How do rivers choose their path? Why do some rivers form single channels, while others divide into many threads? The questions may sound simple, but they are plagued by dynamic and complex forces that ...

The water pressure of a river can cut deep into a riverbed. Sediments from the riverbed are carried downstream, creating a deep, narrow channel. This process, known as downcutting, represents the ...

A new Stanford study challenges the decades-old view that the rise of land plants half a billion years ago dramatically changed the shapes of rivers. Rivers generally come in two styles: braided, ...

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow corridors of concentrated water vapor in the atmosphere that transport vast amounts of moisture from the tropics toward mid-latitude and polar regions. These ...

A new Tulane University study published in Science Advances sheds light on how floods influence the way rivers move, offering fresh insight into how changing flood patterns may reshape waterways and ...

Atmospheric rivers get talked about a lot during winter in California, and for good reason. The invisible rivers in the sky play a significant role in how much rain the state receives and can ...

Stanford researchers reveal meandering rivers existed long before plants, overturning textbook geology. Their findings suggest carbon-rich floodplains shaped climate for billions of years. A view of ...