🌧️ Factors That Affect River Flooding Flashcards
Name one natural cause of river flooding.
Heavy rainfall or snowmelt.
How does deforestation cause flooding?
Trees are gone, so less water is soaked up.
What happens if the soil is saturated?
New rain runs off into rivers and can cause flooding.
Why do urban areas flood easily?
Lots of roads and buildings stop water soaking into the ground
How do steep slopes cause flooding?
Water flows down fast and doesn’t soak in.
Heavy Rainfall – Too much rain too fast = river can’t hold it = floods.
Steep Slopes – Water runs off quickly instead of soaking into the ground.
Impermeable Surfaces – Tarmac, concrete, or clay stop water soaking in = more surface runoff.
Deforestation – Fewer trees means less water soaked up = more water in the river.
Snowmelt – When snow suddenly melts, loads of water rushes into rivers.
Urban Areas – Towns and cities have lots of buildings and roads = more runoff into drains and rivers.
Saturated Soil – If the ground is already full of water, new rain can’t soak in.
