RIVER FLOODING Flashcards
1
Q
Define river flooding
A
Discharge exceeds the channels capacity and overflows the banks and spills over floodplain
- discharge
- channels capacity
- banks
- floodplain
2
Q
Physical causes
A
- Weather
- Rock
- Soil
- Relief
- Drainage density
- Vegetation
3
Q
Human causes
A
- Deforestation
- Urbanisation
- Burning fossil fuels (global warming)
4
Q
Effects on enviornment
A
- Landslides
- Soil erosion
- Loss of wildlife habitats
- Vegetation destroyed
5
Q
Effects on people
A
- Death, injury, disease
- Crops and animals lost
- Contamination of water supply
- Transport disrupt
6
Q
Flood control - construction
A
Hard -engineering structures:
- e.g. dams and flood embankments. Expensive
Soft-engineering approach:
- Preserving wetlands, stricter planning controls, warning systems
7
Q
Flood control - prediction
A
e. g. helpful to know how wide and high a river can get in floods to make building decisions
- however, floods can vary in size
