{"id":38135,"date":"2021-07-16T13:58:55","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T13:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.agu.org\/landslideblog\/?p=38135"},"modified":"2021-07-16T13:58:55","modified_gmt":"2021-07-16T13:58:55","slug":"inden-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.agu.org\/landslideblog\/2021\/07\/16\/inden-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Inden: a river changing course, eroding an old channel and flooding an open cast mine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Inden: a river rediscovering a previous course and flooding an open cast coal mine<\/h4>\n

The floods in Germany, Belgium and Netherlands this week have been truly catastrophic<\/a>.\u00a0 The same storm system also caused flash flooding in London<\/a>.\u00a0 It is likely that the this event will have triggered landslides, but we will need to wait to get more information when the priority is rescue and recovery.\u00a0 There are suggestions that an event has killed several people near to Cologne<\/a>, but we await further information.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, my attention has been drawn to a very interesting event at Inden in Germany, the site of a very large open cast coal mine.\u00a0 Here, the extreme rainfall has caused a small river to change course, partially flooding the mine.\u00a0 It is worth taking a moment to review the events.\u00a0 The Google Earth Image below shows the site – I have annotated the key features:-<\/p>\n

\"The

The setting of the floods at Inden in Germany on 14 July 2021. Image from Google Earth.<\/p><\/div>\n

.<\/p>\n

The pertinent features here are the small river flowing towards the north from the bottom of the image, and then swinging around to flow twowards the west (presumably rerouted around the mine),\u00a0 An abandoned river channel is clear, with a large bend around the building:-<\/p>\n

\"The

The abandoned channel at Inden in Germany. Image from Google Earth.<\/p><\/div>\n

.<\/p>\n

In the rainstorms of 14 July 2021 the small river has burst its banks and reoccupied its former course.\u00a0 The effects are dramatic.\u00a0 This video captures the huge erosion that has occurred as the flood has occupied, and down-cut, its channel:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/cheetah_spotty\/status\/1415693905916538881<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

The water has flowed into a very large open cast coal mine, causing serious damage.\u00a0 There are videos on Twitter showing thgis in action:<\/p>\n

\n

Bursted in inden, the river 'inde' floating into coal mine.. Which is filled in 24 hours pic.twitter.com\/IYH4gAFxjb<\/a><\/p>\n

— Jana Schiffer (@SchifferJana) July 15, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n