Month: August 2025

Trellis Drainage Patterns

Trellis Drainage Patterns

Trellis Drainage Patterns

08/31/25

“How do grid-like rivers form?”

Drainage pattern shapes form based on the local geology. Sometimes, the surface might have alternating bands of resistant and non-resistant rock. When water flows over these surfaces, the non-resistant rock erodes more steadily and turns into a valley between the resistant rock bands. The main tributaries of these rivers will run through these valleys and form perpendicular streams down the edges of the ridges of the resistant layers. These Trellis Drainage Patterns are prone to flooding because the water flowing through the valleys can overflow during heavy rains. Bakudabakek/Wekwabegituk (also named “The Bay of Fundy” by the settler-colonial state of Canada) is an example of a trellis drainage pattern.

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Stratigraphy

Stratigraphy

Stratigraphy

08/30/25

“What is the branch of geology concerned with rock layers and historical layering?”

Rocks layers and layering have so many different aspects about them. Whether it’s their lithology (physical properties) or how their physical relationship to each other explains their historical evolution, there’s something to explore. There is so much information about these rocks that there’s a whole field, Stratigraphy, dedicated to understanding this. Stratigraphy is a subset of geology that analyzes rock layers and their historical layering.

Geological Formations

Geological Formations

Geological Formations

08/29/25

“How can we distinguish rock layers from each other?”

Rock layers come in all different forms. However, multiple layers might come attached to each other and we’ll need some way to differentiate them. Well, what if we were to categorize each layer by their physical properties? This is how we organize each layer into different Geological Formations. Geological formations are the basis of rock classification.

Gravity Hills

Gravity Hills

Gravity Hills

08/28/25

“Why do objects appear to roll upwards and defy gravity on some hills?”

There are places where nature does not seem to obey the laws of physics. For example, on some hills, objects appear to roll upward instead of downward. There are countless videos on the internet showing the strangeness of these Gravity Hills. But what exactly is happening? Well, it turns out that the slopes of these hills are actually an optical illusion, making downhill look like uphill. These hills usually lack a clear horizon, making it difficult to accurately judge the real direction. Furthermore, a road might be at a slightly different angle than the incline, causing a visual cue mismatch. One example of a gravity hill is in Aragats, Armenia, as seen in the attached picture.

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Rock Units

Rock Units

Rock Units

08/27/25

“How can we classify rocks according to physical properties and age?”

Rocks come in all shapes and sizes. However, we may want to know how rocks of a particular area are different from rocks of another. We can accomplish this by classifying rocks into Rock Units that differ by physical properties and age.Rock units are fundamental for understanding applied geological studies.

Parallel Drainage Patterns

Parallel Drainage Patterns

Parallel Drainage Patterns

08/26/25

“Why do some rivers flow down in parallel lines?”

Dendritic drainage patterns form when there are no major geological challenges to river flow. Something interesting is that when the slopes are constantly steep (greater than 5 degrees), the forces of gravity will force the different “branches” to become parallel to each other. These Parallel Drainage Patterns move in a consistent direction with consistent spacing from one another. Some rivers in the Lesser Himalayas exhibit parallel drainage patterns.

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Dendritic Drainage Patterns

Dendritic Drainage Patterns

Dendritic Drainage Patterns

08/25/25

“What is the most common type of drainage pattern?”

Close your eyes and visualize a drainage pattern. You’ll probably think of a river with a power center, with smaller branches periodically coming out, and even smaller branches coming out of those, analogous to a tree trunk with branches and leaves on those branches. Have you ever wondered what exactly makes it this way? Well, this happens because as water flows downhill due to gravity, it will seek the lowest path downward. If the geology is fairly uniform and there are no major faults, the main flow direction will form the main river branch, while other headwaters will naturally flow into it. This will form the Dendritic Drainage Patterns that we all know. Dendritic drainage patterns are the most common form of drainage patterns in the world.

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Cloudburst Hubs

Cloudburst Hubs

Cloudburst Hubs

08/24/25

“How is New York City using modern planning and engineering techniques to adapt to cloudburst flooding events?”

Cloudbursts release a voluminous amount of rain in a short amount of time, which can cause widespread damage to people and infrastructure. New York City is taking an innovative approach to protecting against these events through its Cloudburst Hubs. Cloudburst hubs are hydraulically connected areas in NYC that are vulnerable to deep flooding and can also include infiltration, storage, and conveyance to reduce the flood depths of hotspots, connect onsite with right-of-way strategies, including diverting street runoff, and use a combination of green-grey strategies to mitigate against floods. These cloudburst hubs can help city residents adapt to the new climate paradigm. 

Image credit: https://www.nyc.gov/

Cloudbursts

Cloudbursts

Cloudbursts

08/23/25

“How can we get storm events that dump a year’s worth of rain?”

Clouds carry water moisture. This moisture is released as rain when enough water molecules condense and become too heavy to stay afloat. When clouds are pushed up in mountainous regions, the quick elevation can force drastic condensation that leads to cloud collapse. These Cloudbursts result in heavy localized downpours that can dump even a year’s worth of water in the span of a few hours. Community managers need to take proactive action to ensure their residents are safe from cloudburst floods.

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