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School of Earth, Society & Environment Department of Earth Science & Environmental Change

Bruce L Rhoads

Professor

Biography

I have worked on the fluvial dynamics of streams in the Midwest for over 30 years.  My research interests range from investigations aimed at improving our basic scientific understanding of the geomorphology of rivers to studies focusing on issues of importance for river management and policy.   Much of my work emphasizes field measurements of process-form interactions, but through collaborations with colleagues at Illinois I also participate in projects that involve laboratory experiments and numerical modeling.

Education

  • Ph.D., Arizona State University
  • M.A., Michigan State University
  • B.A., Shippensburg University

Additional Campus Affiliations

Professor, Geography and Geographic Information Science
Affiliate, Earth Science and Environmental Change
Professor, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
Affiliate, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor, Center for Global Studies

Recent Publications

Anders, A. M., & Rhoads, B. L. (2025). Impacts of geographic variability and geologic history on the distribution of post-settlement alluvium (PSA) across the upper Midwest, USA. Catena, 254, Article 108939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2025.108939

Cain, M. R., Hixson, J. L., Jones, C. N., Rhoads, B. L., & Ward, A. S. (2025). Empirical Evidence of Dynamic Hydrogeomorphic Feature Inundation in a Lowland Floodplain. Hydrological Processes, 39(1), Article e70043. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70043

Lin, J. T. Y., Lacunza, E., Fernández, R., Garcia, M. H., Rhoads, B., Best, J. L., LeRoy, J. Z., & Parker, G. (2025). Hydrodynamic Processes of Incipient Meander Chute Cutoffs: Laboratory Experiments With Implications for Morphodynamics and Depth-Averaged Modeling. Water Resources Research, 61(3), Article e2024WR038502. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR038502

Shukla, T., & Rhoads, B. L. (2025). Form and Function of Floodplain Secondary Channels in a Lowland Meandering River System. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 130(1), Article e2024JF007871. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JF007871

Meem, T. H., Rhoads, B. L., Fouts, L., Schmidt, A., & Byard, G. (2024). An excess-work approach to assessing channel instability potential within urban streams of Chicago, Illinois: Relative importance of spatial variability in hydraulic conditions and stormwater mitigation. Progress in Physical Geography, 48(5-6), 754-780. https://doi.org/10.1177/03091333241276205

View all publications on Illinois Experts

School of Earth, Society & Environment Department of Earth Science & Environmental Change

3081 Natural History Bldg.

1301 W. Green Street

Urbana, IL 61801

(217) 333-3540

Email: geology@illinois.edu

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