1.4. The Water Balance

Question 1

What is the soil moisture budget graph?

Answer 1

Relationship between precipitation and potential evapotranspiration for a given drainage basin

Question 2

Watershed

Answer 2

Boundary between two basins

Question 3

Water budget

Answer 3

Annual balance between precipitation, evapotranspiration and run off

Question 4

Saturated

Answer 4

When small pores/ cracks in rock and soil are filled with water

Question 5

Water table

Answer 5

The boundary between water in saturated ground and unsaturated ground

Question 6

Recharge

Answer 6

When soil moisture increases following utilisation in the summer

Question 7

Deficit

Answer 7

The point when all soil moisture has been used up - often in arid countries

Question 8

Surplus

Answer 8

When there is an excess of water in the soil- inputs greatly exceed outputs

Question 9

Potential evaporation

Answer 9

The amount that could happen if water wasn’t an issue

Question 10

Field capacity

Answer 10

The point at which soil moisture becomes fully saturated in autumn