Digital hydrographic maps have transformed global environmental studies and resource management. A major database update will provide even clearer and more complete views of Earth’s waterways.
Rivers
Posted inEditors' Highlights
A New Index to Assess Multiple-Reservoir Effects on Peak Floods
A simple, yet quantitative, index is demonstrated to quantify reductions in the peak flood resulting from multiple reservoirs, arranged in series along the same river reach.
Posted inNews
Pharmaceuticals Found in Rivers on All Continents
A quarter of 258 observed rivers had unsafe levels of at least one drug. The findings raise concerns about Earth’s aquatic life and the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Posted inNews
Forest Fires Could Boost Western U.S. Water Supplies
Streamflow in the West has been below average since the early 2000s, but a new analysis shows that streams aren’t as dry as expected.
Posted inNews
Lake Michigan’s Salinity Is on the Rise
Road salt is primarily to blame for the shift, though the water remains within safe levels for now.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Climate Change Shaped the Amazon’s Land and Life
Ice Age climate swings shaped the equatorial basin’s terrain—and possibly its ecology—faster than previously thought.
Posted inNews
From River to Sea: Estimating Wood Cascades
Dams and deforestation have chipped away at the millions of cubic meters of wood that flow through rivers and out to sea.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Recovering Mantle Memories from River Profiles
Researchers use a closed-loop modeling strategy to validate regional uplift patterns recorded in river profiles across the African continent.
Posted inNews
What a Gold Mining Mishap Taught Us About Rivers
Miners in Alaska rerouted a river to search for gold. One hundred years later, the new channel is teaching scientists how rivers shape Earth.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Perspective from Space Unlocks the Amazon Water Cycle
Satellite imaging and remote sensing offer unique insights into the Amazon’s complex hydrology. A new review summarizes decades of findings and charts a path forward for new remote sensing missions.