Water science news, explainers, and statistics covering freshwater, hydrology, lakes, rivers, groundwater, ice, and Earth’s connected water systems.
The largest waterfall on Earth never breaks the ocean surface. It pours through the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland, where a hidden wall of cold water descends along the seabed. The drop reaches roughly 11,500 feet, more than three times the height of Angel Falls and the flow carries far more water than any…
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The Great Lakes rise and fall under the Moon and Sun, just as the ocean does. The effect is so small, however, that weather usually hides it. Astronomical tides across the lakes measure less than about two inches, while a strong wind can push water several feet toward one shore. For navigation and shoreline planning,…
Scientists count marine life by combining direct surveys, catches, cameras, acoustic instruments, environmental DNA, tags and statistical models. No method observes every organism. A reliable census estimates the portion missed and matches the tool to the species, habitat and question. NOAA’s overview of the marine census points to the international Census of Marine Life, which…
Ocean sand is not one substance. It is a size class of sediment made from rock fragments, mineral grains, shells, coral skeletons and other biological remains. The mixture on a particular coast records the nearby geology, the organisms living offshore and the waves or currents that sort material by size and density. NOAA’s account of…
