flood

Artificial floods: Restoring the ecological integrity of rivers

Terri Cook May 31, 2017

A local fisherman enjoys a peaceful morning on the Sarine River following an artificial flood. (Credit: Terri Cook)

“You can never step into the same river, for new waters are always flowing on to you.” —Heraclitus of Ephesus Rushing rivers, with their unremitting twists and turns and continuous renewal, are often used as a metaphor for life, but the analogy is just as appropriate for scientific research, I reflected as I walked along the banks of a sparkling, turquoise-blue river in the heart of th ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Sedimentary record of catastrophic floods in the Atacama desert

Manuel Abad and Tatiana Izquierdo May 22, 2017

Sedimentary record of catastrophic floods in the Atacama Desert . Credit: Manu Abad (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

Despite being one of the driest regions on Earth, the Atacama desert is no stranger to catastrophic flood events. Today’s post highlights how the sands, clays and muds left behind once the flood waters recede can hold the key to understanding this natural hazard. During the severe rains that occurred between May 12 and 13, 2017 in the Atacama Region (Northern Chile) the usually dry Copiapó R ...[Read More]

GeoSciences Column: Mapping floods with social media

Laura Roberts-Artal March 11, 2016

Flood at Trans-en-Provence (Var - France) . Credit: Dimitri Defrance (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Picture this: you are on your commute home, smartphone or tablet in hand, surfing the internet. You might quickly catch up on the latest news, check in with your friend’s on Facebook, or take to Twitter to share a morsel of information with your followers. This scenario is common in the modern era of technology. No doubt we are all guilty of indulging in a serious session of internet navigation ev ...[Read More]

Floods and droughts set to increase due to climate change

Laura Roberts-Artal April 29, 2015

Shrinking Wadi Sediments. Credit: Vincent Felde (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

The planet is set to encounter a record-level amount of floods and droughts by 2050 – researchers recently announced at the European Geosciences Union’s General Assembly in Vienna. Nikita Marwaha shares their predictions on the impact that climate change will have on these extreme weather conditions. In a study by the Joint Research Centre (JRS) – the European Commission’s in-house science service ...[Read More]