Characterization of a Mediterranean flash flood event using rain gauges, radar, GIS and lightning data

Flash flood events are very common in Catalonia, generating a high impact on society, including losses in life almost every year. They are produced by the overflowing of ephemeral rivers in narrow and steep basins close to the sea. This kind of floods is associated with convective events producing high rainfall intensities. The aim of the present study is to analyse the 12–14 September 2006 flash flood event within the framework of the characteristics of flood events in the Internal Basins of Catalonia (IBC). To achieve this purpose all flood events occurred between 1996 and 2005 have been analysed. Rainfall and radar data have been introduced into a GIS, and a classification of the events has been done. A distinction of episodes has been made considering the spatial coverage of accumulated rainfall in 24 h, and the degree of the convective precipitation registered. The study case can be considered as a highly convective one, with rainfalls covering all the IBC on the 13th of September. In that day 215.9 mm/24 h were recorded with maximum intensities above 130 mm/h. A complete meteorological study of this event is also presented. In addition, as this is an episode with a high lightning activity it has been chosen to be studied into the framework of the FLASH project. In this way, a comparison between this information and raingauge data has been developed. All with the goal in mind of finding a relation between lightning density, radar echoes and amounts of precipitation. Furthermore, these studies improve our knowledge about thunderstorms systems

Characteristics of 2D convective structures in Catalonia (NE Spain): an analysis using radar data and GIS

Flood simulation studies use spatial-temporal rainfall data input into distributed hydrological models. A correct description of rainfall in space and in time contributes to improvements on hydrological modelling and design. This work is focused on the analysis of 2-D convective structures (rain cells), whose contribution is especially significant in most flood events. The objective of this paper is to provide statistical descriptors and distribution functions for convective structure characteristics of precipitation systems producing floods in Catalonia (NE Spain). To achieve this purpose heavy rainfall events recorded between 1996 and 2000 have been analysed. By means of weather radar, and applying 2-D radar algorithms a distinction between convective and stratiform precipitation is made. These data are introduced and analyzed with a GIS. In a first step different groups of connected pixels with convective precipitation are identified. Only convective structures with an area greater than 32 km2 are selected. Then, geometric characteristics (area, perimeter, orientation and dimensions of the ellipse), and rainfall statistics (maximum, mean, minimum, range, standard deviation, and sum) of these structures are obtained and stored in a database. Finally, descriptive statistics for selected characteristics are calculated and statistical distributions are fitted to the observed frequency distributions. Statistical analyses reveal that the Generalized Pareto distribution for the area and the Generalized Extreme Value distribution for the perimeter, dimensions, orientation and mean areal precipitation are the statistical distributions that best fit the observed ones of these parameters. The statistical descriptors and the probability distribution functions obtained are of direct use as an input in spatial rainfall generators

An analysis of the evolution of hydrometeorological extremes in newspapers: the case of Catalonia, 1982–2006

This contribution analyzes the evolution of perception of certain natural hazards over the past 25 years in a Mediterranean region. Articles from newspapers have been used as indicator. To this end a specific Spanish journal has been considered and an ACCESS database has been created with the summarized information from each news item. The database includes data such as the location of each specific article in the newspaper, its length, the number of pictures and figures, the headlines and a summary of the published information, including all the instrumental data. The study focused on hydrometeorological extremes, mainly floods and droughts, in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. The number of headlines per event, trends and other data have been analyzed and compared with "measured" information, in order to identify any bias that could lead to an erroneous perception of the phenomenon. The SPI index (a drought index based on standardized accumulated precipitation) has been calculated for the entire region, and has been used for the drought analysis, while a geodatabase implemented on a GIS built for all the floods recorded in Catalonia since 1900 (INUNGAMA) has been used to analyze flood evolution. Results from a questionnaire about the impact of natural hazards in two specific places have been also used to discuss the various perceptions between rural and urban settings. Results show a better correlation between the news about drought or water scarcity and SPI than between news on floods in Catalonia and the INUNGAMA database. A positive trend has been found for non-catastrophic floods, which is explained by decrease of the perception thresholds, the increase of population density in the most flood-prone areas and changes in land use

Heavy rain prediction using deterministic and probabilistic models ? the flash flood cases of 11?13 October 2005 in Catalonia (NE Spain)

International audienceBetween the 11 and 13 October 2005 several flash floods were produced along the coast of Catalonia (NE Spain) due to a significant heavy rainfall event. Maximum rainfall achieved values up to 250 mm in 24 h. The total amount recorded during the event in some places was close to 350 mm. Barcelona city was also in the affected area where high rainfall intensities were registered, but just a few small floods occurred, thanks to the efficient urban drainage system of the city. Two forecasting methods have been applied in order to evaluate their capability of prediction regarding extreme events: the deterministic MM5 model and a probabilistic model based on the analogous method. The MM5 simulation allows analysing accurately the main meteorological features with a high spatial resolution (2 km), like the formation of some convergence lines over the region that partially explains the maximum precipitation location during the event. On the other hand, the analogous technique shows a good agreement among highest probability values and real affected areas, although a larger pluviometric rainfall database would be needed to improve the results. The comparison between the observed precipitation and from both QPF (quantitative precipitation forecast) methods shows that the analogous technique tends to underestimate the rainfall values and the MM5 simulation tends to overestimate them

Characterization of a Mediterranean flash flood event using rain gauges, radar, gis and lightning data

Flash flood events are very common in Catalonia, generating a high impact on society, including losses in life almost every year. They are produced by the overflowing of ephemeral rivers in narrow and steep basins close to the sea. This kind of floods is associated with convective events producing high rainfall intensities. The aim of the present study is to analyse the 12-14 September 2006 flash flood event within the framework of the characteristics of flood events in the Internal Basins of Catalonia (IBC). To achieve this purpose all flood events occurred between 1996 and 2005 have been analysed. Rainfall and radar data have been introduced into a GIS, and a classification of the events has been done. A distinction of episodes has been made considering the spatial coverage of accumulated rainfall in 24 h, and the degree of the convective precipitation registered. The study case can be considered as a highly convective one, with rainfalls covering all the IBC on the 13th of September. In that day 215.9 mm/24 h were recorded with maximum intensities above 130 mm/h. A complete meteorological study of this event is also presented. In addition, as this is an episode with a high lightning activity it has been chosen to be studied into the framework of the FLASH project. In this way, a comparison between this information and raingauge data has been developed. All with the goal in mind of finding a relation between lightning density, radar echoes and amounts of precipitation. Furthermore, these studies improve our knowledge about thunderstorms system

Application of the MM5 and the analogous method to heavy rainfall event, the case of 16?18 October 2003 in Catalonia (NE Spain)

International audienceBetween the 16 and 18 October 2003, some amounts of precipitation greater than 225mm and sea waves higher than 8.5m were recorded in Catalonia (NE Spain) and near its coast. Some rivers in the NE of the region were overflowed and the sea swell produced several damages near the coast. In order to analyse this case and to improve the forecasting of events like this, two methodologies have been applied: one deterministic and another one, probabilistic. The deterministic analysis has been made by using the MM5 mesoscale model. A 48 h simulation has been designed for three domains connected with two way nesting and having 54, 18, 6 km horizontal grid resolution and vertical resolution of 23 levels, and it has been initialised with the NCEP Analyses. The simulation suggests that orography played an important role on the precipitation generation (maxima were located where the wind at low levels impinged on the mountain ranges perpendicularly). The strong pressure gradient produced in the North of Catalonia and West part of the Gulf of Lyon, was the responsible of the great marine alteration. On the other hand, the 6 km resolution precipitation forecast for Catalonia is accurate, since it shows a spatial distribution and amounts quite similar to the observations obtained from 315 automatic rain gauges. The analogous technique applied here, considers the meteorological situations similar to the current one, in terms of the 850 and 1000 hPa geopotential fields at 00:00 UTC and 12:00 UTC from the NCEP/NCAR meteorological reanalysis for the period 1958?2003. Two windows have been considered, the first one from 60° N to 30° N and from 30° W to 30° E, and the second one, centred in Catalonia, from 45° N to 37.5° N and from 5° W to 10° E. The best 100 analogous have been selected and the comparison of the results with those obtained for other heavy rainfall events has been also done

Flash-floods in Catalonia: the social perception in a context of changing vulnerability

In assessing a flood event two risk components need to be considered: the intrinsic hazard of the hydrome- teorological event causing the flood and the vulnerability of the area where the precipitation has been registered. In the present study four flood events selected by the FLASH Eu- ropean project have been classified according to the charac- teristics of the meteorological event (classification according to hazard) and according to the physical and economic dam- ages caused (classification according to vulnerability). The social impact of these events is analysed taking into account the growth of the population. An increase in the number of extraordinary flash-floods was detected in the areas with a major growth of the population, as a consequence of an in- creased vulnerability of these areas, both from a physical per- spective (exposure of infrastructures) and from an economic perspective (more goods exposed). In addition, the numer- ous non-native inhabitants of the region are not aware of the meteorological risks characteristic of the area, and this con- tributes to increased social vulnerabilit

10 Myr evolution of sedimentation rates in a deep marine to non-marine foreland basin system: Tectonic and sedimentary controls (Eocene, Tremp–Jaca Basin, Southern Pyrenees, NE Spain)

The propagation of the deformation front in foreland systems is typically accompanied by the incorporation of parts of the basin into wedge-top piggy-back basins, this process is likely producing considerable changes to sedimentation rates (SR). Here we investigate the spatial-temporal evolution of SR for the Tremp–Jaca Basin in the Southern Pyrenees during its evolution from a wedge-top, foreredeep, forebulge configuration to a wedge-top stage. SR were controlled by a series of tectonic structures that influenced subsidence distribution and modified the sediment dispersal patterns. We compare the decompacted SR calculated from 12 magnetostratigraphic sections located throughout the Tremp–Jaca Basin represent the full range of depositional environment and times. While the derived long-term SR range between 9.0 and 84.5 cm/kyr, compiled data at the scale of magnetozones (0.1–2.5 Myr) yield SR that range from 3.0 to 170 cm/kyr. From this analysis, three main types of depocenter are recognized: a regional depocenter in the foredeep depozone; depocenters related to both regional subsidence and salt tectonics in the wedge-top depozone; and a depocenter related to clastic shelf building showing transgressive and regressive trends with graded and non-graded episodes. From the evolution of SR we distinguish two stages. The Lutetian Stage (from 49.1–41.2 Ma) portrays a compartmentalized basin characterized by variable SR in dominantly underfilled accommodation areas. The markedly different advance of the deformation front between the Central and Western Pyrenees resulted in a complex distribution of the foreland depozones during this stage. The Bartonian–Priabonian Stage (41.2–36.9 Ma) represents the integration of the whole basin into the wedge-top, showing a generalized reduction of SR in a mostly overfilled relatively uniform basin. The stacking of basement units in the hinterland during the whole period produced unusually high SR in the wedge-top depozoneAgència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca, Grant/Award Number: 2017SGR596; Secretaría de Estado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, Grant/Award Number: BES-2015-073302 and CGL2014-55900-P; Swiss National Science Foundation, Grant/Award Number: 200020_18201

An inventory of the marine and transitional Middle/Upper Eocene deposits of the Southeastern Pyrenean Foreland Basin (NE Spain)

In the southeastern Ebro Foreland Basin, the marine deposits of Lutetian and Bartonian age show excellent outcrop conditions, with a great lateral and horizontal continuity of lithostratigraphic units. In addition, the rich fossil record -mainly larger foraminifers-, provides iostratigraphic data of regional relevance for the whole Paleogene Pyrenean Basin, that can be used for the Middle Eocene biocorrelation of the western Tethys. This contribution is a sedimentary and biostratigraphic synthesis of the basic outcrops and sections of the Lutetian and Bartonian marine and transitional deposits in the southeastern sector of the Ebro Foreland Basin

Evaluación del riesgo de inundación a múltiples componentes en la costa del Maresme

The coast is one of the areas most affected by natural hazards, with floods being the most frequent and significant of these in terms of their induced impacts, so any management scheme requires their evaluation. In coastal areas, flooding is a hazard associated with different processes acting at different scales: coastal storms, flash floods and sea level rise (SLR). To address the problem as a whole, this study presents a methodology to undertake a preliminary integrated risk assessment of the magnitude of each flood component, taking into account their scope (extension of the affected area) and their temporal scale. The risk is quantified using specific indicators to assess the hazard magnitude (for each component) and the consequences. This allows for a robust comparison of the spatial risk distribution along the coast in order to identify both the most at-risk areas and the most influential risk components. This methodology is applied to a stretch of coastline (Maresme, Catalonia) representative of the Spanish Mediterranean coast. The results obtained characterise this coastline as an area with a relatively low overall risk, although some hotspots are identified as having high-risk values. Resumen: La costa es una de las zonas más sometidas a riesgos naturales, siendo la inundación uno de los más frecuentes e importantes en términos de daños inducidos, por lo que cualquier esquema de gestión requiere evaluación. La inundación en zonas costeras es una amenaza natural asociada a diferentes procesos que actúan a distintas escalas: tormentas costeras, riadas y subida del nivel del mar (SNM). Para abarcar la totalidad del problema, este trabajo propone una metodología para la evaluación preliminar del riesgo integrado de inundación costera a una escala regional que permite evaluar la magnitud de cada componente teniendo en cuenta su alcance (extensión de la zona afectada) y su escala temporal. El riesgo se cuantifica en función de unos indicadores específicos que valoran la magnitud de la amenaza para cada componente y las consecuencias. Esto permite comparar robustamente la distribución espacial del riesgo a lo largo de la costa, para identificar tanto zonas de mayor riesgo como las componentes que más contribuyen al mismo. Aplicamos esta metodología a un tramo de costa característica del Mediterráneo español (Maresme, Cataluña). Los resultados permiten caracterizar esta costa como un área con un riesgo global relativamente bajo, pero algunos puntos singulares con riesgo alto