Researchers built a glass-encased test environment that helps them assess streamflow without the confounding factors introduced by bed forms.
Rivers
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Stream Network Geometry Correlates with Climate
A "big data" analysis of nearly 1 million river junctions in the contiguous United States shows that branching angles in dendritic drainages vary systematically between humid and arid regions.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Arctic Permafrost Thaw Would Amplify Climate Change
An international team probed Arctic permafrost samples to better understand the carbon feedback loop that could be set off by future thawing.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
River's Rise Linked to Oklahoma's Largest Earthquake
As human-induced earthquakes increase in frequency and magnitude, researchers race to uncover their effects on surface water and groundwater.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Groundwater: A Hidden Influence on River Shape
A new study shows how groundwater influences river dynamics and channel pattern.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Do Tropical Forests Slow Knickpoints in Rivers?
Using Puerto Rico's Luquillo Mountains as a case study, scientists use the region's geological history to study how knickpoints—areas where there's a sharp change in the river's slope—move over time.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A River Network Preserved Beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet
An ancient drainage basin covering one fifth of Greenland predates the ice sheet and strongly influences the modern Jakobshavn Glacier, according to a new analysis of ice-penetrating radar data.
Posted inNews
Silty Streams Muddy Freshwater Conservation Issues
Throughout the Pacific Northwest, dirt from unpaved roads can clog streams, threatening fish habitats. Scientists have only a murky understanding of how to clear up these turbid waters.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A River Runs Through It, but Why?
Researchers investigate the factors that cause river terraces to form.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Mathematics of Braided Rivers
River researchers find a mathematical relationship that predicts the average shape of a riverbed over a defined distance, opening the door to new ideas about modeling braided rivers.