Section 2 Watersheds & Water Budgets Flashcards
Watershed
All the land that drains into the river either directly or through its tributaries
Watershed Divide
The high land that separates one drainage basin from another
River system
A river and all of its tributaries
Tributary
A stream that runs into another stream or river
Water Budget
Water budgets account for the inputs outputs and changes in the amount of water in a system by breaking the water cycle down into components
Water Budget = Inputs - Outputs
Recharge
The refilling of groundwater from the surface
Recharge Area
A recharge area is a place where water can seep into the ground and refill an aquifer because no confining layer is present
Discharge
The movement of groundwater from the subsurface to the surface
Surplus
A surplus occurs when the input in the water budget of a system are greater than the outputs
Surplus - Input > Output
Deficit
A deficit occurs when the outputs in the water budget of a system (lake) are greater than the inputs
Deficit = Output > Input
Usage
When plants draw water from the soil at times when the need for moisture is greater than the rainfall
Gradient
The steepness of the slope of a stream or river travels in a given time
Velocity
The distance the water in a stream or river travels in a given time
Discharge
The amount, or volume, of water that passes a certain point in a given amount of time
Weathering
The disintegration and decomposition of rock at or near Earth’s surface
