Drainage Basins Flashcards
what is a drainage basin?
it is the area surrounding the river where the rain falling on the land flows into that river, the area is also called the river’s catchment
what is the watershed?
this is the boundary of the drainage basin where any precipitation falling beyond this enters a different drainage basin
how does water enter and leave the system
it enters as precipitation and leaves via evaporation, transpiration and river discharge
what is interception?
interception is when precipitation lands on vegetation or impermeable surfaces before reaching the soil, it is only temporary because it can be evaporated quickly
what is vegetation storage?
vegetation storage is the water taken up by plants
what is surface storage?
surface storage is water in puddles, ponds and lakes
what is groundwater?
groundwater is water stored in soil or in rocks
what is channel storage?
channel storage is the water held in a river or stream channel
what is infiltration?
infiltration is water soaking into the soil, the rates of affected by soil type, structure and saturation levels
what is surface runoff?
surface runoff is water flowing over the land, rain is falling faster than infiltration can occur
what is throughfall?
throughfall is water dripping from one leaf to another
what is stemflow?
stemflow is water running down a stem or trunk
what is throughflow?
throughflow is water slowly moving slowly downhill through the soil
what is percolation?
percolation is water seeping down through the soil into the water table
what is groundwater flow?
groundwater flow is water flowing slowly below the water table through permeable rock
what is baseflow?
baseflow is the groundwater flow that feeds into rivers through river banks and river beds
what is interflow?
interflow is water flowing downhill through permeable rock above the water table
what is channel flow/river discharge?
this is the water flowing in the river or stream itself
what is the water balance?
this is the amount of inputs and outputs in a system, more inputs than outputs creates a water surplus and more outputs than inputs creates a water deficit
