WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE: A TOOL TO PREDICT FLOODS

When was the last time you called a plumber to unclog your kitchen sink? This is a small-scale example of the big problem that Rice University researchers are attempting to solve. In some areas--China's Yellow River, for example--huge sediment loads can clog the flow of a river, thereby causing floods. The researchers have studied the Yellow River, a unique example of this type of flooding, to develop a tool that could help predict floods and protect civilians worldwide.