Weather
First-Ever Flood Forecasting Maps Show Houses and Roads at Risk
The National Weather Service has launched the first flood forecasting system with precise, real-time data showing spots that are at imminent risk of inundation
Water74 articles archived since 1845
Natural Disasters
Dangerous ‘Fill and Build’ Floodplain Policy Should Be Scrapped, Experts Say
A FEMA advisory council says a program that allows developers to elevate homes on fill dirt is environmentally harmful and can increase flood risks for nearby homes
Climate Change
‘Air-Conditioning’ Rivers and Streams Could Save Overheated Fish
Warming waters pose a danger to Atlantic salmon. A new effort aims to lower the temperature in waterways used by the fish to spawn
Water
Depleted Groundwater Could Be Refilled by Borrowing a Trick from Solar Power
In many places around the world, groundwater is being pumped out faster than nature replenishes it. A new model points to a possible solution
Water
Climate Change Is Making Saltwater Intrusion Worse in Coastal Areas
A hydrogeologist explains the shifting balance between fresh and salt water at the coast as sea levels rise
Water
Here’s Why Salt Water Is Invading the Mississippi and Whether It Will Happen More Often
Raging floods, intensifying drought and rising seas could affect saltwater intrusion
Pollution
Maui Fires Could Contaminate the Island’s Waters
Researchers in Hawaii are studying the effects of the deadly blazes on its island of Maui, including how they have impacted drinking-water quality and might affect local marine ecosystems...
Climate Change
City Sewers Can’t Handle Climate Change’s Intense Rains
A Federal Emergency Management Agency analysis of New York City’s inadequate storm drainage system shows that many urban areas can’t handle more intense rainfall
Water
Rampant Groundwater Pumping Has Changed the Tilt of Earth’s Axis
Human depletion of groundwater has shifted the global distribution of water so much that the North Pole has drifted by more than four centimeters per year
Water
Found: Giant Freshwater Deposits Hiding under the Sea
Researchers are discovering freshwater reservoirs below the coastal seafloor that might someday save dry regions from drought
Water
Study Summary: Is Submarine Groundwater a Sustainable Drinking Water Solution?
Tapping undersea reserves could combat water scarcity
Water
Study Summary: Unlocking Offshore Groundwater’s Potential
How geologic activity—and climate change—can alter and threaten coastal freshwater reserves
Water
Study Summary: How to Find Hidden Freshwater Reserves beneath the Ocean
Coastal cities could benefit from newfound reserves of water
Water
Study Summary: Massive Offshore Aquifer Discovered on U.S. Atlantic Coast
A hidden freshwater reserve could be an important future resource
Water
The First Two Botanists Who Surveyed, and Survived, the Colorado River
In an interview with Scientific American, author Melissa Sevigny discusses her book Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon...
Water
We Need 50 More Years of the Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation that has fundamentally changed water pollution in the U.S., is under attack when it should be strengthened instead
Water
Ongoing Development Is Part of the Colorado River Problem
Using “slow water” methods can make the Colorado River Basin and its people more resilient
Water
Dismantling the PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Legacy [Sponsored]
More sustainable ways of removing persistent chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the environment are on the horizon.
Climate Change
Deadly African Drought Wouldn’t Have Happened without Climate Change
A severe drought that has led to near-famine conditions in the Horn of Africa would not have happened without the influence of climate change, a new analysis finds
Water
The West Braces for the Most Epic Snowmelt in 40 Years
Communities across the U.S. West are preparing for flooding and mudslide disasters as record snow begins to melt
