Discussion 7 Geography 1030

FLOODING

Graded and due beginning of class the week of April 12

You will be viewing a Nova videotape titled "Flood " in discussion during the week beginning April 5. Answers to the questions below are due at the beginning of class the week beginning April 12 Because of the thanksgiving Holiday there will be no wednesday discussions. Those of you in wednesday discussions should try to attend discussions Tuesday but certainly make sure your ta receives the assignment by the start of Thanksgiving Break

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. Questions are more or less in the order presented in the video

1. Discuss the quote "flood is a leisurely disaster"

2. What were the meteorological conditions that caused the Midwest Flood of 1993

3. What sort of mechanisms did the Corps of Engineers use in the 1930's to "tame" the Mississippi?

4. What problems occur when levees have high water up against them for long periods of time?

5. What are some of the common damages that occur to farmland after a levee break? Does this differ from the old saying that Egypt was the gift of the Nile?

6. What mechanisms (or fortunate acts of fate) saved some communities and destroyed others. Give one example

7. Why do we appear to have more problems today with extensive floods? Are there things we can do to diminish their severity?

8. Think about this one. What do we owe people who live on floodplains?

The usual supplementary links for your viewing pleasure are below

http://www.wes.army.mil/EL/flood/fl93home.html

http://water.usgs.gov/public/pubs/FS/OFR93-641/index.html

http://lists.uakron.edu/geology/natscigeo/lectures/streams/miss_flood.htm

http://www.geo.mtu.edu/rs/tm/flood/