2B.9 Coastal Flooding Flashcards

1
Q

give two example countries that are vulnerable to coastal flooding and why

A

Bangladesh and the Maldives
-due to their low lying land
-places are densely populated as beaches and the sea attract a large number of tourists
-low lying deltas are fertile and ideal for agriculture (Bangladesh)

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2
Q

how can height be a factor for coastal flooding?

A

-low lying coastlines are 1-2 m above high tide sea level
-temporary flood risks from storm surges and permanent flooding from global sea level rise

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3
Q

how can subsidence be a factor for coastal flooding?

A

-estuaries and deltas are subject to building and natural subsidence through the settling and com[action of deposited sediment
-human activity can cause local subsidence- via sediment drainage

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4
Q

how is Venice experiencing subsidence?

A

due to the weight of the city area and ground water abstraction for supplying cities, reducing sediment volume, leaving the ground to slowly sink
-sinking by around 1mm a year due to natural processes, humans are accelerating this though

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5
Q

how is the Fens of East Anglia experiencing local subsidence?

A

due to the drainage of saturated sediment and soil for agriculture
-currently protected by coastal defences, already much of it lies below highest tide levels

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6
Q

how is removing vegetation be a factor for coastal flooding?

A

it increases the vulnerability, as wave energy is dissipated less e.g. salt marshes and mangrove forest removal
-they stabilise existing sediment and trap it, raising height above sea level

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7
Q

Bangladesh sea level rise statistics

A

a 40cm rise would permanently submerge 11% of Bangladesh, creating 7-10 million environmental refugees

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8
Q

Maldives sea level rise statistics

A

a 50cm rise would permanently flood 77% of the Islands’ local area

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9
Q

Maldives main facts

A

has a population of 400,000 people, spread across 1200 islands
-highest point is 2.3m above sea level
-therefore very vulnerable to storm surges and erosion if levels rise
-removal of mangroves has increased flooding risks

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10
Q

Bangladesh main facts

A

one of world’s most densely populated countries
-46% of population live less than 10m above sea level
-people live in a delta of rivers, in the Bay of Bengal
-experiences heavy deforestation and monsoon on low-lying land
-subsidence has caused islands to sink by 1.5m in the last 50 years

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11
Q

The Thames Barrier in London

A

-one of the largest movable flood barriers in the world, spanning 520m across the river
-it protects 1.4 million people and 420,000 properties
-high rainfall has produced more prolonged flows

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12
Q

what can storm surges cause?

A

severe coastal flooding with dramatic short-term impacts

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13
Q

how are storm surges formed?

A

low pressure causes surface of the sea to rise temporarily
- surface winds spiral into the centre of the low pressure, causing depressions

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14
Q

storm surge

A

a temporary rise in local sea level produced when a depression, storm or tropical cyclone reaches the coast

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15
Q

named UK storm surge example date and location

A

5th December, 2013 in coastal East Anglia
-impacted Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex

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16
Q

December 2013 UK storm surge about

A

-the low pressure stream passed in the North Sea, near North Scotland
-29 severe flood warnings, 141 flood warnings and 63 flood alerts issued
-area of low pressure crossed the top of North Sea, pushing water southwards, causing sea levels to rise more over the shallow sea bed
-water was pushed into a narrow space, increasing wave height, with decreasing depth

17
Q

how does coastal morphology play a significant role in storm surges?

A

a shallow coastline slope produces a greater surge than a steeper slope, as the waves push the water inland faster than it can drain off via backwash

18
Q

name factors affecting the impact of a storm surge

A

-pressure (low pressure makes a higher surge)
-storm intensity/ wind power
-size of storm
-angle of approach (perpendicular is higher surge)
-shape of coastline (concave is higher surge)
-width and slope of ocean bottom
-local features e.g. barriers affecting flow of water

19
Q

how can winds and tides impact storm surge

A

-high winds ‘whip’ up waves causing them to be large and powerful
-high tides cause sea levels to be higher than normal- this is a natural factor

20
Q

impacts of Storm Xavier (Dec 2013) on the UK

A

-£1bn damage estimated across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex
-80mph winds
-2 people died, 18,000 evacuated
-properties collapsed into the sea from erosion
-1400 homes flooded
-bridges shut and eastern railway services disrupted for a day
-£100 million total economic loss estimate

21
Q

cyclone in Bangladesh name and date

A

Cyclone Sidr in November 2007

22
Q

cause of cyclone sidr

A

low pressure (depression) sustems and high wind speeds

23
Q

about cyclone sidr

A

-category 4 cyclone
-240kmph winds
-6m storm surges

impact was worsened by intense rainfall, coastline from unconsolidated delta sediment is easily eroded, deforestation of mangrove swamps

24
Q

impacts of cyclone sidr

A

15,000 people killed
55,000 injured
1.6 million homes destroyed
-$1.7 billion total damage estimate
-roads, electricity lines, fresh water tube wells and crops destroyed

25
adaptation
making changes to decrease the impact of flooding e.g. sea walls, storm surge barriers, mangrove forest protection
26
mitigation
efforts to reduce impacts of climate change e.g. reducing greenhouse gas emissions
27
what does IPCC stand for
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
28
what is the IPCC
a global scientific authority that researches the link between climate change and coastal flood risk -they believe that the impacts of climate change are hard to distinguish away form human related drivers e.g. land use changes, coastal developments and pollution
29
land use changes (impact of climate change)
energy production -burning fossil fuels industrial processes -metal and steel works agriculture -machinery, cows, burning peats and wetlands which are carbon stores
30
coastal development (impact of climate change)
subsidence from buildings, adding weight to land, sinks land -especially vulnerable on rivers and deltas
31