The Hydrological Cycle

Question 1

What is the hydrological cycle?

Answer 1

The hydrological cycle is the process of recycling water found on the earths surface.

Question 2

Name the stages of the hydrological cycle.

Answer 2

Evaporation/transpiration, condensation, precipitation, surface run-off/infiltration.

Question 3

What is evaporation?

Answer 3

The transfer of water from the surface into the air as water vapour.

Question 4

What is transpiration?

Answer 4

The transfer of water from plants into the air as water vapour.

Question 5

What is condensation?

Answer 5

The change of water vapour in the air into water droplets-visible as clouds.

Question 6

What is precipitation?

Answer 6

The transfer of water from air to land.

Question 7

What is surface run-off?

Answer 7

The transfer of water across the land into the sea or lake.

Question 8

What is infiltration?

Answer 8

The transfer of water from the surface to the soil, then to the river channel(flow through).

Question 9

What is a drainage basin?

Answer 9

A drainage basin is an area of land that a river starts and ends in(where the river collects its water from).

Question 10

What is the source of a drainage basin?

Answer 10

Where a river starts.

Question 11

What is the watershed of a drainage basin?

Answer 11

The dividing line between drainage basins.

Question 12

What is the tributary river of a drainage basin?

Answer 12

A smaller river joining onto a main river.

Question 13

What is the confluence of a drainage system?

Answer 13

Where a tributary joins a main river(like a junction of a minor road turning onto a major road).

Question 14

What is the channel of a drainage system?

Answer 14

The route the river takes to the sea.

Question 15

What is the load of a drainage system?

Answer 15

The material rivers carry(rocks, stones, gravel).

Question 16

What is the mouth of a drainage system?

Answer 16

The end of the river.

Question 17

Name the three main stages of a river.

Answer 17

The upper, middle and lower stage.

Question 18

Name three of the main processes of the changing landscape of rivers.

Answer 18

Erosion, deposition and transportation

Question 19

How does the upper stage of a rivers landscape change?

Answer 19

Mainly erosion and transportation.

Question 20

How does the middle stage of a rivers landscape change?

Answer 20

Erosion transportation and some deposition.

Question 21

How does the lower stage of a rivers landscape change?

Answer 21

Mainly deposition, transportation and a little erosion.

Question 22

Name the 4 ways erosion takes place in.

Answer 22

Hydraulic, abrasion, attrition and solution.

Question 23

What is hydraulic action?

Answer 23

Hydraulic action is the force of just the water in the river wearing away the land.

Question 24

What is abrasion?

Answer 24

Abrasion is the force of the water plus the load(rocks etc) that the river is carrying, wearing away the land.

Question 25

What is attrition?

Answer 25

Attrition is the material that is carrying, breaking each other down in the river.

Question 26

What is solution?

Answer 26

Solution is the acid on the river water, dissolving the rock and wearing it down.

Question 27

Name the 3 ways transportation takes place in.

Answer 27

Traction, saltation and suspension.

Question 28

What is Traction?

Answer 28

Traction is the bigger load rolling across the bottom of the river.

Question 29

What is saltation?

Answer 29

Saltation is the smaller material bouncing along the bottom of the river.

Question 30

What is suspension?

Answer 30

Suspension is fine material, floating inside the river, being carried by the water.

Question 31

What are the 3 main reasons for deposition.

Answer 31

The material that the river is carrying is too heavy. The river has lost power/speed/energy and no longer can move the material(heaviest material deposited first). The river doesn’t have enough water to move the material.