River Discharge Flashcards
Define discharge?
The amount of water in a river flowing past a particular point expressed as cumecs.
Define peak discharge.
The point on flood hydrograph when river discharge is at its highest.
Bankfull.
Maximum amount of discharge that a river channel is capable of carrying without flooding.
Baseflow.
Represents normal day-to-day discharge of river.
Its the consequence of slow moving soil throughflow and groundwater seeping into river channel.
Lag time.
Time between peak rainfall and peak discharge.
How is river flow studied?
Measuring the discharge.
So measuring volume of water passing a point in a given time.
How do you work out river discharge?
Multiply cross section of river by velocity at measuring point.
Measured in cumecs.
Discharge is the combines result of…
Many climatological and geographical factors interacting in drainage basin.
What information is needed to be known when assessing river discharge?
Water resources - irrigation.
Water related structures - reservoirs, flood banks and bridges.
Flood warning.
Alleviation schemes.
