Surface Hydrology 1: The catchment water balance Flashcards
1
Q
What are the main hydrological fluxes in a catchment?
A
The main fluxes are precipitation (P), evaporation (E), river runoff (Q), and groundwater recharge (R).
2
Q
What is the catchment area?
A
The drainage area contributing to flow at a point on a river
3
Q
What is precipitation?
A
Rainfall + snowfall + sleet + hail
4
Q
What is the plot of rainfall called?
A
Hyetograph
5
Q
What is evaporation?
A
Loss of water to atmosphere from land/water surface
6
Q
What is the formula for the catchment water balance?
A
ΔS = P − E − Q − R
Where ΔS is the change in storage.
7
Q
If T is large….
A
ΔS will be small relative to the other fluxes
8
Q
When ΔS really small what does the formula change too?
A
Q ≈ P - E - R
9
Q
What are the units for river discharge and precipitation in the water balance equation?
A
- Discharge (Q): m³/s or mm/day (when normalized by catchment area).
- Precipitation (P): mm/day
