Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-456
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-456
10 Mar 2025
 | 10 Mar 2025

Characteristics of gauged abrupt wave fronts (walls of water) in flash floods in Scotland

David Ronald Archer, Felipe de Mendonca Fileni, Samuel Archer Watkiss, and Hayley Jane Fowler

Abstract. Extremely rapid rates of rise in river level and discharge are a subset of flash floods (‘abrupt wave front floods’, AWFs) and are separate hazards from peak river level. They pose a danger to life to river users and occur mainly in the summer. The rate of change in gauged river level and discharge can be used to assess and compare the severity of AWF events within and between catchments. We use several metrics of discharge severity to investigate AWFs on 260 Scottish gauged catchments. We use the full flow record for each station and map the occurrence of maximum 15 min change in river levels and discharge. We map a further three measures to compare risk between catchments including the multiple of the 15 min flow increase from the initial to terminal discharge. The concurrent increase in velocity is difficult to measure but wave celerity can be assessed where there are observations of the time of wave onset at more than one point on a channel. We investigate several such events on the River Findhorn in northeast Scotland. Such events need better monitoring forecasting and warning, particularly as extreme downpours are becoming more frequent with global warming.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this paper. While Copernicus Publications makes every effort to include appropriate place names, the final responsibility lies with the authors. Views expressed in the text are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.
Share
David Ronald Archer, Felipe de Mendonca Fileni, Samuel Archer Watkiss, and Hayley Jane Fowler

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-456', Duncan Faulkner, 14 Mar 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on CC1', David Archer, 21 Mar 2025
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-456', Charlie Pilling, 18 Apr 2025
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC1', David Archer, 18 Apr 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-456', Anonymous Referee #2, 14 Jun 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on CC1', David Archer, 21 Mar 2025
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC2', David Archer, 27 Jun 2025

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-456', Duncan Faulkner, 14 Mar 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on CC1', David Archer, 21 Mar 2025
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-456', Charlie Pilling, 18 Apr 2025
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC1', David Archer, 18 Apr 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-456', Anonymous Referee #2, 14 Jun 2025
    • AC1: 'Reply on CC1', David Archer, 21 Mar 2025
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC2', David Archer, 27 Jun 2025
David Ronald Archer, Felipe de Mendonca Fileni, Samuel Archer Watkiss, and Hayley Jane Fowler
David Ronald Archer, Felipe de Mendonca Fileni, Samuel Archer Watkiss, and Hayley Jane Fowler

Viewed

Total article views: 488 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
405 58 25 488 40 14 33
  • HTML: 405
  • PDF: 58
  • XML: 25
  • Total: 488
  • Supplement: 40
  • BibTeX: 14
  • EndNote: 33
Views and downloads (calculated since 10 Mar 2025)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 10 Mar 2025)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 513 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 513 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 13 Sep 2025
Download
Short summary
Our intention is to highlight the unacknowledged and sometimes fatal hazard of rapid rate of rise in river level and flow. Using the full 15-minute records of 260 Scottish gauging stations we have extracted the maximum rates of 15-minute rise in events generated by intense convective rainfall and described their characteristics in terms of the severity of the hazard within and between catchments. Events have all the properties of kinematic shock whose mere existence has previously been doubted.
Share