Drainage basin as a system

Question 1

Precipitation

Answer 1

water falling to earth- rain, sleet, hail, snow

Question 2

evaporation

Answer 2

water molecules heated, break bonds and change state

Question 3

interception

Answer 3

raindrops fall on vegetation, preventing it form reaching soil & river (density varies extent

Question 4

transpiration

Answer 4

water lost as vapour through small pores in plants leaves

Question 5

infiltration

Answer 5

passage of water vertically into soil (cannot occur if saturated- soil moistens and clay particles- e.g.- expand, reducing size of pores )

Question 6

percolation

Answer 6

vertical movement of water from above water table to below (if impermeable- granite- it can’t occur)

Question 7

channel fall

Answer 7

precipitation directly enters river channel

Question 8

groundwater

Answer 8

water stored in soil above water table

Question 9

groundwater store

Answer 9

water stored below water table in saturated soil or rock

Question 10

terrestrial storage

Answer 10

water stored on the surface (lakes, rivers)

Question 11

through flow

Answer 11

water flows laterally through soil to the channel (along pipes- animal activity or plant roots)

Question 12

stem flow

Answer 12

water reaches ground by flowing down trunks or stems or dropping off leaves

Question 13

overland flow/surface runoff

Answer 13

when ground is saturated from heavy rainfall and surfaces impermeable (e.g. urban areas)

Question 14

drainage basin inputs and outputs

Answer 14

i= precipitation
o= river chnnel, evaporation, transpiration

Question 15

drainage basin stores

Answer 15

groundwater, soil moisture, surface storage, interception

Question 16

what does field capacity mean?

Answer 16

low field capacity= retain little water, caused by animals

high field capacity= clay, drains slowly

Question 17

what is a water shed?

Answer 17

highland that separates drainage basins

Question 18

throughfall

Answer 18

water makes it way from leaves on trees to the ground- drips from one interception store to another

Question 19

different stores in a drainage basin

Answer 19

soil store, vegetation store, groundwater store, surface storage(puddles- depends on intensity of rainfall)

Question 20

evapotranspiration

Answer 20

when it is difficult to separate evaporation and transpiration

Question 21

groundwater flow

Answer 21

slow movement of passing slowly into zone of saturated rock where it can move vertically and laterally.