Physical (Hydrological Cycle) Flashcards
What type of system is the hydrological cycle
A closed system, in which all water is circulated continuously
How is the hydrological process fuelled
By energy from the sun
Why is there no gains or losses of water in the hydrological cycle
As there is a fixed amount of water
How is the drainage basin boundary marked
By a ridge of high land (the watershed)
What type of system is the river drainage basin
An open system
What are the processes in the river drainage basin
In a river basin water enters as an input from the atmosphere (precipitation), and leaves the basin as an output either to the ocean (streamflow or discharge) or to the atmosphere (evaporation or transpiration), continuing on through the hydrological cycle
What do stores do within a drainage basin
Hold water
How are the stores in a drainage basin linked
By flows or transfers that allow water to move through the system
What is likely to change during a storm
The rainfall- runoff processes are likely to change
What is channel flow
Water moving downhill within rivers
What is groundwater store
Water held below the water in aquifers
What is depression storage
Storage of water in hollows and holes in the ground to form puddles
What is the hydrological cycle
The movement of moisture and energy between air, land and sea (it varies)
