Liz Hajek: What rivers can tell us about the earth's history

What rivers can tell us about the earth's history

Rivers are one of nature's most powerful forces -- they bulldoze mountains and carve up the earth, and their courses are constantly moving. Understanding how they form and how they'll change is important for those that call their banks and deltas home. In this visual-packed talk, geoscientist Liz Hajek shows us how rocks deposited by ancient rivers can be used as a time machine to study the history of the earth, so we can figure out how to more sustainably live on it today.

Earth’s rivers are dynamic, powerful forces that constantly reshape the land, sometimes jumping courses by dozens of miles in a single season. By studying rocks and sediment left behind by ancient rivers, scientists can reconstruct how landscapes responded to past climate shifts. The patterns hidden in riverbeds offer a crucial record, since modern satellite data only covers a few decades. These clues from the past help people better plan for floods, land use, and life along ever-changing riverbanks.