Runoff Flashcards
what is meant by field capacity?
how much water a field can hold - it remains the same throughout the year as the capacity it holds never changes
what is runoff?
water in the river and water flowing into the river
how does volume affect river discharge?
low volume = low amount of discharge
high volume = high amount of discharge
how does speed or velocity of the river affect discharge?
low velocity = less discharge
high velocity = high discharge
what are the factors that affect flow patterns throughout the year in uk rivers?
precipitation evapotranspiration relief rock type temperature
what is the lag time?
the time taken from the peak rainfall to the peak discharge
what is the base flow?
the amount of water that would be in the river without the addition of storm water
what is the rising limb?
indicates how quickly a river responds to a storm
what is a flood hydrograph
graph of discharge of a river over a period of time
what are the factors that affect discharge?
type of rock amount of vegetation height of land relief urbanisation
what are the human factors that affect the shape of the flood hydrograph?
land use - urbanisation
afforestation
deforestation
what are the physical factors that affect the shape of a flood hydrograph?
rock type time of year amount and intensity of rainfall relief of the land length of precipitation event
