James C. Knox
Evjue-Bascom
Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies - Research Associate, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey
Education
- PhD, University of Iowa, 1970
Research Areas
- Fluvial geomorphology.
- Human influences on river systems; floods, erosion, sedimentation, river morphology.
- Hydrologic responses to climatic change at historical and Quaternary time scales.
- Late-glacial and post-glacial natural history of the upper Mississippi Valley.
Current Research
- Development of high-resolution post-glacial and historical chronologies of how floods on the upper Mississippi River have responded to environmental change.
- Responses of river and stream systems to changes in water runoff, soil erosion, sediment mobility and storage, and human modifications of drainage systems.
Other Activities
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Section E Geology and Geography: Chair-Elect 2007, Chair 2008, Retiring-Chair 2009
Editorial Board, Quaternary Science Reviews - Consulting Editor, Earth Sciences, Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- Associate Editor, Quaternary Research
Awards and Honors
- Association of American Geographers Presidential Achievement Award for Longstanding and Distinguished Contributions to the Discipline, 2007
- Don J. Easterbrook Distinguished Scientist Award for Unusual Excellence in Published Research, Geological Society of America, Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division, 2006
- M. G. Marcus Distinguished Career Award, Geomorphology Group, Assoc. of American Geog., 2001
- Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Wisconsin, Platteville, 1999
- Awarded Evjue-Bascom Professor-at-Large named chair, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1997
- G. K. Gilbert Award for Excellence in Geomorphological Research, Assoc. of American Geog., 1996
- Vilas Associate Award, University of Wisconsin, Madison 1995M
- Honors Award, Association of American Geographers, 1990
- Elected to Fellowship, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1988
- Elected to Fellowship, Geological Society of America, 1988
Recent Publications
- 2008: (F. A. Fitzpatrick, J. C. Knox, and J. P. Schubauer-Berigan) Sedimentation history of Halfway Creek Marsh, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Wisconsin, 1846-2006. U. S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5209, 41 p.
- 2008: (J. A. Clayton and J. C. Knox) Catastrophic flooding from Glacial
Lake Wisconsin.
Geomorphology, v. 93, p. 384-397. - 2007: (J. C. Knox) Geomorphology of the Driftless Area in Southwest Wisconsin. In: Wisconsin Groundwater Association, Field TripvGuidebook, The Geology, Hydrogeology, and Related Industry of Southwestern Wisconsin and Northeastern Iowa. pp. 32-37; 43-58, October 6, 2007.
- 2007: (J. C. Knox) The Mississippi River System. Large Rivers of the World. A. Gupta, ed., John Wiley & Sons Ltd., London, p. 145-182.
- 2007: (E. C. Carson, J. C. Knox, and D. M. Mickelson) Response of bankfull flood magnitudes to Holocene climate change, Uinta Mountains, northeastern Utah. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 119, p. 1066-1078.
- 2006: (J.C. Knox) Floodplain sedimentation in the Upper Mississippi Valley: Natural versus human accelerated. Geomorphology, v. 79, p. 286-310..
- 2005: (J. M. Daniels and J. C. Knox) Alluvial stratigraphic evidence for channel incision during the Medieval Warm Period, Central Great Plains, USA. The Holocene, v. 15, p. 736-747.
- 2004: (L. J. Theis and J. C. Knox) Spatial and temporal variability in floodplain backwater sedimentation, Pool Ten, Upper Mississippi River. Physical Geography, v. 24, p. 337-353.
Courses Taught
Geog 127 Physical Systems of the Environment- Geog 325 Analysis of the Physical Environment
- Geog 326 Fluvial Geomorphology
- Geog 524 Advanced Landform Geomorphology
- Geog 920 Physical Geography Seminar
Recent and Current Graduate Student Research
- Henry Loope 2008 (Ph.D) Quaternary terraces and sand dunes on the upper Mississippi River
- Julia Ferguson 2008 (MS) Channel and Floodplain Restoration from Agricultural Impacts
- Colin Belby 2008 (Ph.D) – Nutrient Sequestration on the Upper Mississippi River
- Kevin Spigel 2006 (Ph.D) – Holocene Erosion,Sedimentation, and Climate Change Emrick Lake, WI
- Lindsay Theis Spigel 2006 (Ph.D) – River Response to Environmental Change, Central WI
- Melissa Auckenthaler 2007 (MS) – Hydrologic Response to Climate Variability, Northern VA
- Shawn Higgens 2006 (MS) – Recent Changes in Channel Morphology, Kickapoo River, WI
- Marie Peppler 2006 (MS) – Extreme Floods and Sedimentation in the Lake Superior Drainage
- Pascal Irmscher 2005 (MS) – Mississippi River Flow Hydraulics and Mussel Populations
- Colin. Belby 2005 (MS) – Mississippi River Floodplain Sedimentation
- Rachel Enright 2005 (MS) – Urbanization Effects on Flooding
Contact Information
- University of Wisconsin
- Department of Geography
- 550 North Park Street
- 234 Science Hall
- Madison, WI 53706-1404
- Phone (608) 262-1804
- Fax (608) 265-3991
- email: knox@geography.wisc.edu