Geo Tees v Parrett

Where is the River Tees?

Northern England, in the North Pennines, flows east for 85 miles drains 710 square miles

Where is the River Parrett?

Flows through Dorest and Somerset in SW England, source near Chedington in Dorset, mouth at Burnham-on-Sea on the Bristol channel

Which river is longer?

The River Tees is 137km while the River Parrett is only 60km

Which river is higher above sea level?

The River Tees is approx 893m above sea level, while the River Parrett is approx 179m above sea level

Human activity in the River Tees?

• Lower course very industrial and residential, city of Middlesbrough

• Middle course is farmland with scattered housing

• Many reservoirs in upper and middle, regulates flow of water downstream, reudicng the discharge downstream of the dam

Human activity in the River Parrett?

• near mouth industrial and residential, city of Highbridge

• middle course farmland with scattered housing, floodlands of nature reserves and marshes

• wetlands used for grazing

• river constrained by artifical levees built either side

Geology in the River Tees?

• limestone-dominated

• resistant layer of igeous rock called whin sill dominates lower course

Geology in the River Parrett?

• no hard rock

• ground formed of alluvium (deposited river sediment) which is easily eroded

• leads to fertile but poorly drained floodplains

Climate in the River Tees?

• upper courses in the Pennines experiences very high levels of precipitation

• melting snow contributes to this, especially in Spring

• moorlands and floodplains will be flooded for half the year

Climate in the RIver Parrett?

• very flood-prone due to the soft clay below

• major flooding in 2014