Within the study of earth sciences, floods are potential natural disasters or hazards.
Basically a flood is a when the water level in an area rises where there was normally little or none before. Floods can be dramatic and quick or slow and creeping.
A classic flash flood forming in a desert
Floods are usually natural phenomena common in many places around the world where either there is river nearby or the local weather can dump large amounts of rain.
A a diagram of a normal water level
A diagram of a flooded area, notice how the landscape changes.
The word 'Flood' comes from Old English, Flod, or Pleu, of an Indo-European language root.
Other uses of the word flood
There are many other uses of the word flood, which generally means a sudden increase in the amount of just about anything. Flood with light, flood the market with cheap goods and so on.
Commentary:
How floods occur
Floods are caused by excess water filling areas from a few main sources:
- Rain fall (from …
How floods progress
Floods can progress at different speeds:
Fast floods or flash floods
These often occur …