Drainage Basins

• what type of system is a drainage basin?

  natural system
• what can drainage basins be viewed as?

  open, local hydrological cycles
• what is a river's drainage basin?

  The area surrounding the river where the rain falling on the land flows into that river. This area is also called the river's catchment
• What is the watershed?


  The boundary of a drainage basin

  • Any precipitation falling beyond the watershed enters a different drainage basin
• what are drainage basins in terms of systems?


  Open systems with inputs and outputs
• What does water come into the drainage basin (system) as ?

  precipitation
• how does water leave the drainage basin?

  via evaporation, transpiration and river discharge
• inputs of drainage basins?

  precipitation includes all the ways moisture comes out of the atmosphere