As the demand for energy increases in the United States, so does the demand for water used to produce many forms of that energy. Technological advances, limited access to conventional oil and gas accumulations, and the rise of oil and gas prices resulted in increased development of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) accumulations. Unconventional oil...
Valder, Joshua F.; McShane, Ryan R.; Barnhart, Theodore B.; Sando, Roy; Carter, Janet M.; Lundgren, Robert F.Attribution: Water, Dakota Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, United States of America
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Valder, J.F., McShane, R.R., Barnhart, T.B., Sando, R., Carter, J.M., and Lundgren, R.F., 2018, Conceptual model to assess water use associated with the life cycle of unconventional oil and gas development: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5027, 22 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20185027.
Pre-USGS Publications
Harpold, A.A., J.A. Marshall, S.W. Lyon, T.B. Barnhart, B. Fisher, M. Donovan, K.M. Brubaker, C.J. Crosby, N.F. Glenn, C.L. Glennie, P.B. Kirchner, N. Lam, K.D. Mankoff, J.L. McCreight, N.P. Molotch, K.N. Musselman, J. Pelletier, T. Russo, H. Sangireddy, Y. Sjöberg, T. Swetnam, and N. West (2015), Laser Vision: Lidar as a Transformative Tool to Advance Critical Zone Science: Hydrology and Earth System Science, 19, 2881-2897
Barnhart, T.B., and B.T. Crosby (2013), Comparing Two Methods of Surface Change Detection on an Evolving Thermokarst Using High-Temporal-Frequency Terrestrial Laser Scanning, Selawik River, Alaska: Remote Sensing, 5, 2813-2837
Sexstone, G.A., Driscoll, J.M., Hay, L.E., Hammond, J.C., and Barnhart, T.E. (2020), Runoff Sensitivity to Snow Depletion Curve Representation within a Continental Scale Hydrologic Model: Hydrological Processes, Online Version of Record before inclusion in an issue