Kieran R. Hickey

Historic land reclamation in the intertidal wetlands of the Shannon estuary, western Ireland

ABSTRACT There is abundant landscape evidence for extensive land reclamation conducted within the Shannon estuary wetlands. To date, little published research is available which identifies how much reclamation has occurred, its timing and the likely environmental implications. This paper addresses these questions on the basis of available cartographic and documentary data on land reclamation in this area. Identification of reclaimed land was based on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey of Ireland Map Series of 1924. These maps represent landscape features relating to reclamation, such as embankments, artificial arterial drainage channels and sluices. Using such indicators for the purpose of demarcation, the extent of the lands reclaimed has been mapped. Documentary information on reclamation schemes was acquired from the National Archives files on the Irish Quit Rent Office, including letters, memoranda, draft bills and Government Acts, legal documents and statements of account, and these support and supplement cartographic data. In total, approximately 6,500ha of the Shannon estuary lowlands were reclaimed for agriculture and other purposes. This has significantly altered the morphometric characteristics of the estuary, as embankments and revetments for flood protection have reduced the potential energy dissipation area and the water storage capacity of the estuarine wetlands. Reclamation has resulted in modification of the estuarine physical environment and its hydrodynamics, and altered the character of the wetland habitat in the estuary environs.

The storm of 31 January to 1 February 1953 and its impact on Scotland

Abstract The storm of 31 January to 1 February 1953 is probably the most devastating to have affected Scotland over the last 500 years. The storm was caused by a deep depression that crossed Scotland between the Orkney and Shetland Isles. The storm generated a series of coastal and inland hazards including flooding, erosion, destruction to coastal defences and extensive wind damage. The severity of the storm can be judged by the type and distribution of the impacts that were felt in many locations throughout Scotland. The storm also caused nineteen fatalities and numerous injuries.

The impact of hurricane Debbie (1961) and hurricane Charley (1986) on Ireland

Ireland has long been in receipt of the tail-end of a small number of Atlantic hurricanes and is the most affected country in Europe by these storms. Although almost never actual hurri‐ canes by the time they reach Ireland, they have still caused loss of life, injuries and extensive damage through high winds, heavy rainfall and storm surges along the coast. Little research has been carried out on these events until recently and their effects have been subsumed in‐ to the general mid-latitude storm record [1].

The Impact of Hurricanes on the Weather of Western Europe

Hurricanes form in the tropical zone of the Atlantic Ocean but their impact is not confined to this zone. Many hurricanes stray well away from the tropics and even a small number have an impact on the weather of Western Europe, mostly in the form of high wind and rainfall events. It must be noted that at this stage they are no longer true hurricanes as they do not have the high wind speeds and low barometric pressures associated with true hurricanes. Their effects on the weather of Western Europe has yet to be fully explored, as they form a very small component of the overall weather patterns and only occur very episodically with some years having several events and other years having none. This chapter seeks to identify and analyse the impact of the tail-end of hurricanes on the weather of Western Europe since 1960. The chapter will explore the characteristics and pathways of the hurricanes that have affected Western Europe and will also examine the weather conditions they have produced and give some assessment of their impact. In this context 23 events have been identified of which 21 originated as hurricanes and two as tropical storms (NOAA, 2010).