Dr Sara Polanco traces rivers across time
Dr Sara Polanco collecting bathymetric and sediment data in the Magdalena River, Colombia. Image: Dr Kathryn Amos
Dr Sara Polanco has been tracking rivers since she was a teenager in Colombia. Her work helps us prepare for the future environmental change of rivers and efficiently manage the water resources stored in ancient underground river deposits. Recently, Sara’s NCRIS enabled research received a Fulbright Future Fellowship to decode the dynamic evolution of the Mississippi River. We are excited to profile Sara and her passion for rivers, old and new!
Congratulations Sara! A Fulbright Future Scholarship to study the Mississippi River is an outstanding achievement. Can you tell us about that and how you will use AuScope enabled research infrastructure in the process?
Thank you! I will use Auscope enabled software to better understand how and why the Mississippi River catchment has evolved in the last 60 million years. My research will reveal the fundamental processes that modify rivers’ networks and form their ancient deposits, which will help resolve the deep structure and connectivity of groundwater reservoirs.
What sparked your interest in studying rivers?
Rivers are the bloodlines of our planet. They supply water, nutrients and habitable space for over 90% of the human population. My aspiration is that my research helps to sustainably manage the precious resources that rivers provide to our world.
“From a personal point of view, growing up surrounded by the Andes Mountains, the longest continental mountain range in the world, stimulated a deep curiosity in me. I spent hours wondering how those mountains and rivers were formed and dictated where we lived.”
Dr Sara Polanco collecting sediment samples on the Magdalena River banks in Colombia. Image: Dr Kathryn Amos
What is your biggest challenge working in this space?
Despite the key role that rivers play in society, we do not fully understand the fundamental factors that cause them to change. This lack of a baseline understanding of the evolution of rivers hinders our ability to prepare for their future environmental changes and manage the water resources stored in ancient river deposits. My research aims to tackle this fundamental knowledge gap by determining the root causes that drive river evolution.
“I use AuScope enabled cutting-edge software to simulate how rivers change under different scenarios. In a sense, it is like a computer game where I create different worlds based on real landscapes, and I control the movements of tectonic plates, climate and sea level.”
This controlled environment allows me to understand how rivers respond to ever-changing conditions and provides critical insights to mitigate the risk of floods and droughts and sustainably manage water resources.
Virtual river deltas in the making. Dr Sara Polanco using Badlands software. Image: Dr Sara Polanco
How does the study of ancient rivers help us mitigate the effects of climate change?
Over millions of years, the dynamic evolution of rivers creates layers of networks deep within the Earth that host vital resources. Yet, despite the significance of these evolutionary networks, the fundamental processes that modify rivers’ networks and generate their ancient deposits are still unknown. Without this baseline understanding, we cannot efficiently manage groundwater resources stored in ancient river deposits. Yet, our reliance on them is certain to escalate as the world’s population grows and the likelihood of drought frequency and its intensity increase due to climate change.
What is a curious fact about the natural world that brings you joy?
“That there are rivers on Mars and that we can learn so much about past environmental conditions even if those rivers no longer have water. Also, because numerical modelling can help reveal the fundamental processes that modify river networks and form their ancient deposits, we can apply AuScope enabled research infrastructure anywhere in the universe!”
In closing, is there anything more that you would like to share with our audience?
Sixty Fulbright alumni have won Nobel Prizes, and 88 have won Pulitzer Prizes. So the pressure is on (!).
Modelled evolution paleo-drainage patterns in North America, Mississippi River catchment shown in yellow. Modified from Wang et al., (2020).
AUTHORS
A conversation between Dr Sara Polanco from The University of Sydney and
Philomena Manifold from AuScope
LEARN MORE
Discover more of Sara’s research interests here or follow Sara’s journey on Twitter!