Rivers Key Words Flashcards
Transpiration
Where plants pass water through the their leaves.
Evapo-transpiration
Where evaporation and transpiration is likely to be taking place e.g. From a grassed area
Evaporation
Where water, as a liquid, is heater and becomes a gas (water vapour). It can occur on land, from rivers and lakes and the sea and the vapour and goes into the atmosphere.
Precipitation
All forms of water that fall from the atmosphere e.g. drizzle, rain, hail, sleet and snow.
Surface run-off
Where water flows over the land or it can be contained in a river
Groundwater
Water that is contained in the pore spaces or cracks within permeable rock only
Permeable rock
These rocks allow water to pass through them like a sponge will e.g. Chalk, limestone
Impermeable rock
Rocks that don’t allow water to pass through them, that is, it will not sock into the rock
Hydrological cycle
Known as the water cycle. It is the constant recycling of water between the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth.
Stores
Where water is held.
Transfers
Where water flows or moved through the water cycle - a process is taking place.
Stemflow
Where water is taken up from the soil via the plant roots and passes up the plant/tree
Infiltration
Where water moves into the ground through worm holes, cracks and pores in the soil.
Throughflow
Where water moves through the soil down a slope into the stream.
Surface storage
Where the water is unable to infiltrate into the ground or flow overland, basically it is a puddle
Water table
The level below which the ground is saturated
Groundwater flow
Where the water flows underground in permeable rock into a river
Baseflow
The flow of a stream that is fed from groundwater
Channel precipitation
Rain that falls directly into the river
Interception
When rain falls on plants or trees
Condensation
Where water is cooled and turns from a gas (water vapour) into a liquid.
Hydrograph
Shows the amount of discharge in a river over time and it can also show precipitation amounts.
Discharge
The volume of water passing a certain point along the river per second. It is measured in cumecs (m/s). This is often seen by a rise in water level in the river.
Peak discharge
The maximum (highest) discharge in the river.
Basin lag time
The time taken to reach peak discharge from peak precipitation level.
Baseflow
The flow of the river that comes from groundwater.
Storm run-off
The extra water in the river that results from the precipitation that has fallen
Rising limb
The line of the hydrograph moving upwards
Falling limb
The line of the hydrograph moving downwards
Confluence
The point where one river joins another river.
Water shed
The boundary between 2 drainage basins, usually a higher ridge of land.
Tributary
A river that flows into a larger river.
Drainage basin
The land that is drained by a river and its tributaries.
Source
Where a river begins e.g. Spring, a marshy area
Mouth
Where the river meets the sea
Attrition
When the rocks and shingle on the beach bump into each other and break up into smaller particles.
Hydraulic action
The force of the waves compressing air in the cracks in a cliff/rock.
Corrasion
Also known as abrasion. Where large waves hurl beach material against a cliff, chipping pieces away.
Corrosion
Also known as solution. When salts and other acids in seawater slowly dissolve the rocks on a cliff.
Water stress
When the amount of water available isn’t enough to meet the demand.
Water deficit
Areas which don’t have enough rainfall and water.
Water surplus
Areas which have more water than they need.
