Research

2024 ©craigbrinkerhoff

Drainage networks are the arteries of the continents, an interconnected network of rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, and more that drain the land surface and transport water and nutrients downstream. River science draws on hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, ecology, and engineering to take a broad approach to studying drainage networks and water resources.

My work is oriented by a single research question: “how could fundamental river science improve our understanding of global hydrology and inform our ability to sustainably manage freshwater resources?”. To do this, I (1) develop remote sensing, GIS, machine learning, and transport modeling techniques for river systems, (2) develop fundamental river science theory, and (3) work directly with field scientists and policy researchers to develop an integrated global assessment of hydrological transport processes.