MEF application- the extreme floods are already in maps!

Abstract

The usual goal of palaeoflood hydrology and historical hydrology is, according to the classic concept, to extend the flood records over centuries or millennia back. Many compilations of documentary sources on floods in Western and Central Europe were collected in last two centuries. The palaeoflood records were presented for hundreds of localities in Europe. Numerous individual flood event case studies were carried out and published. On the PAGES Flood Working Group (FWG) website hundreds of flood records are collected in one database. The overall goals of the FWG are "to integrate and analyse existing palaeoflood data at the regional and global scales and to promote and disseminate palaeoflood science and data at different levels". The aim of this contribution is to present the recently created “Map of Extreme Floods” (MEF) ESRI application focused on European floods.  Apart from the FWG goals stated above, the MEF application aims also to the future geographic characterization and mapping of hydrological extreme events. The MEF places some of interpreted documentary sources for Central and Western Europe into relevant spatial and temporal frameworks. Actually, the MEF application more event oriented approach enables to put the fundamental information on European historical floods, i.e. the exact location and datum, into broader spatial and temporal context. The maps created by this tool form the reliable fundament for detailed exploration and including of additional data. The principal MEF application aims are: (i) archiving, (ii) verification, (iii) corrections, (iv) addition of further data and information, (v) exchange of data and last but not least (vi) providing information for both scientists and public. 24 large floods from 1432 to 2002 are now at disposal and next 20 are under preparation. The estimated extremities, economic losses, infrastructural damages, water levels, flood marks etc. are attributed to individual localities. The performance of the MEF application is documented by selected historical extreme flood events, possibly analogical to these recent of 1997, 2002, and 2013.