Definintions Flashcards
Percipitation
All forms of moisture that reach the earths surface( including rain snow and dew).
Discharge
The volume of water flowing through a river per second, measured in cumecs (m3/s)
Evaporation
The transformation of water droplets into water vapour by heating
Evapotranspiration
The loss of water from a drainage basin into the atmosphere from leaves of plants
Surface storage
The total volume of water held on the earths surface in lakes, ponds and puddles
Groundwater storage
The storage of water underground in permeable rock strata
Infiltration
The downward movement of water into the soil surface
Percolation
The gravity flow of water within soil
Overland flow
The movement of water over a surface of land, usually when the ground is saturated or frozen or when precipitation is to intense for infiltration to occur
Throughflow
The movement of water downslope within the soil layer
Groundwater flow
The deeper movement of water through underlying rock
Dynamic equilibrium
Rivers are constantly changing over time to reach a state of balance with the processes that determine their form. As the flows of energy and materials passing through a river system vary, the river changes to move towards this equilibrium
Velocity
The speed and the direction at which a body of water moves
Erosion
The wearing away of the surface of the land. It includes the breakdown of rock and it’s removal by wind, water or ice
Interception
The prevention of rain from reaching the earths surface by trees and plants
