JDJCSET | Watershed Studies Institute Research Symposium
Climate and Human Controls on Flooding in the Middle Tennessee River Valley
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Geosciences
Minor
none
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Gary E. Stinchcomb
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
This study uses soil stratigraphy, sediment and geochronology to determine the presence and relative magnitude of historic and prehistoric floods along the Tennessee River. Results show that flood deposits from terrace profiles are recognizable and can be assigned an age. Using a proxy for large flood occurrence, we found minimal large floods during the Medieval Warm Period (800-1200 AD) and enhanced large floods during the Little Ice Age (1400-1800 AD) and modern (>1800 AD). These findings suggest that climate change and possibly human impact are controls on long-term flooding trends along the middle Tennessee River Valley.
Affiliations
Watershed Research Institute
Climate and Human Controls on Flooding in the Middle Tennessee River Valley
This study uses soil stratigraphy, sediment and geochronology to determine the presence and relative magnitude of historic and prehistoric floods along the Tennessee River. Results show that flood deposits from terrace profiles are recognizable and can be assigned an age. Using a proxy for large flood occurrence, we found minimal large floods during the Medieval Warm Period (800-1200 AD) and enhanced large floods during the Little Ice Age (1400-1800 AD) and modern (>1800 AD). These findings suggest that climate change and possibly human impact are controls on long-term flooding trends along the middle Tennessee River Valley.