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Environmental Risks and Hazards > L3 - Floods > Flashcards

L3 - Floods Flashcards

(45 cards)

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1
Q

What is a drainage basin?

A

Total area that contributes water to a stream

- Basic geomorphic unit

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2
Q

What is an interfluve?

A

Dividing line between drainage basins

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3
Q

Name 3 main types of causes of river floods

A
  • Atmospheric
  • Tectonic (Landslides)
  • Technologic (Dam failure)
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4
Q

Name 3 types of atmospheric causes of river floods

A
  • Rainfall
  • Snowmelt
  • Ice Jam
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5
Q

Name 2 main types of causes of coastal floods

A
  • Atmospheric (Storm surges)

- Tectonic (Tsunamis)

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6
Q

What factors increase surface runoff?

A
  • Impermeable surfaces
    e. g. urbanisation
  • Less interception
    e. g. deforestion
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7
Q

What effect might urbanisation have on a hydrograph?

A
  • A higher peak flow, representing more concentrated and immediate discharge of water
    = Higher flooding magnitude
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8
Q

What is a storm surge?

A

Difference between predicted and observed height of tide

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9
Q

What causes storm surges?

A
  • Low pressure systems

- High winds

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10
Q

How high are storm surges in Eastern England

A

2m or higher

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11
Q

What effects the location and severity of storm surges?

A
  • Coriolis effect

- Morphology of water basin e.g. English channel is shallow

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12
Q

When was a notable coastal flood due to storm surge that effected Eastern England

A

31st January 1953

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13
Q

What caused the 1953 flood?

A
  • High Spring tide
  • Low pressure system
  • Force 10-11 winds from north
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14
Q

What were the effects of the 1953 flood?

A
  • 637km land flooded (UK)
  • 307 deaths (UK)
  • 1800 deaths (NDL)
  • 24,000 homes destroyed (UK)
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15
Q

What was built in response to the 1953 flood?

A

Thames Flood Barrier in 1982

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16
Q

What return period was the Thames Flood Barrier designed to protect against

A

1 in 1000 years

- Increasingly used (sea level rise?)

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17
Q

What is the ‘underspill position’ in the Thames Flood Barrier

A

Allows controlled amount of water to pass through the barrier

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18
Q

What does the TFB protect against?

A
  • Storm surges
  • High tides
  • River flooding
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19
Q

According to the Env. Agency, what are the 5 main types of English floods?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • River
  • Coastal
  • Surface water
  • Sewer
  • Groundwater - When water table rises above sea level
20
Q

What are 2 types of flood distinctive to Bangladesh?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Tidal

- Flash floods

21
Q

What are 3 typical characteristics of flood-prone envrionments

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Low-lying Floodplains
  • Low-lying coastlines
  • Small, steep basins (flash floods)
  • Below unsafe dams
22
Q

Give an example of a flood of a low-lying floodplain

Study These Flashcards
A

1993, Mississippi

23
Q

Give an example of a flood-prone low-lying delta

Study These Flashcards
A

Song Hong delta, Vietnam

24
Q

What caused the 2007 England floods?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Jet Stream unusually far south, series of low pressure systems
  • Wet Winter follow06-07 Dec-Feb
  • Wet 07 Summer
  • Reduced evaporation
25
What were the effects of the 2007 England floods?
Total Insured loses - £2.3-3.3 losses Local flash floods to widespread river basin floods Excess of 100-year rivers flows Esp. Flooding of the Severn and the Humber
26
How much rainfall was there in Pershore?
140+mm
27
How much rain was there in Uckfield, East Sussex in the 2000 floods?
>150mm in 12 hours
28
What contributed to the Dec 2013 River Mole floods?
- Weald Clay contributed | - Very low pressure system
29
Accord to the Env. Agency 2009 report, what areas of England are more at risk of flooding?
- Vale of York - The Wash - South-east coastline - Somerset Levels 5. 2 million properties (1 in 6) at risk
30
According to 2009 Env Agency report, what could lead flooding to get more likely?
- More freq. and severe weather - Defences deterioration - Urbanisation - Deforestation - Soil degradation
31
According to 2009 Env Agency report, what could lead flooding to get less likely?
- Better defences - Less development on flood-prone areas - Diversion of flood water - Better land management
32
According to 2009 Env Agency report, what could lead flood impacts to get worse?
- Climate Change -> More severe events - Higher value of property and goods - Loss of insurance cover - New development in flood-prone areas
33
According to 2009 Env Agency report, what could lead flood impacts to get better?
- Better forecasting - Better property-level protection - Better response & preparedness - Help with recovery
34
According to 2009 Env Agency report, what utility is at greatest risk?
Water pumping plants? - 55%
35
According to 2009 Env Agency report, which region has the most people living on a floodplain?
Greater London - most risk of flooding
36
What defines an area as being on 'low risk'?
>0.5% - 1 in 200yr
37
What defines an area as being on 'medium risk'?
0.5-1.3%
38
What defines an area as being on 'high risk'?
>1.3% - 1 in 75yr
39
What Chinese rivers flooded in 1931?
Yellow, Yangtze, Huai
40
What caused the 1931 Chinese floods?
- Heavy snowfall - Winter 1930 | - Very wet spring-Aug
41
How many people died 1931 Chinese floods?
3.7-4 million
42
What did the 1931 Chinese floods prompt?
Three Gorges Dam - 181m high, 2335m long - $26 billion - 660km reservoir, 39km3
43
Name two mitigation measures against flooding
- Insurence (>developed) | - Disaster Aid (
44
Name two protection measures against flooding
- Flood abadement | - Flood control
45
Name three adaptation measures against flooding
- Land-use planning - Preparedness - Forecasting

Environmental Risks and Hazards (18 decks)

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