"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Earth/Climate science
The Photic Zone
10/13/2026
“Why does most aquatic life live near the surface?”
Large bodies of water have very strong property variation by depth. The zone near the surface receives the most sunlight, therefore supplying phytoplankton with the resources they need to grow, which in turn provides a food base for complex ecosystems. These Photonic Zones house most aquatic life due to their primary productivity-rich environment.
Chronic Inundation
10/12/26
“How can we categorize sites that flood at least every other week?”
Neighborhoods by coastal waters can flood due to coastal tides. In the U.S., locales where 10 percent of their usable, non-wetland area floods at least 26 times a year (roughly every other week, corresponding to high tides) are labelled as suffering from Chronic Inundation. More cities will likely suffer from chronic inundation in the future as a consequence of climate change, from small towns to massive cities like Manhattan.
Freeboard Elevation
10/11/26
“How can we add an extra factor of safety to create minimum building flood elevations?”
Base flood elevation is the local 100-year flood elevation. Many municipalities specify a Freeboard Elevation, or extra factor of safety minimum floor elevation, above the base flood elevation to make the design flood elevation. 1 – 3 feet is a common freeboard elevation.
How People Use Pumps to Drain Floods
10/10/26
“How do people use pumps to drain floods?”
People all over the world have to drain stormwater from the built environment. This can be difficult if the water is in a low-lying area or there’s a deluge of water coming in. But what if we were to concentrate the stormwater in a particular location and then use pumps to remove it? Well, this is exactly How People Use Pumps to Drain Floods. People and organizations can use stationary or portable pumps depending on their needs and capacities. Pumps require energy to work, making them difficult to use during disaster times.
image credit: www.streampumps.com
Design Flood Elevation
10/09/26
“How can we describe the locally mandated minimum building elevation to protect against floods?”
Buildings in or near floodplains have to find a way to keep themselves safe from floods. One way is to elevate buildings above the ground. The locally mandated minimum building elevation to protect against floods is called the Design Flood Elevation. For many places, the design flood elevation is the FEMA Base Flood Elevation.
Revetments
10/08/26
“How can armor riverbanks and shorelines to prevent erosion?”
Riverbanks and coastal shorelines are subject to erosion by moving water. But what if we were to add protective material to a slope, such as stone or sandbags over the impacted land to prevent erosion? These items, termed Revetments, can act as armor and stabilize the riverbank/coastline. However, revetments can stop the spread of sediment onto their protected surface, leading to erosion from lack of replenishment. Consequently, people must treat revetment design and deployment with great care.
Base Flood Elevation
10/07/26
“Why does FEMA care about the water elevation level resulting from a one-hundred-year flood?”
U.S. FEMA quantifies a one-hundred-year flood as one with a one percent chance of happening in a given year. The water level elevation above sea level resulting from that flood is called the Base Flood Elevation, or BFE. FEMA publishes BFEs in its maps. If your building is at or below the BFE, you will likely face higher flood insurance premiums. New development that affects hydrology can alter the BFE for a local area.
Deepwater Canals
10/04/26
“Are there canals sized for large ships?”
Canals are artificial water channels. These features are often built for transportation and logistics purposes. Sometimes we need to transport large vessels through the canals. So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this? Well, what if we were to build canals so deep that even large ships could pass? These Deepwater Canals are vital for keeping industrial and logistics operations afloat in many places. The Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel (pictured) is an example of a deepwater canal.
Image credit: https://alchetron.com/
Biological Nutrients
10/03/26
“What are biological nutrients, and why are they so important for organic life?”
Organic life is the foundation of our ecological world. Organic life requires the Biological Nutrients of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), and silicon (Si) to function. Microorganisms in water/wastewater treatment systems need the incoming water/wastewater to have a certain amount of biological nutrients to grow properly.
