Lesson 2 - Catchment hydrology, the drainage basin as a system. Flashcards
1
Q
What is drainage basin?
A
A component of the Earths hydrological cycle, an open system which allows energy and matter to be transferred across its watershed from external areas.
2
Q
What is the main physical input for a drainage basin?
A
Precipitation e.g., rainfall and snow
3
Q
What affects the coping abilities of a drainage basin?
A
Intensity and duration of precipitation. E.g., High intensity could result in flash flooding
4
Q
Flash Flooding Case Study
A
Boscastle in Cornwall 2004. 75mm of rainfall in 2 hours, bursting two river banks causing a surge of water through the village.
5
Q
What are the flows within a drainage basin?
A
- Through fall
- Stemflow
- Infiltration
- Overland flow
- Through flow
- Percolation
- Groundwater flow
6
Q
What are the stores within a drainage basin?
A
- Interception store
- Vegetation store
- Surface store
- Soil moisture store
- Channel store
- Groundwater store
7
Q
What are the key outputs of a drainage basin?
A
- Channel discharge e.g. main river
- Evaporation
- Transpiration
