River Flooding Flashcards
What is river flooding a result of?
A water surplus with a range of meteorological causes
What can intense storms lead to?
They can lead to flash flooding
What can rapid snowmelt create?
Overland flow such as Norfolk 2013 where some roads were under 1.5m of water
What occurs across S and SE Asia every May to Sep?
Monsoonal rainfall
Where is an example of monsoonal rainfall causing flooding?
Western India in July 20021 where 140 died and tens of thousands evacuated
What is England’s wettest county?
Cumbria
How much rainfall did Storm Desmond drop on Cumbria?
341 mm in 24 hrs
What were the causes of the Cumbria 2015 floods?
A conveyor of warm moist air came up from the Caribbean to the UK, the Cumbrian fells then created orographic rainfall. There was too much rain for the already saturated ground resulting in overland flow into the rivers and ultimately causing flooding
What human factors compacted on previous risks of flooding in Cumbria?
Hill sheep farming and urbanisation
How did sheep farming increase the risk of flooding in Cumbria?
Deforestation due to land clearance and over grazing, soil eroded by rain and compacted by hooves and peat bogs drained to create grassland resulting in a flashy hydrograph
