Section 1 - Rivers (Drainage Basins) Flashcards
Inputs of water to the drainage basin
•precipitation
The flows/transfers in a drainage basin
- surface runoff
- channel flow
- infiltration
- through flow
- groundwater flow
- percolation
The stores in a drainage basin
- channel storage
- groundwater storage
- interception storage
- surface storage
The outputs of a drainage basin
- evaporation
- transpiration
- river flow into the sea
Drainage basins are separated by…
Watersheds
What are watersheds?
Ridges of high land, water falling over either side of the ridges with fall into different drainage basins
Name 6 key features of a drainage basin
- watershed
- source
- tributary
- confluence
- channel
- mouth
What is a source?
Where a river starts, usually in an upland area
What is a tributary?
A smaller river that joins the main river
What is a confluence?
A point where 2 rivers meet
What is a channel?
The main river flowing through the basin
What is the mouth?
Where a river flows into the sea or a lake
What is a drainage basin?
The area of land drained by a river, an open system, the part of the hydro cycle that happens on land
