The Wivenhoe Dam catchment area borders on 7000 sq/m and works in tandem with Somerset Dam, which normally operates with it's Gates open. Natural runoff is precipitated via Wivenhoe. Water storage peaked at El 74.0 on the 11th January 2011, and 20,000 cumecs was released at 8.30 pm. All 5 Dam Gates were opened, presumably to preserve the integrity of the Dam wall. In the 1974 Floods which devastated Brisbane and environs, only 7,500 cumecs was recorded at gauge boards downstream of the Bremer River, at Lowood and Moggil stations. The ETA then in Brisbane was 1.5 days ? It doesn't take a Hydrologist to work out if you increase the outflow 266.6 %, and raised the height of the Bremer 23m, the speed / time, is proportionately trebled. Making it impossible for flood prone residential areas, to respond to critical emergency evacuation, and saving of vital possessions.

With modern day Computer technology and NBN, Australia's Synchrotron ( www.sgi.com ) and significantly www.top500.org, it's imperative, more is utilized to predict weather patterns / global warming / strategic investments, etc which have such an overwhelming effect on our daily lives. Significantly ANU Supercomputing Facility in Canberra. ACT, with graphics / simulations / scientific / engineering / medical etc could / should have quite competently analysised SEQW's procedures, and recommended precise advice, and thus avoided the catastrophe that claimed lives, ruined homes and property, and more importantly prevent a repetition of 1974 and 2011 Queensland Flood disaster.

In retrospect, there should be a National undertaking to make it mandatory that Dams, Weirs, Barrages, catchment areas throughout Australia, be subject to ANU's finite analysis and recommendations. In the long term, it will save lives, countless billions of loss property, vegetation, crops etc, and ultimately be for the good of this wonderful Nation, we call HOME.

Just think about it !

Now while they bull to you all, this gas will slowly snuff out life and they know it. True, it takes a long time, but with our growth, dangerous levels will come................so now when you come home from work and you feel so low that you cant do anything but rest......just think of C02.

BLUE

. The decreased binding to carbon dioxide in the blood due to increased oxygen levels is known as the Haldane Effect, and is important in the transport of carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. Conversely, a rise in the partial pressure of CO2 or a lower pH will cause offloading of oxygen from hemoglobin, which is known as the Bohr Effect.

Carbon dioxide is one of the mediators of local autoregulation of blood supply. If its levels are high, the capillaries expand to allow a greater blood flow to that tissue.

Bicarbonate ions are crucial for regulating blood pH. A person's breathing rate influences the level of CO2 in their blood. Breathing that is too slow or shallow causes respiratory acidosis, while breathing that is too rapid leads to hyperventilation, which can cause respiratory alkalosis.

Although the body requires oxygen for metabolism, low oxygen levels do not stimulate breathing. Rather, breathing is stimulated by higher carbon dioxide levels. As a result, breathing low-pressure air or a gas mixture with no oxygen at all (such as pure nitrogen) can lead to loss of consciousness without ever experiencing air hunger. This is especially perilous for high-altitude fighter pilots. It is also why flight attendants instruct passengers, in case of loss of cabin pressure, to apply the oxygen mask to themselves first before helping others; otherwise, one risks losing consciousness.[61]

The respiratory centers try to maintain an arterial CO2 pressure of 40 mm Hg. With intentional hyperventilation, the CO2 content of arterial blood may be lowered to 10–20 mm Hg (the oxygen content of the blood is little affected), and the respiratory drive is diminished. This is why one can hold one's breath longer after hyperventilating than without hyperventilating. This carries the risk that unconsciousness may result before the need to breathe becomes overwhelming, which is why hyperventilation is particularly dangerous before free diving.

Breathing produces approximately 2.3 pounds (1 kg) of carbon dioxide per day per person.[62]

BLUE

Now times that by 6.7 billion people and trillions of life forms, times deforestation times industrial pollutants times the 35% of C02 that's already here, times 10 billion in 40 years time equals............well you do the maths:)

Live long and prosper.

see ay

BLUE

I'd like to correct some factual errors made by 'dalma' above.

Wivenhoe never discharged '20,000 cumecs at 8.30pm',as that quantity is physically impossible for the spillway to pass per second,according to the specifications of the spillway. The highest transient flow released according to SEQwater's press release was equivalent to 645,000ML/day which is 7465 cumecs, at around midnight on the 11th.Water levels peaked at around 74.5m in the lake. This information is/was in the public domain. Any calculations based on dalma's misconception therefore are wrong.

Speculation about the peak flow number for the flood has to take into account that whatever PF is at release at the dam gate,it changes as the water passes successive gauging points downstream of the dam. The peak slows down,spreads out and is added to by other streams in flood all the way downstream.

We do not yet have in the public domain accurate peak flow and daily volume figures for the input streams downstream of the dam,so all estimates for breakdowns of various stream contributions are speculation so far,including those of News Ltd journalists.