Hydrological Thresholds: A Reproducible GIS Workflow
Overview
This page presents the hydrological workflow developed from the methodological appendix to We Were Not Looking. The project examines watershed divides, drainage systems, basin structures, and movement corridors across the Southern Levant using NASA SRTM elevation data and reproducible GIS methods.
The central question is whether certain locations that function as territorial or narrative turning points in biblical and Near Eastern texts also occupy objectively distinctive positions in the physical landscape.
What the Workflow Does
• Identifies watershed hinges and basin boundaries
• Extracts drainage networks using D8 flow‑direction modeling
• Maps constrained movement corridors shaped by relief
• Compares basin structures across multiple regions
• Visualizes hydrological thresholds that may contribute to geographical durability
Why Hydrology Matters
Terrain is not background scenery. Ridges, valleys, basin entrances, and drainage systems often shape settlement patterns, travel routes, territorial boundaries, and political memory. This workflow treats physical geography as evidence — a measurable structure that can clarify how certain places remained important across generations.
Explore the Workflow
View the full reproducible pipeline, scripts, notebooks, and figures directly in the public repository:
→ Explore the Workflow: GitHub Repository
Connection to the Book
This research workflow developed from the methodological appendix to We Were Not Looking. The book explores how the patriarchal narratives unfold within contested landscapes shaped by wells, ridges, basins, and watershed divides.
Technical Note
Flow‑direction modeling uses the D8 algorithm (O’Callaghan & Mark 1984).
DEM data sourced from NASA SRTM 1 arc‑second elevation tiles.