Flooding
Flooding is a hazard all over the world, with many different forms and levels of severity. Floods are one of the UK's most significant natural hazards, whilst globally they account for around 40% of all national disasters.
Geologists can help in understanding why flooding happens, levels of risk, and mitigating the effects of flooding.
We have a number of resources relating to flooding, available from the links on this page.
Resources from the Geological Society
Fact Sheets
Flooding: Why does flooding happen, and how can we protect ourselves?
Groundwater: How does water hidden underground cause flooding?
Find out about the importance of water to our society, in our resource aimed at policy and decision-makers as well as the wider public.
An understanding of groundwater and surface water is important to Earth scientists in many fields. Find out more on our careers pages:
Themed years are at the heart of the Society’s Science Strategy, and 2016 was the Year of Water, with a programme of events that explored a wide range of water-related geoscience through research conferences, lectures, our education programme and other activities.
Resources from other organisations
Resources on flooding and coastal change; sign up for flood risk alerts, explore flood risk maps for your area and find out what to do in a flood.
Education resources from the British Geological Survey for schools and colleges, lifelong learners or anyone interested in the Earth. Topics include geological hazards, time, climate change and the geology of Britain. Install a seismometer in your school to detect earthquakes or explore UK geology with Minecraft.
A simplified interactive map of UK and global sea level rise. Set the sea level rise in metres and see the areas which would be flooded.
A guide for individuals and businesses in the UK on how to find out if you're at risk of flooding, preparation and staying safe during a flood, and the clean-up process afterwards.
Education materials for teachers, students, and the general public, including worksheets on the drivers of sea-level change, and what sediments and microfossils tell us about past sea level.
Activities and lesson plans that can easily be modified for the classroom. Topics include astronomy, earthquakes and volcanoes, plate tectonics, erosion, water, maps, rocks and minerals, and weather.