Activities based around this case study are found below. We welcome your activity ideas and suggestions - contact Anne Greaves if you would like to contribute a resource you have created.
Uckfield Case Study: Activities
Hydrology
Activity Resources:
- River Uck Hydrographs October 2000
- Data on design flows in Uckfield
- October 2000 Uckfield flood map
- Map of Uckfield flooding sequence
- What flood events are likely in the future?
Use the resources to follow these investigations:
- Annotate the four-day hydrograph to show you understood these terms: rising limb, falling limb, peak flow rate, lag time, antecedent flow rate.
- Estimate the return period for floods of:
- 48m3/s, when water starts to flow past the supermarket into the High Street
- 55 m3/s, when water starts to flood the shops on either side - Annotate this information on the hydrograph, and on the map of the flooding sequence.
- Estimate the return period for the peak flow of 110m3/s at the High Street bridge, then annotate this on the ten-day hydrograph.
- Use the flood map to estimate the area of Uckfield flooded by this peak flow in October 2000. Then add a note with details of the extent and area of the flood to the hydrograph.
- Annotate the hydrograph to show when different parts of the town centre were flooded by the October 2000 flood event.
- Work out the maximum design flow of each of the flood protection options, then identify these on the hydrograph.
Meteorological Background
Activity Resources:
- Rainfall Map 11-12 October
- Synoptic Charts 8-12 October
- Detailed Meteorological Synopsis
- Rainfall data for October 2000
- River Uck Hydrographs
- Use textboxes or callouts to annotate the synoptic charts, using notes taken from 'Meteorological Synopsis' paper.
- Add a short summary of the rainfall sequence between 8 and 12 October and its causes.
- Annotate the four-day level hydrograph to show the impact of the different low-pressure systems and fronts shown on the synoptic charts.
- Finish with a summary that uses your new understanding of the meteorology to explain the flood event at Uckfield.
- Combine the results of your work into a presentation or poster to inform the other students in your group.
What does the hourly rainfall data tell you about the nature of the rainfall and the type of flooding?
Land use Planning
Activity Resources:
- Map of the Sussex Ouse river system
- Land use in the Uckfield flood plain
- Cost-benefit analysis of the different flood management options
- Produce a display or presentation to show how land use in and around Uckfield contributes to the flood hazard
- Produce a display or presentation showing the Environment Agency's flood prevention options - for example by annotating them around a map of Uckfield
- Do a cost-benefit analysis of the different options
- Evaluate these plans and produce a rank order of which you think to be most to least effective. - Use the information on this site and your textbook to evaluate the impact of the causes of flooding in the Uck valley.
- Produce a series of maps at different scales to show the extent to which the catchment, land use, hydrology and meteorology affected the 2000 Uckfield flood.
- You may wish to add detail to your investigation of the land use in the catchment by using programs such as Google Earth.
Concept Mapping
- Produce a concept map to summarise your understanding of the Uckfield flooding event. Start with these four main categories:
- causes/effects
- responses/solutions - Add specific details from the resources on this site, adding connections between different factors that help explain the severity of the flood event.
- Present your findings including a short summary of the future flood risk at Uckfield.
Extend your thinking
- Is the UK becoming a more hazardous place? If so, why? Start your thinking by investigating the Met Office and Environment Agency websites.
- Consider the links between peoples' perception of flood risk and the range of responses to the flood hazard.
- What are the alternatives to engineering solutions to flood hazards? Evaluate their value in the shorter- and longer-term.
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