(24) examine the causes of the river flooding
The flooding was caused by a range of human and physical causes.
● physical causes include the underlying geology which is clay: an impermeable rock which has low rates of infiltration & percolation leading to more surface runoff
● heavy rain in the previous few weeks will have saturated clay; reducing infiltration & percolation rates
● was a heavy storm on 12th January which may have exceeded infiltration
rates leading to rapid surface run-off
● river channel was unable to accommodate all this water & burst its banks.