Lesson 2 - The Drainage Basin Hydrological Cycle Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a drainage basin?

A

A drainage basin is an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries and separated from neighbouring drainage basins by a ridge of high land called a water shed.

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2
Q

Give some examples of inputs to the hydrological cycle?

A
  • Precipitation, all of the ways in which moisture comes out of the atmosphere
  • Solar insolation (energy from the sun)
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3
Q

Give some examples of outputs from the hydrological cycle?

A
  • Transpiration, evaporation from plant leaves
  • River flow or discharge, river taking water out of the drainage basin
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4
Q

State five physical factors that can affect the drainage basin?

A
  • The relief
  • The climate
  • The vegetation
  • The geology
  • The soils
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5
Q

How can the relief affect the drainage basin?

A

The relief can impact the amount of precipitation. Slopes can affect the amount of runoff.

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6
Q

How can the climate affect the drainage basin?

A

The climate has a role in influencing the type and amount of precipitation overall and the amount of evaporation, i.e. the major inputs and outputs. It also has an impact on the vegetation type.

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7
Q

How can vegetation affect the drainage basin?

A

The presence or absence of vegetation can have a major impact on the amount of interception, infiltration and occurrence of overland flow, as well as transpiration rates.

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8
Q

How can the geology affect the drainage basin?

A

The geology can impact on the subsurface processes such as percolation and groundwater flow (and therefore on aquifers). Indirectly, it can alter soil formation.

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9
Q

How can the soils affect the drainage basin?

A

The soil determines the amount of infiltration and throughflow and, indirectly, the type of vegetation.

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