The world’s rivers are the veins of our continents, moving water, pollutants, cargo and people from the mountains to the sea. However, we know surprisingly little about their characteristics at a global scale—how wide are they? When do they freeze? How much sediment do they carry? Images from satellites can help us answer all of these questions. We will explore how a new era of space-based observations is changing our view of rivers.

Our speaker, Tamlin M. Pavelsky, UNC Chapel Hill, is a professor of global hydrology. He received his BA from Middlebury College and PhD from UCLA in Geography. Tamlin is the NASA hydrology lead on the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite mission, launching in 2022. He received a 2012 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest U.S. government award for early career researchers. Tamlin grew up outside Fairbanks, Alaska in cabins without electricity or running water.

This is the third of a six-lecture series. The subject of the series is Global Waters: The Tip of the Iceberg. The next lecture will take place February 3, 2022. The title is: A history of Water Accumulation and Loss in the Great Lakes. Learn from well-known experts about an array of interesting subjects, with an interactive Q&A period following each lecture.

Preregistration is required via the OLLI website or phone. A link to access the lecture will be e-mailed to you approximately one week prior to the first session.