Comparison between Flooding in the UK and in the Arabian Gulf - Example

Name : xxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxx Title : COMPARISON BETWEEN FLOODING IN UK AND IN THE ARABIAN GULF Institution : xxxxxxx @2009 Comparison between Flooding in UK and in the Arabian Gulf Flooding refers to the overflow of water that evidently submerges a piece of land. With regard to flowing, the same word can apply to the inflow of any form of a tide. Flooding results from the change in the volume of water in a given water body. Such an occurrence is thus common to a river, a lake and extends to even oceans and seas. In the event of a flood, the water body pours its contents outside its boundaries. This occurs as a result of a sudden increase in the level of water that may be brought about by intense raining or the melting of glaciers. It only becomes a significant flood if at all the overflow of water poses danger to the adjacent land common to human activity. The United Kingdom has for the last few years experienced a number of severe floods. Majority of the floods were reported in the year 2007 in various regions across the UK. Majority of the flooding in the UK came in the summer of the year 2007. This paper examines the flooding in the United Kingdom and further compares it to the flooding in the Arabian Gulf. Flooding in the United Kingdom Metrological studies in the United Kingdom indicate that the month of June is the wettest month of the year. This is thought to be the period of the year when the United Kingdom receives an average rainfall of about a hundred and forty millimetres. In the June of the year 2007, this is said to have been the average level of rainfall recorded. A number of regions were reported to have had a precipitation that would have been recorded in the entire month within twenty four hours. This was thought to be the highest level of precipitation to have been recorded ever since the year 1776 (Tunstall, et al 1998). The type of flooding that the came with this heavy downpour caused a lot of panic. This flooding led into the need to ascertain the susceptibility of a number of regions within the United Kingdom to effects of floods. The widespread flooding that was experienced in the summer of the year 2007 was as a result of the heavy rainfall that pounded most of England and Wales. Majority of the Britons succumbed to the effects of the heavy rainfall between the months of May to July. Over fifty thousand households and seven thousand businesses were covered by the floods (Graghan 2005). These floods also caused a major destruction of a number of transport channels, power supply systems and schools. Most of the water that caused the flooding is said to have flown from drains with a number of river channels and flood defences being overpowered by the intensity and the volume of the water (Paul, et al 2005). This is said to have happened so suddenly that it became almost impossible to exactly ascertain the likelihood of the floods (Wallendorf, et al 2008). Most of the river flooding was attributed to the overflowing of rivers; Den, Thames and Savern alongside their tributaries. The protective schemes are thought to have played a vital role in lowering the intensity of the flooding (Samuels 2008). A number of experts have indicated that the flooding would have been more severe had the schemes not been developed. Irrespective of prior warning of the likely dangers of the heavy rains, a number of localities in close proximity with the three rivers are said to have recorded the most severe effects of the floods (Great Britain: National Audit office 2007). Such regions included areas between both Tewkesbury and Gloucester. Other worst hit regions included the upstream of Oxford, the Thames and the South Yorkshire (Carter 1988). The Susceptibility of the United Kingdom to Flooding The occurrence of catastrophic weather events in the United Kingdom has been of severe effects across the region. Such flooding catastrophes include the flooding of a number of inland rivers in the April of the year 1998 within central England alongside the storms and floods that took place in most parts of the United Kingdom in the year 2000 and 2001(Nicholls 2000). Each of the events resulted in to severe loses to properties and the disruption of the settlement patterns among societies. The area surrounding England to the East coast is generally very vulnerable to flooding (Nicholls 2000). This has been further fostered by the rise in sea level alongside the large scale subsidence of the land. This region is known to have a history of flooding that can be traced to the events of the 31st of January and the 1st of February in the year 1953 which destroyed properties and caused a number of deaths (Environmental Agency 1999). Though sea defences were developed following this incidence, they are now fifty years old with very minimal repairs having been done. However with the lure of having been protected by the walls, there has been an intense settlement of people in this coastal region. This implies that in the event of another catastrophe, the amount of property that is bound to be destroyed and the loss of lives is bound to be far much higher than what was in the 1953 (Nicholls 2000). The Meteorological Background of the Flooding In the United Kingdom The summer flooding in the year 2007 is said to have emerged from an anticyclone within the Northern region of the United Kingdom. On the initial stages of the anticyclone, a relatively dry and cool Easterly flow was maintained (Rupp & Nicholls 2002). As from the tenth of the same month, a high pressure development emerged that led in to the emergence of a series of thunderstorms thought to have spear headed most of the flooding recorded in Northern Ireland (DEFRA 2001). Within the same week of the flooding in Northern Ireland, there came a slow motioned low pressure zone that covered Biscay and extended to the British Isles. With the highest peak of the rains in the mid of June, a related occluded front is said to have moved in to most parts of Northern England with the level of the down pour exceeding previously recorded amounts. This led to intense flooding in most parts of the UK (Defra/Environmental Agency 2002). On weakening, the flooding is thought to have moved in to most of Scotland leaving both Wales and England with what was termed as an unstable air mass. This was marked with heavy down pours coupled with thunderstorms and heavy clouds (Rupp & Nicholls 2002). These are aspects that led in to an intense flooding and later hindered the drying of a number of areas that had initially been hit by the same rains. Intense flooding in most parts of England is thought to have resulted from yet another low pressure depression that covered most parts of England coupled with heavy down pours and very high water levels (Coe 2003). This flooding was evident in various localities including Wales and England, Gloucestershire, Midlands the South, East and West of Yorkshire. The South of England is said to have experienced another frontal system on the 20th of July the same year. This is the time when very many regions experienced severe flooding in the United Kingdom (Defra/Environmental Agency 2002). A number of metrological researchers have indicated that most of the severe flooding within the United Kingdom that occurred at this time may have been related to the occurrence of the La Nina experience within the Pacific Ocean (DEFRA 2001). Most of the severe hydro meteorological events that are common to the flooding in the United Kingdom have only been accorded minimal consideration with regard to the possibility of their occurrence. This explains why most of the flooding occurs when it is not expected. The occurrence of most flooding in the UK is closely related to the susceptibility of a number of river catchment areas. Most of the flooding that was evident in most parts of the United Kingdom was attributed to the heavy downpour and the numerous thunderstorms (Firth 2007). Most of London had been submerged in water with a number of roof tops leaking. Within London, both the circle and the district lines had been covered with lots of water coupled with prolonged delays in other major stations. The floods caused a lot of devastation with a number of schools being closed down and driving in most parts becoming almost impossible. A research methodology for the identification of flood prone regions has been conducted with most of the findings pointing to river catchment areas as regions that can not be spared in the event of floods. The research methodology is based on the features of river catchment areas as defined by the FEH analysis (Firth 2007). Flooding in the Arabian Gulf Most of the Arabian Gulf is constantly flooded by the waters of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. Like most of the United Kingdom that is surrounded by rivers, the Arabian Gulf is equally surrounded by both rivers and other large water bodies. Most of the flooding in the Arabian Gulf has its origin in the early days of Noah. Studies also indicate that the Arabian Gulf is equally highly susceptible to flooding especially with regard to its landscape that mainly composed of a structure that mainly consists of a weak base. Most of the base of the Arabian Gulf consists of Aeolian dunes whose general composition is not stable enough to withstand flooding. The flooding of the Tigris-Euphrates River has for ages been forcing the local inhabitants to vacate their settlements in search of alternative forms of housing (Rice 1994). Most of the Arabian Gulf is made up of a composition of sand deposits combined with both silt and intercalated clay. The term Sabkha has been used to describe this type of landscape commonly found in most of the coastal regions within the Arabian Gulf (Shahina et al 1998). Flooding is thus very common due the low infiltration rates common to the land boarding the water bodies (American Society of Civil Engineers 1996). Unlike most of the flooding in the UK, the flooding in the Arabian Gulf has closely been associated to the historic occurrences of floods in the bible. This is more so with regard to the stories related to the tower of Babylon and the Noah’s flood. The post glacial rise common to the sea level is an aspect that has been causing the reflooding in most parts of the Arabian Gulf. Most sections of the Aeolian sediments that are usually not so stable are normally washed down. It is established that the sea has transgressed over a thousand kilometres inundating most of the extended sections of the Tigris-Euphrates River. In the event of any flooding, the effects are very severe that most of the residents have to forego their properties as they seek alternative accommodation elsewhere. Owing to the differing rates of the sea level, most of the flooding used to exceed the rate of a kilometre for every year (Kelman& Spencer 2004). Unlike most of the flooding in the United Kingdom that occurs as a result of the inability of the surrounding land to absorb the excess water when a river plunges through it banks, most of the flooding in the Arabian Gulf is associated with the surging of hurricanes that are known to cause movements in the waters of the rivers, seas and oceans (Middleton 2003). It has been established that every region surrounding a water body has a certain ability to which it can absorb water which further determines how well and fast the water flows away (American Society of Civil Engineers 1996). For most of the flooding in the Arabian Gulf, the nature of the soil in the regions bordering the water bodies is such that it already holds some water especially with regard to the nature of silt and clay soil. The level of saturation in the soil is an aspect that greatly determines the amount of water that flows through (Kelman 2001). The rate at which the overflowing water in the event of a flood flows away tends to determine the intensity of flooding. It also may be possible that unlike most of the flooding in the United Kingdom that is closely related to the overflowing of rivers in the event of a heavy down pour , most of the flooding in the in the Arabian Gulf is closely related to the severe sea storms including tsunamis and hurricanes (American Society of Civil Engineers 1996). Majority of this type of flooding is as a result of a storm surge that emanates from an extra tropical cyclone or rather a tropical cyclone. The flooding in the United Kingdom can be defined as an estuarine type of flooding that is commonly related to a combination of various sea tidal surges that occur as a result of storm forced winds. Most of the flooding in the Arabian Gulf can be defined as coastal flooding (Rice 1994). Another aspect that may differentiate the type of flooding in the United Kingdom and the flooding common to the Arabian Gulf is the impact of the flood waters. Unlike most of the United Kingdom, most regions within the Arabian Gulf are more vulnerable to the effects of floods owing to the poor soil composition with regard to the ability to retain and allow the flow of water. It emerges that in the event of any flood within the Arabian gulf, the masses of land that are bound to be submerged for a very long period of time are much higher than the land that is likely to be covered by water within the united Kingdom in the event of a flood (Shahina et al 1998). Other than the soil composition that seems to foster the retention of water in the event of floods in the Arabian Gulf, the impacts of floods has been intensified owing to the fact that most regions within the Arabian Gulf are deforested (Smith & Ward 1998). This is contrary to most of the United Kingdom that has plenty of vegetation cover. This is an aspect that makes it possible for the flood water to freely flow to various regions that are normally bare within the Arabian Gulf (Alsharhan 1998). It also emerges that the United Kingdom though bordered by the sea like the Arabian Gulf is not so susceptible to coastal floods like the Arabian Gulf owing to the physical landscape and the geographical alignment that has been strongly reinforced by the construction of safety walls. This makes it relatively hard for the flood waters from the sea to plunge through the walls in to the land. This is not the case with most of the Arabian gulf as such safety measures are yet to be adopted especially in the current wake of terrible floods including the Tsunami (Kelman 2001). Conclusion Flooding is a meteorological phenomenon that has very devastating effects. In the event of a flood, properties are destroyed with lots of families losing homes and people succumbing to death. With regard to the flooding in the United Kingdom, properties worthy lots of cash were destroyed in a number of cities and more so in localities bordering the three main rivers. This type of flooding was attributed to the heavy rains that came in the summer of the year 2007. This is said to have been a very terrible incident since such occurrences had only been reported in the late 1950s and majority had not expected any thing of the kind. With regard to the Arabian Gulf, flooding is a very common catastrophe that has been hitting severally and many though left devastated usually expect the worst in the event of any flooding. It also emerges that most of the floods in the Arabian Gulf are usually very severe than any that has been reported in the United Kingdom. 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