Research Areas
Paleoflood Hydrology
We use natural records of floods preserved in the river landscape to determine the age and size of individual flood events. Often these floods precede the instrumented and historical records, which extend our flood histories and provide new insights on extreme floods (>100-yr recurrence intervals). We use these data to assess flood risk and understand drivers of non-stationary flood behavior.
Currently Funded Projects
FY 2022 - 2024: "Increasing water treatment resiliency by using natural flood record to reduce the uncertainty of water hazard predictions under changing climate" USGS 104g National
Competitive Grant, PI: Lisa Davis; co-PIs: John Swartz, Ray Lombardi, Tessa Harden, Miles Yaw, Matthew Gage
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Flood Geomorphology
We are interested in how floods shape the fluvial landscape. We are currently studying how the interaction of local and regional water on the floodplain impacts channel-floodplain connectivity and flood sedimentation. This conceptual model of overbank spillage would provide critical insights into floodplain evolution, nutrient cycling, and potential bias in paleoflood records.
Gomez et al. Earth surf. process. landforms, 22, 923–936 (1997)