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Flood stage is the water level, as read by a stream gauge or tide gauge, for a body of water at a particular location, measured from the level at which a body of water threatens lives, property, commerce, or travel. [1] The term "at flood stage" is commonly used to describe the point at which this occurs.
The infiltration capacity is defined as the maximum rate of infiltration. It is most often measured in meters per day but can also be measured in other units of distance over time if necessary. [1] The infiltration capacity decreases as the soil moisture content of soils surface layers increases.
The theoretical return period between occurrences is the inverse of the average frequency of occurrence. For example, a 10-year flood has a 1/10 = 0.1 or 10% chance of being exceeded in any one year and a 50-year flood has a 0.02 or 2% chance of being exceeded in any one year.
A water year (also called hydrological year, discharge year or flow year) is a term commonly used in hydrology to describe a time period of 12 months for which precipitation totals are measured. Its beginning differs from the calendar year because part of the precipitation that falls in late autumn and winter accumulates as snow and does not ...
An intensity-duration-frequency curve (IDF curve) is a mathematical function that relates the intensity of an event (e.g. rainfall) with its duration and frequency of occurrence. [1] Frequency is the inverse of the probability of occurrence. These curves are commonly used in hydrology for flood forecasting and civil engineering for urban ...
Flood mitigation is a related but separate concept describing a broader set of strategies taken to reduce flood risk and potential impact while improving resilience against flood events. As climate change has led to increased flood risk an intensity, flood management is an important part of climate change adaptation and climate resilience .
Rain falling over a drainage basin in Scotland.Understanding the cycling of water into, through, and out of catchments is a key element of hydrology. Hydrology (from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr) 'water' and -λογία () 'study of') is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and ...
From the ecological perspective, the most distinctive aspect of floodplains is the flood pulse associated with annual floods, and so the floodplain ecosystem is defined as the part of the river valley that is regularly flooded and dried. [19] Floods bring in detrital material rich in nutrients and release nutrients from dry soil as it is flooded.