A - The Drainage Basin

Question 1

What is a drainage basin?

Answer 1

Area drained by a river and its tributaries.

Question 2

What type of system is the drainage basin?

Answer 2

An open system.

Question 3

What is the main input in a drainage basin?

Answer 3

Precipitation.

Question 4

Name two outputs in a drainage basin.

Answer 4

Evaporation and transpiration.

Question 5

What does infiltration refer to?

Answer 5

Water sinking into the ground.

Question 6

Define infiltration capacity.

Answer 6

Amount of moisture soil can hold.

Question 7

What does infiltration rate mean?

Answer 7

Speed at which water enters soil.

Question 8

What is throughflow?

Answer 8

Lateral water movement in soil.

Question 9

When does overland run-off occur?

Answer 9

When precipitation exceeds infiltration rate or soil is saturated.

Question 10

What is percolation in hydrology?

Answer 10

Water moving into the groundwater zone.

Question 11

What is baseflow?

Answer 11

Movement of groundwater to rivers.

Question 12

What is an aquifer?

Answer 12

Rock that holds water.

Question 13

What role do aquifers play in the hydrological cycle?

Answer 13

They regulate the cycle and maintain river flow.

Question 14

What is soil moisture?

Answer 14

Water held in soil, affected by porosity and permeability.

Question 15

Define cryosphere.

Answer 15

The largest freshwater store, in snow and ice.

Question 16

What is vegetation’s role as a water store?

Answer 16

Trees store more water than grasses or crops.

Question 17

What is precipitation?

Answer 17

Transfer of moisture to earth’s surface.

Question 18

What does interception refer to?

Answer 18

Capture of raindrops by plant cover.

Question 19

What happens after the interception capacity of leaves is exceeded?

Answer 19

Water drops to the ground (throughfall).

Question 20

What is stemflow?

Answer 20

Water trickling along branches and stems.

Question 21

Define evaporation.

Answer 21

Liquid water turning into gas.

Question 22

List factors influencing evaporation.

Answer 22

Vapour pressure, air temperature, wind, and rock surface.

Question 23

What is transpiration?

Answer 23

Loss of water from vegetation.

Question 24

Define evapotranspiration.

Answer 24

Combined water loss from vegetation and water surfaces.

Question 25

What is potential evapotranspiration?

Answer 25

Water loss rate with no water shortage.

Question 26

Name two forms of precipitation.

Answer 26

Rain and snow.

Question 27

What is the significance of soil porosity?

Answer 27

Determines soil’s water-holding capacity.

Question 28

What is permeability in soils?

Answer 28

Ability of soil to transmit water.

Question 29

Define the cryosphere’s storage duration.

Answer 29

Water can be stored for millennia.

Question 30

How does vegetation affect soil moisture?

Answer 30

Through interception and transpiration.