Editing Aude (river) (section)

==Geography==

===Course===
[[File:Carcassonne Cite.jpg|thumb|550px|left|The fortified city of [[Carcassonne]] and the old bridge crossing the Aude river at night]]
The river has its source in the ''Massif of Carlit'' at the [[Lac d'Aude]] at an elevation of {{convert|2185|m|ft}} in the commune of [[Les Angles, Pyrénées-Orientales|Les Angles]] (department of [[Pyrénées-Orientales]]) and flows parallel to the [[Têt (river)|Tet]]. The [[Col de la Quillane]], elevation {{convert|1713|m|ft}}, marks the boundary of the [[Drainage divide|watershed]]. The river then flows into the [[Mediterranean Sea]] a few kilometres from [[Narbonne]] at ''Grau de Vendres'' (near [[Fleury, Aude|Cabanes-de-Fleury]]) on the border between the departments of [[Aude]] and [[Hérault]].

At Carcassonne in the Pyrénées its course is oriented north-south. The Aude then presents the characteristics of a mountain stream as it traverses [[Capcir]] and feeds several reservoirs ([[Matemale]], [[Puyvalador]]) before plunging into gorges (those of Saint-Georges are the most scenic) crossing ancient terrain. Starting from [[Axat]], after being joined by the ''Aiguette'' on the right bank and the ''Rébenty'' on the left bank, the river flows through bands of pre-Pyrénéen [[limestone]] (in the Pierre-Lys Gorges) and passes through a series of small communes: [[Quillan]], [[Espéraza]], [[Couiza]], [[Alet-les-Bains]], then [[Limoux]]. Downstream of this great medieval city, the Aude flows eastwards. This elbow results from a [[Stream capture]], the Aude having once flowed in the valley of the [[Hers-Vif|Hers]], indicating a deepening by an ancient hydrology following the uplifting of the Pyrénées.<ref>Article by Pierre Minvielle in ''Guide to the Natural Marvels of France'', Selection from Reader's Digest, 1973, p. 65. {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

[[File:Source of the River Aude.jpg|thumb|The source of the Aude in the commune of Les Angles, near Lac d'Aude]]
[[File:Matemale aude1.JPG|thumb|The Aude at [[Matemale]]]]
[[File:Axat.JPG|thumb|The Aude at [[Axat]]]]

From Carcassonne, the river becomes calmer following the great tectonic furrow which separates the Pyrénées ([[Corbières, Aude|Corbières]]) from the [[Massif Central]] ([[Montagne Noire]]), receiving from these heights a series of tributaries of which the main ones are the [[Orbieu]] on the right bank, and the ''Argent-Double'' and the ''Casse'' on the left bank. From this point, bordered by the [[Canal du Midi]] and sinuous amid [[vineyards]], the Aude enters the broad alluvial plain of Narbonne with the main stream flowing to the [[Gulf of Lion]] and some waters diverted to a network of ancient ponds before flowing into the Mediterranean Sea .

===Hydrography===
[[File:L'Aude près de l'embouchure.jpg|thumb|The Aude near its mouth at [[Salles-d'Aude]]]]
[[File:France-Lagrasse-Village et Pont Vieux - 2005-12-27.jpg|thumb|The [[Orbieu]], the main tributary of the Aude, at [[Lagrasse]]]]

The Aude has a [[Drainage basin|catchment area]]<ref>Jacques Amiel, ''L'AUDE. Fleuve du pays cathare'', Les presses du Languedoc, Montpellier, 1999 {{ISBN|978-2859982065}}, p. 14. {{in lang|fr}}</ref> of {{convert|6074|km2|mi2}} that extends unevenly across six departments: Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales, [[Ariège (department)|Ariège]], [[Haute-Garonne]], [[Tarn (department)|Tarn]], and Hérault (Haute-Garonne and Tarn are only affected by the course of tributaries and sub-tributaries of the river). Before Carcassonne, the Aude receives tributary streams of short length which often have the characteristics of mountain torrents.

Starting from the prefecture of Aude department in the lower valley the Aude river joins with the largest rivers, most of them from the Montagne Noire. From upstream to downstream, the main tributaries of the Aude, longer than 10&nbsp;km, are:<ref name="sandre"/>

* the '''Lladura''' or ''Lladure'' (16&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Réal]];
* the '''Galbe''' (14&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Puyvalador]];
* the '''Bruyante''' (14&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Rouze|Usson-les-Bains]];
* the '''Aiguette''' (20&nbsp;km), right bank at [[Sainte-Colombe-sur-Guette]];
* the '''Rébenty''' (34&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Saint-Martin-Lys]];
* the '''Saint-Bertrand''' (19&nbsp;km), right bank at [[Quillan]];
* the '''Ruisseau de Fa''' or ''Faby'' (14&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Espéraza]];
* the '''Sals''' (20&nbsp;km), right bank at [[Couiza]];
* the '''Ruisseau de Castillou''', right bank at [[Alet-les-Bains]];
* the '''Véraza''', right bank at [[Alet-les-Bains]];
* the '''Saint-Polycarpe''' (13&nbsp;km), right bank at [[Limoux]];
* the '''Corneilla''' (22&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Limoux]];
* the '''Cougaing''' (17&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Limoux]];
* the '''Sou de Val de Daigne''' (30&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Cépie]];
* the '''Lauquet''' (37&nbsp;km), right bank at [[Couffoulens]];
* the '''Fresquel''' (63&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Carcassonne]];
* the '''Trapel''' (19&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Villedubert]];
* the '''Orbiel''' (41&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Trèbes]];
* the '''Argent-Double''' (37&nbsp;km), left bank at [[La Redorte]];
* the '''Ognon''' (23&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Olonzac]];
* the '''[[Orbieu]]''' (84&nbsp;km), right bank at [[Saint-Nazaire-d'Aude]];
* the '''Cesse''' (54&nbsp;km), left bank at [[Saint-Marcel-sur-Aude]].

===Hydrology===
[[File:Aude hydrology-fr.svg|left|thumb|upright=1.15|Monthly flows of the Aude near its outlet represented as a histogram]]

In its upper reaches the Aude has a ''nivo-pluvial regime'' (with a maximum flow in spring linked to snowmelt). Then from Carcassonne<ref>[http://www.hydro.eaufrance.fr/selection.php Data from the hydrological station at Carcassonne (Pont-neuf)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219053605/http://www.hydro.eaufrance.fr/selection.php |date=2015-02-19 }} Navigate on the page to obtain the different hydrological data, the Station Code is: Y1232010. {{in lang|fr}}</ref> where the average flow rate reaches {{convert|20.4|m3/s|cuft/s}}, the system is almost entirely rainfed (The flow at Grau de Vendres<ref>Total ''Encyclopedia EnCarta 2006'', article on the Aude. {{in lang|fr}}</ref> where it meets the Mediterranean is around {{convert|50|m3/s|cuft/s}}.)

The Aude is thus characterized in its lower course by a pluvio-nival regime of meridional type with high [[baseflow]] in summer, {{convert|9.8|m3/s|cuft/s}} in August at [[Moussan]]<ref name="hydro_moussan"/> in the lower alluvial plain not far from the river mouth, against an average of {{convert|44.2|m3/s|cuft/s}}. Heavy autumnal rains enable a rapid rise in the flow rate which peaks in February, {{convert|78.6|m3/s|cuft/s}} and is supported by the spring snowmelt from the [[Pyrénées]] mountains.

===Floods of 1999===
Exceptional and sudden rainfall, so characteristic of the [[Mediterranean climate]] during the autumnal season, can be the cause of devastating floods such as those of 12 and 13 November 1999. The results of this event, which affected the lower valley of the Aude, were catastrophic: 35 victims, hundreds of people evacuated by helicopter or rescued from thousands of homes, businesses, and commercial premises which were more or less damaged, {{convert|5000|ha|acre}} of vineyards more or less ruined, roads, drinking water networks, and sanitation were seriously affected.<ref name="préfecture">[http://www.aude.pref.gouv.fr/ddrm/risque-inon/crue1999.htm ''The floods of November 1999 in the Aude''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523200121/http://www.aude.pref.gouv.fr/ddrm/risque-inon/crue1999.htm |date=2007-05-23 }} on the Préfecture of Aude website. {{in lang|fr}}</ref> The scale of the disaster was due to the combination of two factors: [[Thunderstorm]]s with rainfall on an unprecedented scale. Up to {{convert|620|mm|in}} fell in two days at [[Lézignan-Corbières]], that is to say more than the average annual total. In addition, a strong storm in the Gulf of Lyon led to a rise of {{convert|80|cm|in}} in the sea level and, combined with the strong waves and wind, prevented the flow of water already swollen by the torrential rains.<ref name="préfecture"/>

===Floods of 2018===
Remnants of [[Hurricane Leslie (2018)|Hurricane Leslie]] fed a quasi-stationary [[cold front]] over southwestern France, generating heavy thunderstorms and leading to [[flash flood]]ing in that area.<ref name=Keraunos-Aude>{{cite web|language=fr|url=http://www.keraunos.org/actualites/fil-infos/2018/octobre/orages-pluie-inondation-aude-carcassonne-crues-15-octobre-2018-episode-mediterraneen|title=Épisode pluvio-orageux exceptionnel dans l'Aude le 15 octobre|date=October 15, 2018|website=www.keraunos.org|publisher=Keraunos|access-date=October 15, 2018|archive-date=October 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016032631/http://www.keraunos.org/actualites/fil-infos/2018/octobre/orages-pluie-inondation-aude-carcassonne-crues-15-octobre-2018-episode-mediterraneen|url-status=dead}}.</ref> The Aude rose to a height of {{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on}}, its highest level since 1891.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lesoir.be/185063/article/2018-10-17/france-le-bilan-des-inondations-dans-laude-monte-14-morts|title=France: le bilan des inondations dans l'Aude monte à 14 morts}}</ref> [[Carcassonne]] received {{convert|160|-|180|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rainfall within five hours; water level in the city rose {{convert|8|m|ft|abbr=on}} during that period. At least 14 people died because of the flash flood, mainly in the town of [[Villegailhenc]], [[Aude]].