Floods: Chapter 3: Plate Tectonics

Floods
Chapter 3: Plate Tectonics

You will learn…
- to describe the natural and human causes
of floods
- to discuss the impact of floods on human
lives and the environment
- to evaluate the effectiveness of
management strategies taken to mitigate
and adapt to floods
Floods
• Floods occur when land that is usually dry
is submerged by large amounts of water.
Floods
• Floods are considered hazards as they
can adversely affect lives and property.
Floods
 The occurrence of
floods can be due to
both natural and
human causes.
 Natural causes of
floods include:
 Excessive rainfall
 Storm surges
 Melting snow
 Global atmospheric
processes
 Movements of the
Earth’s surface
Floods
 The occurrence of
floods can be due to
both natural and
human causes.
 Human causes of
floods include:
 Clearing of forests
 Urban development
 Enhanced greenhouse
effect
Natural Causes of Floods
• Excessive rainfall: Floods occur when
rainwater is unable to seep into the ground
quickly enough, or rivers overflow their banks
because river channels cannot contain excess
water.
 Common in places
experiencing tropical monsoon
climate.
• Storm surges: Occurs when strong winds raise
the waves in the ocean to exceptionally high
levels, causing them to crash onto the coast and
flood the land.
 Common in coastal areas and places with low-lying

relief.
• Melting snow: Melting of snow in spring
releases large amounts of water into the rivers,
causing them to overflow their banks.
 Common in places
experiencing cool
temperate climate.
• Global atmospheric processes: Abnormal
weather phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña can
result in floods or droughts.
 El Niño is the warming of surface ocean waters at the

southeastern part of Pacific Ocean.
 Surface temperature of ocean off the coast of South
America heats up. Air above oceans becomes hot
and humid.
 Extreme weather like heavy rain and thunderstorms in
South America result.
• Movements of the Earth’s surface: Earthquakes can

bring about landslides or trigger off tsunamis.
 When landslides occur, loosened

soil may be deposited in rivers,
causing overflowing of these
rivers.
 Tsunamis triggered by strong
undersea earthquakes can flood
and devastate coastal settlements.
Human Causes of Floods
• Clearing of forests
– Lack of vegetation cover
to hold the soil together
on slopes. Soil is thus
eroded and deposited in
rivers, making them
shallower.
– Bare slopes increase
surface runoff and
volume of water flowing
into rivers.
– Flooding occurs when
rivers overflow.
• Urban development: The clearing of land for
development of housing and industries, thus
increasing built-up areas.
 Concrete pavements and tarred

roads prevent rainwater from
seeping into the ground.
 Less natural vegetation is
available to intercept the rain.
 Increase in surface run-off
flowing into rivers result in flooding.
• Impacts of enhanced greenhouse effect:
Human activities are the most likely causes
of enhanced greenhouse gases.
Global warming results in climatic changes

such as higher rainfall, which in turn leads to
incidences of floods.
How Floods Affect People and
the Environment
• Loss of lives: Floods often occur when
least expected.
People are often not prepared and thus
drown.
Impact is higher near
floodplains, which are often
densely populated due to
soil fertility.
the Environment
• Damage to property and infrastructure:
Floods damage homes, roads, power supply
etc.
Such damage is very costly and takes a long
time to repair.
the Environment
• Spread of diseases: Homeless flood victims
are housed in makeshift shelters.
Crowded conditions without proper sanitation
can cause the outbreak of diseases.
the Environment
• Damage to the environment: Trees,
vegetation and natural habitats of animals
can be destroyed.
the Environment
• Fertile soil for agriculture: One benefit of
the regular flooding of rivers is that fertile
alluvium deposits are produced.
Adapting to Floods
• Reducing the impact of floods

– Building artificial levées or dykes
– Construction of dams
– Building control
– Watershed management
– Flood insurance
– Monitoring and education
– Post-flood management measures
Reducing the Impact of Floods
• Building artificial levées and dykes
 Walls of sand, stone and concrete are built along river
banks to increase the capacity of the river to hold water.
• Construction of dams
 Dams control the amount of water
flowing into the rivers, using
gates to hold back or release
water.
• Building control
 Maps showing flood-prone areas provide information for
developers to ensure that floods would not affect the
buildings they construct.
• Watershed management
 Programmes can be implemented to manage the entire
watershed by conserving vegetation cover or re-planting
trees so as to reduce surface run-off.
• Flood insurance
 Residents in flood-prone areas can have their property
insured against flood, so that they can afford to repair their
property if floods occur.
• Monitoring and education
 Scientists can use modern technology to monitor weather
patterns and warn of floods in advance.
 Citizens can be educated on how to react when floods
occur.
• Post-flood management
measures
 Plans can be made by
authorities to evacuate
victims when floods occur.
 Foreign aid may also be offered
to help flood victims.
Living with Floods
• Preparation is key!
 Occurrences of floods can never
be fully prevented.
 We can instead prepare for
them and reduce the negative
impacts that they bring.
 Technology can help to better
manage floods
PAKISTAN HISTORIC

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Floods

Chapter 3: Plate Tectonics

 Common in coastal areas and places with low-lying

 El Niño is the warming of surface ocean waters at the

• Movements of the Earth’s surface: Earthquakes can

 When landslides occur, loosened

 Concrete pavements and tarred

Global warming results in climatic changes

• Reducing the impact of floods

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