Palaeoflood hydrology in a global context

From its origins as a geological study of flood erosion and sediments the science palaeoflood hydrology matured to become an indispensable means for understanding the hydrology of very large, rare floods. Such floods are increasingly posing risks to human habitation. More that 3 decades of research in palaeoflood hydrology produced spectacular advances in capabilities for (1) accurately determining palaeoflood ages, (2) quantifying the magnitudes and dynamics of palaeoflood processes, and (3) incorporating palaeoflood data into various modeling procedures for risk assessments. Palaeoflood studies now have a global sweep, and it is appropriate to apply the information they provide to address questions of global environmental change. In doing so, it will be necessary to reconsider aspects of science–society interactions because of the many failings of these in current practice.