2.1.3: Temporal variations in river discharge Flashcards
Drainage density
A measure of the length of the river channels and its tributaries per unit area.
Infiltration capacity of clay soil type
low infiltration capacity
Infiltration capacity of well-established pasture
high infiltration capacity and rate
Replacing lawns with paved areas and parking spaces causes
peak in hydrograph in urban drainage systems
Factors that affect how a river responds to a rainfall event
3
size of the drainage basin
shape of the drainage basin
drainage density
High drainage density effect on hydrograph
Peak in hydrograph, flashier flows
River discharge
The amount of water flowing down a river at any given time. (measured over the course of a day or a year)
River regime
The flow of a river over the course of a year
Storm flow
Storm runoff resulting from storm precipitation can contribute to high but short-term peaks in river discharge.
Base flow
Groundwater supplies the river between periods of precipitation and feeds steadily into the river, causes the normal minimum flow of a river.
Simple regime
Periods of high and low channel flow which may correspond with seasonal temperature and rainfall changes
Complex regime
Lots of peaks and troughs throughout the year with many tributaries that flow through different environments and climates.
Peak discharge
The maximum rate of flow during a storm event
Peak rainfall
The maximum rainfall recorded in one of the time intervals
Rising limb
The part of a storm hydrograph in which discharge starts to rise.
