Water and Carbon Cycles- The Drainage Basin

Question 1

Precipitation definition

Answer 1

Rain, snow, hail and sleet

Question 2

Infiltration definition

Answer 2

When water enters the ground

Question 3

Interception definition

Answer 3

When water is caught by trees and plants

Question 4

Stem flow definition

Answer 4

Water lands on plants and runs down their stems

Question 5

Overland flow definition

Answer 5

Anywhere water flows over the land surface

Question 6

Through flow definition

Answer 6

When water flows through the ground

Question 7

Transpiration definition

Answer 7

When water vapour comes out of leaves

Question 8

Evapotranspiration definition

Answer 8

Water rises as vapour from the ground or released from leaves

Question 9

Ground water definition

Answer 9

Water deep in the ground

Question 10

Soil water definition

Answer 10

Water held between soil particles

Question 11

Ground water flow definition

Answer 11

The slow movement of water through the ground

Question 12

Percolation definition

Answer 12

Movement of water down through the ground

Question 13

Surface storage definition

Answer 13

Lakes, ponds and puddles

Question 14

Ground water storage definition

Answer 14

Water stored underground in bed rock

Question 15

What is the drainage basin?

Answer 15

The area of land surrounding a river, from which the river remains cornices water and subsequently drains this water

Question 16

Movement of water through the drainage basin (quickest to slowest)

Answer 16

• fastest movement of water occurs along the surface (especially urban areas)
• relatively free movement in woodland as there are many channels created by roots
• water moves through soil at a slower rate
• below the soil the rate of transfer slows considerably

Question 17

What is the water balance?

Answer 17

The difference between the inputs and outputs (and the subsequent change in storage) in the drainage basin

Question 18

How does a positive water balance occur?

Answer 18

If precipitation exceeds run off and evapotranspiration there will be a positive water balance

Question 19

How does a negative water balance occur?

Answer 19

If run off and evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation, there will be a negative water balance

Question 20

Water balance equation

Answer 20

P=Q+E+/-change in storage

P= precipitation 
Q= total runoff 
E= evapotranspiration

Question 21

What is the soil moisture budget?

Answer 21

The change in the amount of water stored in the soil throughout the year

Question 22

Potential evapotranspiration definition

Answer 22

The amount of evapotranspiration that could occur if there was sufficient water available in the system

Question 23

What is the river regime

Answer 23

The variability in the rivers discharge throughout the course of the year in response to precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration and drainage basin characteristics

Question 24

What is climatic variation?

Answer 24

-changes in seasonal temperature mean evapotranspiration losses are heavily concentrated in the summer

Question 25

What is a hydrograph?

Answer 25

A graph of river discharge against time

Question 26

Role of climatic factor in the variation of global water stores

Answer 26

• cryospheric (ice) stores decrease as a result of global temperature increase
• ice sheets on land melting cause an increase in water stores
• an increase in temp. increases the rate of evapotranspiration
• decrease in temp. reduces oceanic water store as water freezes on the land
• this increases cryospheric stores

Question 27

Storm hydrograph- peak rainfall

Answer 27

The highest level of rainfall that the rainstorm reached

Question 28

Storm hydrograph- peak discharge

Answer 28

The highest level of discharge in the river during the rainstorm

Question 29

Storm hydrograph- lag time

Answer 29

The time taken from the peak rainfall to the peak discharge

Question 30

Storm hydrograph- rising limb

Answer 30

How quickly a river responds to a storm

Question 31

Storm hydrograph- falling limb

Answer 31

Discharge decreasing after a storm event

Question 32

Storm hydrograph- base flow

Answer 32

The lowest amount of discharge in the river basin

Question 33

Storm hydrograph- storm runoff

Answer 33

The amount of water that runs off during a storm

Question 34

Natural causes of flooding in Pickering Beck

Answer 34

• steel sided valley that water runs off into the beck
• discharge averages 29.9 cumecs- higher than average
• geology of gritstone and limestone and soft sand- ground becomes quickly saturated and water has to travel as surface run off

Question 35

Human causes of flooding in Pickering Beck

Answer 35

• overgrazing
• urbanisation has led to increase in impermeable surfaces
• A170 runs directly through Pickering- one of the main areas to flood

Question 36

Land management strategies in Pickering Beck

Answer 36

• large low level embankment is being built to create additional flood storage capacity
• floodplain woodland can form a barrier to flood flows (19 ha planted in Pickering Beck so far)
• small scale planting by local residents can help protect areas at risk of high percentage of surface runoff