ERTH 2415 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: 2013 Alberta Floods, Sinuosity, Snowmelt
3 Dec 2015
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Document Summary
Avulsion rainwater transforms and existing creek into a raging stream, ignoring its original course. 2013 alberta floods were not unprecedented and in fact the bow river had risen to these levels before. The flood caused so much damage because of an the buildings and infrastructure on the bow river flood plains, an unsafe action that is trending because of growing population. Increasing number of floods and flood damage in canada reflect the trend of developing on flood prone areas because of population growth and may also signal long term changes in climate. Water is conveyed from subtributaries to tributaries, then to the main stream: the drainage basin acts as a funnel, evacuating water to a single outlet. Within a drainage basin, streams seek equilibrium. Discharge the rate of water flow expressed as volume per unit of time. Gradient the slope of the stream bottom. Excess water causes a stream to flow much more rapidly and energetically.
