Objectives
The objective of this WP is the reconstruction of long-term flood
chronologies, over centuries to millennia, using palaeoflood and
historical data, to obtain a long-term frequency of floodwater recharge
events. Past flood magnitudes will be determined by hydraulic modelling,
with discharge estimated from evidence of water surface elevations,
including slackwater flood deposits in the case of palaeofloods and
known flood elevations from historical evidence.
Palaeofloods
Slackwater flood deposits of the Buffels River near
Messelpad
Close up of indicating the sedimentology of
slackwater flood deposits of the Buffels River
Historical floods
Documentary evidence and oral accounts (from
questionnaires) will be used to compile flood records over recent decades
to centuries. In Namibia, this data will be augmented by early
hydrologic data that exists from the 19th Century.
A "run" (small flood) of the Buffels River
at Messelpad in 1957 (304a Acocks, Aug. 27, 1957)
