Water science news, explainers, and statistics covering freshwater, hydrology, lakes, rivers, groundwater, ice, and Earth’s connected water systems.
A map of New Mexico’s major rivers shows several continental drainage systems. The Rio Grande and Pecos River drain toward the Gulf of Mexico. The Canadian River belongs to the Arkansas-Mississippi system, while the San Juan and Gila rivers are part of the Colorado River Basin. Interior basins in the south and west have no…
More
A fluvial geomorphologist studies how rivers and floodplains form, move sediment and change through time. The work connects geology with hydrology and ecology. A practitioner may measure a channel in the field, compare historical maps, model a flood or advise a restoration team about how a proposed structure could alter erosion. No single job description…
A world map of lakes and ponds shows dense concentrations across Canada, northern Europe and parts of Russia. Other clusters occupy mountain valleys. River floodplains hold shifting lake systems, while tectonic rifts contain some of the deepest basins. Large water bodies dominate a map viewed at continental scale, while millions of small ponds disappear below…
Lakes store water and support food webs while connecting human communities with freshwater. They supply drinking water in many regions. Fisheries provide food and livelihoods, while lake habitat supports organisms beyond the harvested species. Transport and recreation add other benefits. Lakes also process nutrients and exchange heat with the atmosphere. Their cultural meaning cannot be…
