A. Werritty

The ‘place’ of Geography in Higher Education Institutions reflects the outcome of a range of social practices that in some locations have enabled the discipline to grow and prosper and elsewhere have forced it to struggle and even disappear. It is argued that local practices are of particular importance, but are often ignored in the history of Geography. The paper also asks the question ‘Why should a University have a Geography Department?’ and offers some answers from the local context of 75 years of Geography at the University of Dundee.

... John Flenley (Hull) is our new chairman and new committee members are Pam Berry (Oxford), Gareth Jones (Strathclyde), Sheila Ross (Bristol), David Watts (Hull) and Robert ... A major new monograph series has been commissioned under the editorship of Richard Munton (UCL ...

The year started with a field symposium on the North York Moors in September. This meeting drew participants from within and outside of the BSG. Included in the topics under study were the recolonisation of the areas of moorland devastated by fires in the 1976 drought. ...

On the 4th August 1978, a major flash flood occurred on the Allt Mor, a mountain torrent within the Cairngorm massif, Scotland. This paper assesses the flood's immediate geomorphic impact as well as its longer term geomorphic significance in terms of slope and valley-floor ...

ABSTRACT The index flood/regional growth curve method is the most commonly used procedure for estimating a design flood at an ungauged site in the United Kingdom when only the instantaneous peak discharge is required. This paper summarises recent work in Scotland in which the authors have refined the equations for estimating the index flood from the physical characteristics of the drainage basin and have proposed new methods for classifying basins to increase the hydrological homogeneity of the regions on which the growth curves are based. A new algorithm for estimating regional growth curves is reported which allows for correlation between flood magnitude at different sites. Simulation experiments are described which highlight the consequences of the data failing to meet the assumptions of the models used.

The recent increased variability of Scotland's hydroclimate poses major problems for water resource managers charged with making informed investment decisions given the likely impact of future climate change. Two strategies are developed in this paper to assist managers faced with this environmental uncertainty. The first involves trend analysis of precipitation and runoff since the 1960s and 1970s viewed against longer-term variability reported from instrumental records. The second strategy is based upon current climate change scenarios coupled with GCMs, and downscaling of precipitation and temperature to provide inputs to rainfall-runoff models. The long-term records of precipitation (back to the 1860s) and runoff (back to the 1930s) reveal the late 1980s and early 1990s as the wettest period on record for the west but not for the east. Over the period 1961-1996 the precipitation gradient has intensified across Scotland: wetter west; relatively dry east. Changes in runoff over the period 1970-1996 are also reported with increases in annual flows at 33 out of 38 stations (significantly at 12 stations) and decreases in low flows at 21 out of 38 stations (significantly at one station). The bulk of these flow increases occurred in the south and west especially in the autumn and spring. In terms of high flows over the period 1970-1996, four out of 44 stations reported a change in magnitude and 15 reported an increase in the frequency of POT events. In terms of future climate change, Hulme and Jenkins (1998) predict annual precipitation increases of 6-16% (Scotland) and 6-14% (Scottish Borders) from the 2020s to the 2080s based on the Hadley Centre model (HadCM2) medium-high scenario. Seasonal changes are concentrated in the autumn (SON) and winter (DJF) with increases as high as 24 and 29% for the autumn by the 2080s. (Arnell NW, et al. Institute of Hydrology Report No. 107, Wallingford, 1996), using an earlier transient Hadley experiment (IS92a), predict a 5-15% increase in annual runoff across Scotland by the 2050s, locally rising to 25%. Simulation flow duration curves for the 2050s generate Q95 values up by 5% or less (Rivers Don, Almond and Nith) and Q5 up by 10-24% (Rivers Don, Almond, Nith and Lyne Water). In terms of water resource planning, these predicted changes should be regarded as first order approximations, as they take no account of natural climatic variability, and could generate different absolute values if other scenarios were used. The predictions are, however, broadly consistent with trends in precipitation and runoff for Scotland since the 1970s. Major issues of concern to water resource managers are identified and commented upon in the light of these predictions.

ABSTRACT The log-logistic (LLG) distribution is evaluated for flood frequency analysis. Some of its properties and methods of parameter estimation are given, including a new method based on generalised least squares (GLS). The performance of the log-logistic distribution is compared with those of the generalised extreme value (GEV), three parameter log-normal (LN3) and three parameter Pearson (P3) distributions. The results are reported in terms of empirical distribution function (EDF) tests of goodness of fit, on both individual and regional flood series through the application of these distributions to a set of reasonably long annual maximum series for part of Scotland. Some reproductive properties of the LLG and GEV are also compared. In terms of four key properties the LLG performs better than the GEV, LN3 and P3 distributions and is thus commended for further analysis.

On the 4th August 1978, a major flash flood occurred on the Allt Mor, a mountain torrent within the Cairngorm massif, Scotland. This paper assesses the flood's immediate geomorphic impact as well as its longer term geomorphic significance in terms of slope and valley-floor ...

Assessing the frequency of recent large floods in Scotland is hindered by short river records and non-homogenous flow series. Proxy flood records can be generated from sediment stacks in floodplain palaeochannels which steadily infill with silts during normal winter ...

... flood risk to a manageable level where the risk is known, (ii) using the planning ... These broad-brush estimates focus on direct costs and say little about the social impacts of flooding ...Media coverage, while often dramatic, is usually short lived and limited to 'rescue' situations and ...

ABSTRACT Unconfined reaches of the River Feshie in the Cairngorm Mountains have active low-sinuosity moderately divided patterns in which glacial outwash gravel is reworked by floods of up to 100 m3 sec−1 on a gradient of 0·009. Alternate bars of diagonal or lateral form are characteristic; they may develop from lobate or elongate medial bars, and advance episodically during floods. A model involving diagonal-bar progradation and consequent bank erosion opposite accreting bar margins, interrupted by avulsion within the channel by chute incision or from the channel by ponded-pool overflow, is used to explain surveyed changes in one sub-reach since its initiation by avulsion in 1976. The main oblique bar front advanced 160 m by 1981 and its exposed portion changed from medial to lateral to medial through avulsion around or across the bar. The channel widened by 136% from 1977 to 1981 with bank erosion locally exceeding 10 m yr−1. Bar progradation into sloughs, and sheet transport over vegetated floodplain, led to coarsening-upward sedimentation with a falling-stage veneer of finer deposits on bar tops and lee margins. The behaviour of this wandering gravel river resembles laboratory pseudo-meandering and may represent a balance between divergent meandering and braiding tendencies.

... Gregory GCR Editor: JM Hooke JOINT NATURE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE B CHAPMAN & HALL London• Weinheim■ New York■ Tokyo Melbourne• Madras Page 10. ... McEwen and A. Werritty 99 North Esk and West Water palaeochannels, Angus/.£. Gordon, LJ. ...

... Catena 37 (1-2), 107-127. Page 304. 294 Peter Sandercock & Janet Hooke Castillo. V., Barbera, GG, Mosch, W., Nav arro-Cano, JA, Conesa. C. & Lopez-Bermudez, F.(20011 Monitoring and evaluation of hydrologic-forestal restoration projects. ...

... Samantha Capon. ... from an integrated study of chalk streams 331 Roger S. Wotton & Geraldene Wharton 3 Unlocking the Stratigraphic Record Reservoir sedimentation trends in Ohio, USA: sediment delivery and response to land-341 use change William H Renwick & Zachary D ...

ABSTRACT The identification of a reliable flood return frequency is difficult and an established problem in hydrology. The Flood Estimation Handbook (Robson & Reed, 1999) states that the two primary methods for obtaining estimates for short river-gauging records are (a) through the use of historical data augmentation and (b) pooled data analysis. Analysis of flooding at York is pertinent in light of the recent major flooding (November 2000); York's detailed historical records provide a rich chronology. Conventional flood risk assessment at York is based on 35 years of gauged records augmented by pooled analysis. The adaptability of the two methods is considered in view of their ease of use, speed and potential differences between the two methods. The advantages of pooled and historical analysis are dependent upon the site, practitioner and the purpose of the study; the purpose of this paper is to identify the potential differences in the probability estimates of flood frequencies between the methods.

ABSTRACT Land use and the management of our natural resources such as soils and water offer great opportunities to sequester carbon and mitigate the effects of climate change. Actions on forestry, soil carbon and damaged peatlands each have the potential to reduce Scottish emissions in 2020 by hundreds of thousands of tonnes. Most actions to reduce emissions from land use have beneficial effects on other ecosystem services, so if we can cut emissions we can in many circumstances improve the environment. The cost of reducing emissions through land use change can be low in relation to other means of cutting emissions. The Scottish Land Use Strategy and the Ecosystem Approach it calls for, employing the concept of ecosystem services, offers a way of balancing environmental, social and economic demands on the land. Scotland's land, soils, forests and waters are all likely to be significantly altered by future climate change. Each of these components of the land-based environment offers opportunities for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The emerging new imperatives for securing food, water and energy at a global level are equally important for Scotland, and interact with the need for environmental security and for dealing with climate change.

Synopsis On 18 August 2004 an intense rainstorm generated 31 debris flows in Glen Ogle, Stirlingshire. Two channelized debris flows traversed the A85 trunk road trapping 20 vehicles and resulting in the helicopter airlift rescue of 57 motorists and passengers. The failure ...

The physical background to hydrology in Scotland is briefly reviewed. The main scientific events associated with understanding the science of hydrology in Scotland are summarized and major contemporary research themes are outlined. A brief overview of each paper in the current volume is given.