International adaptation of the hydrologic rational method: floods study in the North Portugal region

Abstract

Floods have a big capacity of create great social and economic losses in a short time interval. Spain and other countries have this problem in their territories. These can have different origins, being the rivers overflowing the more common cause. There are different approaches of these phenomena studies, and the modified Témez rational method is the referenced one in Spain, which with the GIS and hydrological simulation programs can create the flooding areas cartography, key information in the floods hazard management. But, is this method only valid for Spain, or is it applicable to other countries? The answer is that its adaptation to other countries is possible, always that the relevant modifications are made.In the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal is a country that has the flooding problem too. Because this country has a similar geological and geographical conditions to the western Spain, and the floods effects are similar in the Portuguese territories, the adaptation to this country it´s relatively simple.The aim of this work is the study of floods dynamics in Portugal, adapting the modified Témez rational method. This method will be applied in the Âncora river, in North Portugal region fluvial system because the geological and geographical conditions are similar to the west of Spain ones.