2026 Jonathan M. Nelson: Earth Science Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Earth Science	35	7478	6922	2554	2256	80	6292

Research.com Recognitions

1935 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

Jonathan M. Nelson is affiliated with the United States Geological Survey in the United States. Their research primarily focuses on environmental science, with significant work contributed to subfields including ecology, water science and technology, global and planetary change, nature and landscape conservation, and soil science.

Their main areas of research cover hydrology and sediment transport processes, hydrology and watershed management studies, fish ecology and management studies, soil erosion and sediment transport, flood risk assessment and management, advanced chemical sensor technologies, and diet and metabolism studies.

Nelson has published several papers across various scientific journals. Notable recent publications include:

"A Lagrangian particle-tracking approach to modelling larval drift in rivers" (2020) in Journal of Ecohydraulics
"An Experimental Study of Longitudinal Incisional Grooves in a Mixed Bedrock-Alluvial Channel" (2020) in Water Resources Research
"Past, present and future of a meandering river in the Bolivian Amazon basin" (2020) in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
"River flow analyses for flood projection in the Kabul River Basin" (2020) in Central Asian Journal of Water Research
"A general Lagrangian tracking methodology for riverine flow and transport" (2022) in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

Nelson frequently collaborates with other researchers, including Yasuyuki Shimizu, Tomoko Kyuka, Tim Ziebarth, Nils Pape, and Fleur I.M. van Alphen. These collaborative relationships have resulted in multiple joint publications.

Their work has contributed to studies published primarily in venues such as Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Journal of Ecohydraulics, Water Resources Research, Central Asian Journal of Water Research, and iScience.

Among recognized acknowledgments, Nelson is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an award dating back to 1935.

Best Publications

Role of Near-Bed Turbulence Structure in Bed Load Transport and Bed Form Mechanics

Jonathan M. Nelson;Ronald L. Shreve;Stephen R. McLean;Thomas G. Drake

599
Citations
Mean flow and turbulence fields over two‐dimensional bed forms

Jonathan M. Nelson;Stephen R. McLean;Stephen R. Wolfe

366
Citations
Variation in the reference Shields stress for bed load transport in gravel‐bed streams and rivers

Erich R. Mueller;John Pitlick;Jonathan M. Nelson

317
Citations
Variability of bed mobility in natural, gravel-bed channels and adjustments to sediment load at local and reach scales

Thomas E. Lisle;Jonathan M. Nelson;John Pitlick;Mary Ann Madej

289
Citations
Turbulence structure over two‐dimensional bed forms: Implications for sediment transport

S. R. McLean;J. M. Nelson;S. R. Wolfe

282
Citations
Direct numerical simulation of bedload transport using a local, dynamic boundary condition

Mark W. Schmeeckle;Jonathan M. Nelson

270
Citations
Forces on stationary particles in near-bed turbulent flows

Mark W. Schmeeckle;Jonathan M. Nelson;Ronald L. Shreve

267
Citations
Flow in Meandering Channels with Natural Topography

Jonathan M. Nelson;J. Dungan Smith

243
Citations
Mechanics of flow over ripples and dunes

Jonathan M. Nelson;J. Dungan Smith

241
Citations
Numerical simulation of river meandering with self‐evolving banks

Kazutake Asahi;Yasuyuki Shimizu;Jonathan Nelson;Gary Parker

186
Citations
Evolution and Stability of Erodible Channel Beds

Jonathan M. Nelson;J. Dungan Smith

183
Citations
Estimating floodwater depths from flood inundation maps and topography

Sagy Cohen;G. Robert Brakenridge;Albert Kettner;Bradford Bates

156
Citations
The international river interface cooperative: Public domain flow and morphodynamics software for education and applications

Jonathan M. Nelson;Yasuyuki Shimizu;Takaaki Abe;Kazutake Asahi

155
Citations
Mapping River Bathymetry With a Small Footprint Green LiDAR: Applications and Challenges1

Paul J. Kinzel;Carl J. Legleiter;Jonathan M. Nelson

151
Citations
Flow resistance dynamics in step-pool channels: 2. Partitioning between grain, spill, and woody debris resistance

Andrew C. Wilcox;Jonathan M. Nelson;Ellen E. Wohl

147
Citations
Interparticle collision of natural sediment grains in water

Mark W. Schmeeckle;Jonathan M. Nelson;John Pitlick;James P. Bennett

141
Citations
Flow and Sediment‐Transport Modeling

Jonathan M. Nelson;James P. Bennett;Stephen M. Wiele

140
Citations
Turbulent flow over three-dimensional dunes: 1. Free surface and flow response

T. B. Maddux;J. M. Nelson;S. R. McLean

136
Citations
Unidirectional flow over asymmetric and symmetric ripples

Patricia L. Wiberg;Jonathan M. Nelson

132
Citations
Evaluation of an Experimental LiDAR for Surveying a Shallow, Braided, Sand-Bedded River

Paul J. Kinzel;Paul J. Kinzel;C. Wayne Wright;C. Wayne Wright;Jonathan M. Nelson;Jonathan M. Nelson;Aaron R. Burman;Aaron R. Burman

121
Citations
Turbulent flow over three-dimensional dunes: 2. Fluid and bed stresses

T. B. Maddux;S. R. McLean;J. M. Nelson

118
Citations
Colorado River sediment transport 2. Systematic bed-elevation and grain-size effects of sand supply limitation

David J. Topping;David M. Rubin;Jonathan M. Nelson;Paul J. Kinzel

111
Citations
Erosion and Sedimentation

Jonathan Nelson

18
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Yasuyuki Shimizu Hokkaido University

Carl J. Legleiter United States Geological Survey

J. Dungan Smith United States Geological Survey

David M. Rubin University of California, Santa Cruz

John Pitlick University of Colorado Boulder

William E. Dietrich University of California, Berkeley

Gary Parker University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Ellen Wohl Colorado State University

Albert J. Kettner University of Colorado Boulder

John C. Schmidt Utah State University

External Links

Personal website of Jonathan M. Nelson

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