The Hydrological Cycle and river basins Flashcards
what is the hydrological cycle
the global circulation of water in a closed system
what is condensation
the change from water vapour as it cools to become a liquid
what is precipitation
the transfer of water in any form from the atmosphere to the land(snow, sleet, rain e.t.c.)
what is transpiration
water evaporates from the plant like the surface as it is released from the stomata
what is evaporation
water is changed from a liquid to a gas through the suns heat
what is evapo-transpiration
the loss of water from the ground by direct evaporation from the water bodies and the soil, plus transpiration from plants
what is surface run-off
the flow of water over the surface of the ground
what is infiltration
when water soaks vertically down into the soil
what is percolation
the filtering of water downwards vertically through the joints and pore of rocks
what is through-flow
From the result of gravity, water moves slowly through (diagonally downward or horizontal) the soil.
what is groundwater flow
Water that flows horizontally underground through rock
what is a river drainage basin
The drainage basin is an area of land drained by a river and it’s tributaries
what are the inputs to the hydrological cycle
Energy from the Sun
Precipitation formed by moisture outside of the basin
Water from tributary drainage basins
what are the outputs to the hydrological cycle
The river’s discharge
Water in the basin where evaporation or transpiration are taking place
what are the three types of drainage basins
- Water is collected and flows to the sea
- Water is collected and flows to an inland lake/sea
- Water is collected and is part of a much larger drainage basin.
