River Regimes And Flood Hydrographs Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a river regime?

A

The annual variation in the discharge of a river, the amount of water that travels through a river and how this changes throughout the year

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2
Q

What might influence the river regime?

A

Urbanisation
Deforestation
Slope/ gradient
Intensity/type of weather event
Rock type

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3
Q

What is a perennial channel?

A

Continuous flow in parts of its bed all year round during years of normal rainfall

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4
Q

What is an intermittent channel?

A

Normally ceases flowing for weeks or months each year

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5
Q

What is an Ephemeral channel?

A

Only flows for hours or days following rainfall

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6
Q

What type of river regime is the river wye?

A

Perennial as it has continuous flow all year around

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7
Q

Where is the river wye drainage basin would you expect to find intermittent or ephemeral channels?

A

Some tributaries in the mountains of mid wales near the source of the Wye will be ephemeral because of the extreme variations in the mountain climate

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8
Q

What is common in hydrograph’s in areas with snow cover?

A

In the summer months there will be an increase in discharge because of snowmelt

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9
Q

In warmer climates around India what in the cause for an increase in rainfall in the summer months?

A

Monsoons

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10
Q

What is the main geology of the River Wye?

A

Predominantly characterised by old red sandstone

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11
Q

What are the characteristics of sandstone?

A

It is permeable
Which means it increases the lag time reducing the peak discharge

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12
Q

How does building new houses affect the river regime?

A

It creates impermeable surface and drainage systems with reduce lag time and increase peak discharge

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13
Q

How does damming affect the river regime?

A

Prevents the natural flow of the river so discharge/flow downstream in reduced

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14
Q

What are flood hydrographs?

A

Graphs that show how a drainage basin responds to a period of rainfall

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15
Q

What is peak discharge?

A

The highest recorded discharge following a rainfall event

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16
Q

What is peak rainfall?

A

The highest amount of rainfall per unit of time

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17
Q

What is the rising limb?

A

Shows how quickly the discharge rises after a rainstorm

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18
Q

What is lag time?

A

The time difference between peak rainfall and peak discharge

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19
Q

What is the falling limb?

A

Shows the reduced discharge once the main effect off run-off has passed

20
Q

What is base flow?

A

The normal flow of the river when its water level is being sustained by ground water flow

21
Q

What is the bank full discharge?

A

The level of discharge above which flooding will occur

22
Q

What will the drainage basin of a flashy hydrograph be like?

A

Small circular basin as the water reaches the channel rapidly as it has a shorter distance to travel
Steep slopes
Impermeable surfaces

23
Q

What will the basin size of a typical hydrograph be like?

A

A large basin that means water will take longer to reach the channel as it has a greater distance to travel

24
Q

What will the basin shape be of a flashy hydrograph?

A

Circular basin will take less time for the water to reach channel as the extremities are equidistant

25
Q

What will the basin shape of a flatter/ typical hydrograph be?

A

Elongated basin
Water will take longer to reach the channel format he extremities

26
Q

What will the slopes be like for an area with a flashy hydrograph?

A

Steep slopes
Water flows down hill rapidly and reaches the channel quickly

27
Q

What will the slopes be like in an area with a typical hydrograph?

A

Gentle slopes water can infiltrate into the ground and travel slowly to channel through soil/ rock.

28
Q

What the hydrograph of an area with clay and thin soils look like?

A

Flashy hydrograph
As clay soil has a low porosity
So water infiltrates slowly
Thin soils are saturated easily

29
Q

What will the hydrograph look like in an area with sandy soils and thick soils?

A

Flatter as sandy soils have a:
High porosity meaning water can infiltrate
Deep soils allow infiltration

30
Q

What will the hydrograph look like in an area with impermeable rocks?

A

Flashy
Percolation wont occur
Increased surface run-off

31
Q

What will a hydrograph look like in an area with permeable rock?

A

Flatter
Percolation can occur

32
Q

What will the hydrograph look like in an area with a high drainage density?

A

Flashy
Many streams per km2 means water will reach the channel quicker

33
Q

What will a hydrograph look like in an area with low drainage density?

A

Flatter
Small number of streams per km2 means water travels slowly back to the channel

34
Q

What will a hydrograph look like in an area with thin grass?

A

Flashy
Little water intercepted
Little loss by evapotranspiration
More water reaches channel

35
Q

What is a flashy hydrograph?

A

When there are sharp vertical increase sin river discharge

36
Q

What will a hydrograph look like from an area with forest and woodland?

A

Flatter/ typical
More water intercepted
High evapotranspiration rates
Less reaches the channel and more slowly

37
Q

What will the hydrograph look like in an urban area?

A

Flashy
More impermeable surfaces (road and drains) mean water gets to the channel quicker

38
Q

What will a hydrograph in a rural area look like?

A

Vegetated surfaces intercept water and allow infiltration so water travels slowly to the channel

39
Q

What will the hydrograph look like after high intensity rainfall?

A

Flashy
Rain falls faster then infiltration capacity so surface run-ff occurs water reaches the channel quicker

40
Q

What will a hydrograph look like after low intensity rainfall?

A

Flatter/ typical
Water can infiltrate into soil where it travels slowly to river channel

41
Q

What will a hydrograph look like after prolonged rainfall?

A

Flashy
Water table rises
Soil becomes saturated
Increased surface runoff
Water reaches channel faster

42
Q

What will a hydrograph look like after short duration rainfall?

A

Flatter
Most water infiltrates into soil
Slower travelling through soil and rock

43
Q

What will a hydrograph look like in an area with fast snowmelt?

A

Flashy
Water can’t infiltrate the frozen ground
Flows rapidly to channel

44
Q

What will a hydrograph look like with slow snowmelt?

A

Flatter
Ground thaws is melt water can infiltrate into soil so moves slower to the channel

45
Q

What will a hydrograph look like in an area with low evapotranspiration rates?

A

Flashy
Fewer losses from the drainage basin
Increased discharge

46
Q

Hat will a hydrograph look like in a area with high evapotranspiration rates?

A

Flatter
Increased form drainage basin
Reduced discharge