Hydrology & Fluvial Geomorphology

Question 1

Define drainage basin

Answer 1

Catchment area for water whick drains into a river and its tributaries

Question 2

What is precipitation?

Answer 2

Rainfall will follow the routes within the drainage basin system

Question 3

Equation for water balance?

Answer 3

P=Q+E+/-S

Question 4

Discharge?

Answer 4

Amount of volume of water flowing past a particular point at a given time

Question 5

Discharge measured in?

Answer 5

Cumec - cubic meter per seconds

Question 6

Lag time?

Answer 6

Time diffrent between maximum precipitation and peak discharge

Question 7

What is flood?

Answer 7

A discharge great enough to cause a body if water to overflow its channel and submerge the surrounding land

Question 8

Primary effects of flood?

Answer 8

Loss of life, houses damaged, crop damage, roads and railways damaged

Question 9

Secondary effects of flood?

Answer 9

Homeless, food supply problems, diseases spread, polluted water and reconstruction cost

Question 10

Name flood protection methods

Answer 10

Building dams, levees, flood wall, canalisation, and afforestation

Question 11

Name the 3 types of flows

Answer 11

Laminar, turbulent and helicodial flow

Question 12

What are the four types of erosion processes

Answer 12

Hydraulic action, corrasion, solution and attrition

Question 13

What are the four types of transport processes

Answer 13

Traction, saltation, suspension and solution

Question 14

Deposition?

Answer 14

Where material carried by the river is dropped

Question 15

Why does deposition occur?

Answer 15

Because there is no longer sufficient energy to transport material

Question 16

What are rapids?

Answer 16

Series of very short and fast falls

Question 17

Levees?

Answer 17

A raised river bank

Question 18

Hjulstrom curve?

Answer 18

Shows the relationship between velocity and particle size. It shows velocities for erosion, deposition and the area where transportation will continue to occur

Question 19

Why does clay require high velocity eventhough clay is small

Answer 19

Have the tendancy to stick together which is very hard to seperate

Question 20

What is a riffle?

Answer 20

Shallow parts of a river where water flows more turbeluntly over depostis of coarse materials

Question 21

Where does a riffle occur?

Answer 21

Middle course

Question 22

What are pools?

Answer 22

Deeper sections in a river where water flows less turbulently over deposits of fine materials

Question 23

Where do pools occur

Answer 23

Middle course