Drainage basins and hydrographs Flashcards
What is a tributary?
A small stream that leads to the main channel
What is a catchment area?
The area from which a river draws its water
What is a drainage basin?
The area drained by a river and its tributaries/ catchment areas of a river
What is a hydrograph?
Plots river flow over time
What is the watershed?
The boundary between two drainage basins
What does an annual hydrograph do?
Plots river flow over a year
How can geology influence hydrograph pattern?
By determining permeability of the ground
What is the source?
Where the river starts
What is the mouth?
Where the river meets the sea
What is a flood /storm hydrograph?
Plots river flow over a short time period following a rainfall event
What is a confluence?
Where two tributaries meet
What is the discharge?
The amount of water in a river at a given time or point (area times the velocity)
