The spatial distribution of groundwater flooding in a chalk catchment in southern England

Groundwater flooding occurred in the upper parts of many chalk rivers in the UK during the exceptionally wet winter of 2000–01. This provided a rare opportunity to investigate the spatial distribution of groundwater discharge and flooding along the normally dry intermittent headwaters of a chalk catchment. The extent of flooding along the River Pang, upstream of the seasonal head, was mapped using aerial photography, and point measurements of flow and water temperature were used to identify the contributing reaches of the river. The results are discussed in the context of the geological and groundwater conditions. The occurrence of flooding can largely be explained by the regional groundwater flow directions, but increased flow in some locations may be as a result of preferential groundwater flow along lines of geological structure. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.