Extreme Weather Investigation

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Kilian Sloan

Extreme Weather Investigation

Location of Investigation

        Castle Head Field Centre lies between the fells of the Lake District and the shores of Morecambe Bay, in a secluded corner of northwest England in a small rural town of grange over sands.

Aim of Investigation        

In this report I shall be investigating how land-use in a drainage basin affects the rivers response to a rainfall event. I shall be describing the various methods of research, deeply analysing my findings and concluding the results I have found the my hypothesis.

Hypothesis

        My hypothesis for the outcome for the investigation is that impermeable surfaces will result in a flash flood river response. The hydrograph will show a high magnitude, short duration response and a short lag time. I believe this to be true due to the surface run off on impermeable surfaces which because it can’t infiltrate it runs down faster and in a higher quantity. Impermeable surfaces give a higher risk of flooding as the run off duration is a lot quicker and the peak is a lot higher than permeable surfaces where infiltration occurs causing a slower response and a longer duration.

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Method

Part 1: Simulating Drainage Basins

The investigation was based around four different surface types representing drainage basins, to test the response of each surface. The first surface was bare earth witch consisted of various materials including rocks and soil. There was also a concrete surface, which represented an urban environment. Also grazed and ungrazed pastured which consisted of both soil and clay. The grazed pasture was more compact and disturbed then the ungrazed which could represent a differ in the results. Each plot consisted of inclined surfaces of a particular ‘land-use’. ...

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