1.1 Drainage Basin Hydrological Cycle Flashcards
What is precipitation?
Rain, snow, the amount and intensity.
Extra: key factors in determining water movement. Prolonged or heavy rainfall- likely to cause flooding.
What is the drainage basin?
The area of land that is drained by a river and its tributaries.
(Extra: The movement of water within the drainage basin is illustrated by the drainage basin hydrological cycle.)
What is evapotranspiration?
When water loss from the ground surface to the atmosphere combines with the water given off by plants, forming the main output of the system.
Evaporation+transpiration
What is interception?
Vegetation such as trees intercepting precipitation to the ground. Evapotranspiration can occur here. Plants may use the water for growth. Vegetation reduces and slows down water transfer.
What is overland flow?
Rapid form of water transferring over the surface of the ground.
During heavy rainfall ☔️
Or saturated ground
What is infiltration?
Water moving from the ground surface to the soil.
Rate of infiltration depends on the moisture content of soil and porosity.
Porosity- air spaces
What is through flow?
The shallow downhill transfer of water through the soil layer.
What is percolation?
The deeper transfer of water into permeable rocks. Rocks with joints (pervious or porous.)
What is the river channel?
A store of water and forms the ‘exit’
What is the depression storage?
Water stored temporarily on the ground
PUDDLES
What is the importance of soil moisture?
Soil moisture determines whether precipitation will be absorbed or forced to flow as overland flow. Clay soils- wet. Sandy soils- drier, absorb more precipitation.
What is base flow or groundwater flow?
The slow transfer of water through rocks.
Only limestone areas with extensive underground channels is where the flow can be faster.
The water balance equation:
P= O + E +/- S
Precipitation= Total runoff (streamflow) + Evapotranspiration +/- Storage (in soil and rock)
