Drainage Basins As Open Systems

Question 1

Drainage basin definition

Answer 1

The area of land drained by its river and tributaries

Question 2

Watershed

Answer 2

An imaginary line that follows the highest points of the basin to mark the edges.
Any water that falls in the watershed will flow into the basin

Question 3

Inputs and outputs of a basin

Answer 3

Precipitation - input
Evapotranspiration - output
Runoff - output

Question 4

Stores of a basin

Answer 4

Interception
Surface runoff
Soil water - water in soil
Groundwater - water in rocks
Channel storage - water in river

Question 5

Flows/Transfers of a basin

Answer 5

Stemflow - water making its way from leaves to the ground
Infiltration
Overland flow
Channel flow

Question 6

The water balance definition

Answer 6

Shows the balance between inputs ( precipitation ) and outputs ( runoff and evapotranspiration )

Question 7

What is field capacity

Answer 7

When the soil holds as much water as it can without any outputs occurring.

Question 8

Water balance equation

Answer 8

P=Q+E
P - precipitation
Q- runoff
E - evapotranspiration