Runoff, in the context of environmental and Earth system topics, refers to the portion of precipitation, snowmelt, or irrigation water that does not infiltrate into the soil or evaporate but instead flows over the land surface or through shallow subsurface pathways to streams, rivers, lakes, or coastal waters. It is a central component of the hydrological cycle, governed by factors such as soil permeability, land cover, topography, antecedent moisture, and rainfall intensity. Runoff mediates fluxes of sediments, nutrients, pollutants, and dissolved organic and inorganic constituents, strongly influencing watershed biogeochemistry, aquatic ecosystem function, flood regimes, and water resource availability.
As we transition into spring, wildfires are on the minds of many Canadians. In fact, wildfires have already started in some parts of the country.
Ecology
May 11, 2026
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Environmental scientists and water resource managers need precise, high-resolution maps to reveal areas that farmers should avoid when planting crops, to limit polluting waters with phosphorus from fertilizer or manure. Making ...
Ecology
May 7, 2026
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In the last two decades, coastal urban areas have taken steps to better minimize flooding and runoff by creating more permeable surfaces and encouraging residents to participate in water retention and use-reduction programs. ...
Environment
May 5, 2026
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A major river restoration project in Cumbria has shown that reconnecting rivers to their floodplains can slow the movement of water and improve habitats. Research led by Newcastle University and the National Trust found that ...
Plants & Animals
May 4, 2026
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Larry Dallas's farm in Central Illinois's Douglas County is as flat as it gets. That's a good thing for planting straight rows and maneuvering farm equipment in the field, but there's a major downside, too. "Heavier rain ...
Agriculture
May 2, 2026
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New Penn research shows that Hurricane Ida wasn't a once-in-a-century anomaly but a preview of how climate change, urbanization, and aging infrastructure are rewriting flood risk.
Earth Sciences
May 1, 2026
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Wildfires can increase flooding risks in and downstream of burned areas by removing vegetation and disturbing hydrologic processes. As the climate changes, the severity of both wildfires and heavy rainfall events is increasing, ...
Earth Sciences
May 1, 2026
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As rain falls, lurking within stormwater runoff are hidden microplastics, polluting the water sources they drain into. Even though microplastics originate in urban environments such as cities, existing data sets focus on ...
Environment
Apr 30, 2026
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Engineers at the University of Houston have unlocked decades of hidden flood risk data, using artificial intelligence to transform paper flood maps into digital tools that reveal how flooding has evolved—and where future ...
Environment
Apr 29, 2026
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Michigan and parts of Wisconsin are in the midst of a historic flooding event in spring 2026. Days of heavy rainfall on top of snow have sent lakes and rivers over their banks and threatened several dams in both states, forcing ...
Environment
Apr 23, 2026
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