This project is about a group of scientists active in the United States between the 1940s and the 1970s who argued that the physical properties of rivers could best be understood by gathering large amounts of precise quantitative data and developing mathematical models to explain them. The men who led this “quantitative revolution” in fluvial geomorphology — and it is important to acknowledge the histories of racism and sexism that meant that virtually all American geomorphologists during this period were white men — came from a range of backgrounds, were trained in a variety disciplines, worked across different government agencies, and were driven by distinct goals. You can learn more about the key figures in this history by clicking on their images below.
