Theo Barnhart

Theo Barnhart

New School Earth Scientist

Curriculum Vitae

Employment

  • Physical Scientist (student trainee), Wyoming - Montana Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Helena, MT, 2017 - present
  • Research Assistant, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 2013 - present

Education

Mentorships

  • Research Experience for Community College Students (RECCS) – Summer 2016

    • Randall Rouse, Community College of Denver, Slope Orientation and Topographic Wetness Index Effects on Leaf Area and Height in a Coniferous Forest.

    • Jesse Barber, Red Rocks Community College, Terrestrial Based Leaf Area Index Compared to Leaf Area Index Derived from Remote Sensing in the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory.

Teaching

  • Geography 3511 - Introduction to Hydrology Laboratory - Spring 2016 - Teaching Assistant -University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

  • Geography 4241 - Geomorphology Laboratory - Fall 2013 & 2014 - Teaching Assistant - University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

  • Geology 450 - Field Geology - Summer 2012 - Teaching Assistant - Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID

Awards and Competitive Experiences

  • University of Colorado G.F. White Fellowship in Geography, 2016

  • University of Colorado Hydrologic Sciences Symposium Best Student Talk, 2016

  • University of Colorado Graduate School Travel Grant, 2016

  • University of Colorado Geography Department DeSana Scholarship, 2016

  • University of Colorado Graduate School Travel Grant, 2015

  • CUAHSI Pathfinder Fellowship, 2014

  • University of Colorado Graduate School Travel Grant, 2014

  • University of Colorado United Government of Graduate Students Travel Grant, 2013

  • Leeds Prize for Excellence in Geology, Whitman College, 2010

  • Geological Society of America GeoCorps Fellowship, Bryce Canyon National Park, 2010

  • NSF REU Program, Svalbard REU, 2009

  • Witman College Semester in the West, 2008

  • Los Alamos National Lab Student Internship, Water Quality, 2008

Service: Speaker Series and Meeting Sessions Organized

  • University of Colorado INSTAAR Graduate Student Seminar Co-organizer, 2014 - 2015

  • University of Colorado Hydrologic Sciences Symposium Steering Committee, 2013 – 2014

  • Anderson, R.S., K.R. Barnhart, B.T. Crosby, and T.B. Barnhart (2012), Thermal Control on Weathering, Erosion and Landscape Evolution, Session EP035, AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., 3-7 Dec.

Publications: Articles

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, doi:10.1002/2016GL069690.

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.

Publications: Invited Presentations

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, B. Livneh, A.A. Harpold, J.F. Knowles, and D. Schneider (2015), Rapid Snowmelt Leads to Greater Streamflow Across the Western United States, Abstract C41F-02, presented at the AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., 14-18 Dec.

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, B. Livneh, A.A. Harpold, J.F. Knowles, and D. Schneider (2015), Rapid Snowmelt Leads to Greater Streamflow Across the Western United States, presented at the Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile, 29 Sept.

Publications: Conference Presentations

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, and C.L. Tague (2017), Disentangling the Importance of Snowmelt Rate, Timing, and Amount on Runoff Production, presented at the Western Snow Conference, Boise, Idaho, 18-19 April.

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, and C.L. Tague (2017), Disentangling the Importance of Snowmelt Rate, Timing, and Amount on Runoff Production, presented at the University of Colorado Hydrologic Sciences Symposium, Boulder, Colo., 6-7 April.

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, and C.L. Tague (2016), Bidirectional Response of Runoff to Changes in Snowmelt Rate, Timing, and Amount, presented at the AGU Fall Meetings, San Francisco, Calif., 12-16 Dec.

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, and C.L. Tague (2016), Influence of Snowmelt Rate, Timing, and Amount on Hydrologic Partitioning, presented at the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory – Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecology Research Data Fair, Boulder, Colo., 14 Oct.

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, B. Livneh, A.A. Harpold, J.F. Knowles, and D. Schneider (2016), Rapid Snowmelt Leads to Greater Streamflow Across the Western United States, presented at the Western Snow Conference, Seattle, Wash., 19-20 April.

Barnhart, T.B., B. Livneh, D.J. Gochis, and N.P. Molotch (2016), Streamflow Sensitivity to Changes in Snowpack Across Trans-Basin Diversions, presented at the University of Colorado Hydrologic Sciences Symposium, Boulder, Colo., 31 March - 1 April.

Barnhart, T.B., B. Livneh, D.J. Gochis, and N.P. Molotch (2016), Streamflow Sensitivity to Changes in Snowpack Across Trans-Basin Diversions, poster, Water Sustainability and Climate Principle Investigator Meeting, Arlington, Va., 9-11 March.

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, B. Livneh, A.A. Harpold, J.F. Knowles, S.P. Anderson, R.C. Bales, and C.T. Hunsaker (2015), Sensitivity of Hydrologic Partitioning to Snowpack Dynamics, poster, presented at the Western Snow Conference, Grass Valley, Calif., 20-23 April.

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, A. Harpold, J. Knowles, B. Livneh, and D. Schneider (2015), Sensitivity of Hydrologic Partitioning to Snowpack Dynamics, presented at the University of Colorado Hydrologic Sciences Symposium, Boulder, Colo., 2-3 April.

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, A. Harpold, B. Livneh, J. Knowles, and S. Anderson (2015), Sensitivity of Hydrologic Partitioning to Snowpack Dynamics, presented at the Water Sustainability and Climate Principal Investigator Meeting, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA, February 9-11.

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, A.A. Harpold, J.F. Knowles, and S.P. Anderson (2014), Sensitivity of Hydrologic Partitioning to Snowpack Dynamics, Como Creek, CO, presented at the AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., 15-19 Dec.

Barnhart, T.B., N.P. Molotch, A.A. Harpold, J.F. Knowles, and S.P. Anderson (2014), Sensitivity of Hydrologic Partitioning to Snowpack Dynamics, Como Creek, CO, presented at the National Critical Zone Observatories All Hands Meeting, Fish Camp, Calif., 22-24 Sept.

Barnhart, T.B., B.T. Crosby, D.R Derryberry, and J.C. Rowland (2013), Using High-temporal-resolution, Repeat Terrestrial LiDAR to Compare Topographic Change Detection Methods and to Elucidate the Hydrometeorologic Controls on the Retreat Rate and Form of the Selawik Retrogressive Thaw Slump, Northwest Alaska, presented at the AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., 9-13 Dec.

Barnhart, T.B., B.T. Crosby, J.C. Rowland, and D.C. Finnegan (2012), High-Frequency Terrestrial LiDAR Scanning Reveals Connections between Environmental Drivers and Thaw Slump Headwall Retreat Rate and Form, Selawik River, Alaska, presented at the AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., 3-7 Dec.

Barnhart, T.B. and B.T. Crosby (2011), Using High Frequency Terrestrial LiDAR to Correlate Meteorological and Hydrological Drivers to the Expansion of a Retrogressive Thaw Slump along the Selawik River, Alaska, presented at the AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., 5-9 Dec.

Barnhart, T.B., R. Powell, J. Brigham-Grette, R.J. Carson, P. Spencer, N.E. Bader, and K. Nicolaysen (2010), Glaciomarine Sediment Flux and Transportation Mechanisms, Kongsbreen, Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, presented at the 40th Annual International Arctic Workshop hosted by INSTAAR, Winter Park, Colo., 10-12 Mar.

Barnhart, T.B., N.E. Bader, P. Arbetan, P. Brick (2009), Restoring a Ciénaga: Monitoring Groundwater Levels Through Changes in Vegetation, presented at the Murdock College Science Research Conference, Spokane, Wash., 29-31 Oct.

Technical Skills

Scientific computing: Python, Matlab, R

Hydrologic modeling: RHESSys, VIC

Remote sensing and GIS: GDAL, OGR, QGIS, ArcGIS

Graphic Design: Illustrator, Photoshop

LiDAR Processing: I-Site Studio, RiScan Pro, CloudCompare

Research Experience

  • Terrestrial hydrologic modeling

  • Manipulation and analysis of remotely sensed data products

  • Statistical analysis of large gridded data products

  • Collection and analysis of snow hydrology field measurements

  • Collection and analysis of ground based LiDAR point clouds

  • Geology field mapping and data collection

  • Presentation of research findings at conferences and meetings

  • Publication of research findings in peer-reviewed journals

Affiliations

  • American Geophysical Union, 2009-present

  • Idaho State University Geology Club, 2011 - 2013