Danube River BasinJoel Heilman

Outline

• Introduction• Physical Geography• Climate Characteristics• Discharge• Channel Pattern• Geologic History• Land Use and Human Impacts• Water Quality Issues• The Shoes on the Danube Bank

Introduction

• Second largest river in Europe• Drainage area of 320,000 square miles• 1,785 miles long• Basin contains 18 countries

Physical Geography

ClimateMunich, Germany Budapest, Hungary

Annual Precipitation

Discharge

Flooding on Danube

Channel Pattern

Geologic History

The Delta

Land Use

Human Impacts

• 83 million people in 18 Countries• Nutrients (eg. nitrogen and phosphorus) • 50% agriculture• 25% municipal waste water• 25% industry

• Loss of wetlands and floodplains

Dams and Weirs

• 700 major hydraulic structures

Major Hydraulic Structures

Vienna Danube Regulation

Water Quality Issues

• Lower Danube polluted from rapid industrial development.• Temperature increase of .8°C

Biodiversity

• Biodiversity Hotspot of Europe• 100 species of Fish• Over 2000 plant species • 5000 animal species

Ajka Alumina Plant Sludge Spill

• October 4, 2010 in Western Hungary• One million cubic meters of highly alkaline sludge• 10 people died, 150 injured

Difficulties

• Civil War in Yugoslavia• Many new governments• Socio-economic and cultural diversity

The Shoes on the Danube Bank

• Memorial to Jews killed in World War II.

Questions?