Extreme Events and System Response

Research investigates the response of river morphodynamics, ground/surface water flows and ecosystems to droughts and floods, using empirical observations of natural events and experimentation in mesocosms, to develop new theory and numerical models.

Examples of our research

Fragility of stream ecosystem functioning in response to drought: an experimental test

Flow manipulations in stream mesocosms are revealing how the future intensification of drought will reshape freshwater ecosystems.

For more information see the 
DRI-STREAM project pages


Hydroecological response of Arctic river systems to climate change

Major flood disturbance alters river ecosystem evolution.

View our Nature Climate Change paper on this research


Freshwater availability and implications for human evolution and dispersal

Quantifying how groundwater availability controlled migration during critical periods for human evolution.

View our PLOS ONE paper on this research


Drought in cold climates

Quantifying the impact of snow and temperature anomalies on winter drought.

View our Journal of Hydrology paper on this research

Related projects

  1. DRI-STREAM
  2. EXSTREAM
  3. The South Saskatchewan River Project