Drainage system, patterns, stores and flows

• What is the hydrological cycle?

  Continuous movement of water on Earth
• What powers the hydrological cycle?

  The sun
• What type of system is the hydrological cycle?

  Closed system
• What does a closed system imply in hydrology?

  Nothing can be added or removed
• What are the outputs of the hydrological cycle?

  Evaporation, evapotranspiration, river discharge
• What are the stores in the hydrological cycle?

  Interception, soil water, surface water, groundwater, channel storage
• What are the above ground flows in the hydrological cycle?

  Throughfall, stemflow, overland flow, channel flow
• What are the below ground flows in the hydrological cycle?

  Infiltration, percolation, throughflow, groundwater, base flow
• What is the water table?

  Upper layer of water stored underground
• What is groundwater?

  Water stored underground in rocks
• What is transpiration?

  Water loss from vegetation into the atmosphere
• What is throughflow?

  Water moving horizontally through the soil
• What is a drainage basin?

  Area around the river drained by the river
• What is a watershed?

  Edge of the drainage basin
• What is interception in hydrology?

  Precipitation collected and stored by vegetation
• What is stemflow?

  Water flowing down tree trunks and stems
• What is infiltration?

  Movement of water into the soil surface
• What is percolation?

  Movement of water into rock from soil
• What is the definition of drainage density?

  Total length of channel divided by area
• What are 1st order streams?

  Original, single source tributaries
• What are 2nd order streams?

  Joining of two first order streams
• What are 3rd order streams?

  Merging of two 2nd order streams
• What characterizes high density drainage basins?

  Impermeable land surface and steep slopes
• What characterizes low density drainage basins?

  Permeable rock and limited rainfall
• What are the types of drainage patterns?

  • Dendritic patterns
  • Radial patterns
  • Rectangular patterns
  • Trellis patterns

  
• What is a dendritic pattern?

  Develops on relatively uniform bedrock
• What is a radial pattern?

  Develops around a central elevated point
• What is a rectangular pattern?

  Develops on highly jointed bedrock
• What is a trellis pattern?

  Develops in areas of alternating weak and resistant bedrock
• What are the implications of trellis patterns for the environment?

  High risk of flooding and habitat creation
• How does increased rainfall affect the hydrological cycle?

  Increases infiltration and raises the water table
• How does decreased rainfall affect vegetation?

  Vegetation will die due to lack of water
• What happens during heavy rainfall?

  Ground becomes saturated, increasing surface runoff
• How does snow affect infiltration?

  Snow takes time to melt for infiltration
• How does the distribution of rainfall affect river levels?

  Rainfall directly into river affects levels quicker
• What is variability in rainfall?

  Amount of rainfall varying over time
• How does temperature affect evaporation?

  Warmer temperatures increase evaporation rates
• How does humidity affect evaporation?

  Higher humidity slows down evaporation
• How does wind speed affect evaporation?

  More wind increases evaporation rates
• How does the color of the surface affect evaporation?

  Lighter colors reflect heat, less evaporation