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AS Geography > 1. Hydrology and Fluvial Geomorphology > Flashcards

1. Hydrology and Fluvial Geomorphology Flashcards

(97 cards)

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1
Q

What is hydrology

A

the scientific study of the properties, distribution and effects of water on the Earth’s surface, in the soil and underlying rocks and in the atmosphere

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2
Q

Hydrological cycle

A

The continous process by which water is circulated throughout the Earth and its atmosphere

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3
Q

Open system

A

A region seperated from its surroundings by a boundary that admits a transfer of matter or energy across it

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4
Q

Closed system

A

a region that is isolated from its surroundings by a boundary that admits no transfer of matter or energy across it

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5
Q

Input

A

the addition of matter, energy or information into a system

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6
Q

Output

A

the movement of matter, energy or information out of a system

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7
Q

Watershed

A

a ridge of high land dividing two areas that are drained by different river systems

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8
Q

Drainage basin

A

an area drained by a river system, including all areas that gather precipitation and direct it to a particular stream, stream system, lake or other body of water

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9
Q

catchment area

A

area of land bounded by watersheds draining into a river, basin or resevoir

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10
Q

Precipitation

A

conversion and transfer of moisture in the atmosphere to the land

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11
Q

Interception

A

the capture of precipitation by the plant canopy and its subsequent return to the atmosphere via evaporation or sublimation

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12
Q

Throughfall

A

the process of precipitation passing through the plant canopy and landing on the ground

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13
Q

Stemflow

A

the process that directs precipitation down plant branches and stems into the ground

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14
Q

Overland flow, surface runoff

A

When water flows over the surface of the ground

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15
Q

Discharge

A

the volume of water passing through a certain point of a river at a given time

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16
Q

Infiltration

A

the absorption and downward movement of water into the soil layer

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17
Q

Infiltration capacity

A

the maximum rate at which rain can be absorbed by soil in a given condition

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18
Q

Throughflow

A

the flow of water through soil or regolith via natural pipelines and percolines

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19
Q

Baseflow

A

the normal level of a river fed by groundwater seeping into the bed of the river

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20
Q

Groundwater

A

water stored underground in permeable rock, e.g limestone

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21
Q

Recharge

A

The refilling of groundwater levels following abstraction

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22
Q

Water table

A

the upper layer of permanently saturated pore spaces in the groundwater zone

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23
Q

spring

A

a natural flow of water from rock or soil onto the land surface or into a body of water

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24
Q

Evaporation

A

The process by which liquid is converted into a Gaseous state

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25
Transpiration
the process by which water vapour escapes from a living plant, principally the leaves and enters the atmosphere
26
evapotranspiration
the combined losses of evaporation and transpiration
27
Aquifers
rocks that contain significant quantities of water
28
soil moisture
the subsurface water in the soil
29
field capacity
the amount of water held in the soil after the excess water drains away
30
Gauging station
a site on a body of water where observations and data are obtained
31
Infiltration excess flow, Hortonian flow
when water enters a soil system faster than the soil can absorb or move it
32
River regime
Annual variation in the flow of a river
33
Storm hydrograph, flood hydrograph
Graph that shows how a drainage basin responds to a period of rainfall
34
Time lag
the time between the height of the storm and the maximum flow in the river
35
Rising limb
the section of the storm hydrograph that shows how quickly the waters begin to rise
36
falling limb
section of the storm hydrograph that shows the speed with which the water level in the river declines after the peak
37
Peak Flow
Maximum discharge of the river as a result of the storm
38
Quickflow
the water that gets into the river as a result of overland runoff
39
Drainage density
the total length of all the streams and rivers in a drainage basin divided by the total area of the drainage basin
40
antecedent moisture
the amount of moisture in the soil before a rainfall event
41
porosity
the fraction of open space in a rock
42
permeability
measure of the ability of soil, sediments and rock to transport water horizontally and vertically
43
Load capacity
the largest amount of materiel that a stream can carry
44
load competence
the diameter of the largest partical that can be carried
45
critical erosion velocity
the lowest velocity at which grains of a given size can be moved
46
laminar flow
when water flows in sheets or lamina parallel to the channel bed
47
turbulent flow
a series of fast eddies and vertical movemnt caused by the roughness of the channel
48
helicoidal flow
the corkscrewing spiral flow within a river responsible for the formation of meanders
49
abrasion/corrasion
the physical wearing away of the river channel by the abrasive action of the load carried by the river
50
solution
the chemical dissolving of particles carried by a river
51
Hydraulic action
the ability of moving water to dislodge and transport materiels from its bed and banks
52
transportation
the movement of a rivers load downstream, carried by the force of the river
53
traction
the rolling or sliding of larger particle on the riverbed by the rivers current
54
suspension
when fine, smaller particles are carried downstream by a rivers current without making contact with the bed
55
saltation
when medium sized particles bounce along the riverbed as they are too heavy to be entirely suspended
56
cavitation
a process of intense erosion due to the surface collapse of airbubbles found in constricted, rapid flows of water
57
deposition velocity
the velocity at which the river can no longer support a load of a given size and thus begins to deposit it on the river bed
58
bed load
particles that are transported along the riverbed by rolling sliding or saltation
59
solute load
the dissolved particles which make up part of a rivers load
60
floodplain
flat area found alongside the stream channel that is prone to flooding and recieves alluvium deposits when flooding occurs
61
braiding
when a river channel is divided by reoccuring islands or bars formed by deposition
62
eyot/ait
small island in a river or lake
63
meander
a significant bend in a sinous river
64
overbankful discharge
the overflowing of a river channel caused by too much water flowing for the channel to contain it all
65
plunge pool
a pool at the foot of a waterfall formed by the erosion of the riverbed
66
riffle
rocky sandbar lying below the surface of a waterway
67
rapids
part of a river where the current is very rough and turbulent due to the bumpy nature of the riverbed.
68
undercutting
a steep slope created on the outside of a meander bend by erosion
69
slip off slope
the slope on the inside of the meander bend formed by the deposition of the rivers load in slower flowing water
70
waterfall
cascade of falling water from a height formed where the river erodes a band of softer rock after flowing over an area of more resistant materiel
71
gorge
steep sided rocky valley formed by the retreat of a waterfall upstream
72
levee
river embankments build by the deposition of a river as it floods
73
bluff
a steep cliff of rock bordering a river or its floodplain
74
ox bow lake
a meander that has been cut off from the rest of the river to form a small lake
75
alluvial fan
fan shaped deposit of sediments found where the erosional stream channels meet the valley floor, depositing the stream load
76
delta
a river mouth choked with sediment causing the main channel to split into smaller branching channels or distributaries
77
recurrence interval
the average time period that seperates natural events
78
hard engineering
the controlling of the natural processes of a river by the construction of manmade structures such as dams
79
soft engineering
use of ecological principles and practices (afforestation) to reduce the effects of a rivers natural processes in a manner that preserves the natural environment
80
Dam
barrier constructed across a waterway to constrict its flow
81
Levees(artifical)
man made embankments to prevent a river from overflowing
82
How does groundwater recharge occur
Infiltration of precipitation Seepage of water through the banks and beds of surface water bodies Groundwater leakage and inflow from adjacent rocks and aquifers
83
What influences the river regime
``` Amount and nature of precipitation Local rocks, porosity and permeability shape or morphology of the drainage basin area soil cover and soil type vegetation cover and type ```
84
How does precipitation type and intensity influence the flood hydrograph
Intensive rainfall produces overland flow and a steep rising limb and high peak flow. Low intensity rainfall is likely to slowly infiltrate into the soil and percolate, increasing time lag and reducing peak flow. Rapid melting of snow can lead to high overland flow and peak flows
85
How does temperature and evapotranspiration influence the flood hydrograph
High temperatures lead to more evaporation, warm air can hold more water so the potential for high peak flows in warm areas are raised
86
How does antecedent moisture influence the flood hydrograph
If the ground is near saturation, additional rainfall will produce overland flow, high peak flow and short time lag
87
How does drainage basin and shape influence the flood hydrograph
Smaller drainage basins respond quickly to rainfall conditions. Circular drainage basins respond more quickly than linear drainage basins
88
How does drainage density influence the flood hydrograph
High drainage density e,g urban areas with sewers respond very quickly. Short time lag
89
How does porosity and impermeability of soils influence the flood hydrograph
Impermeabililty causes water to flow over land. Causes greater peak flows Urban areas have large areas of impermeable surfaces Rocks like chalk or gravel are permeable and allow water to inflitrate and percolate. Reduces peak flow and increases time lag
90
How do slopes influence the flood hydrograph
Steeper slopes create more overland flow, shorter time lags and higher peak flows
91
How does vegetation type influence the flood hydrograph
Broad leafed vegetation intercept more rainfall, especially in summer, and so reduce the amount of overland flow, peak flow and increases time lag. In winter, decidous trees lose their leaves and intercept less
92
How does land use influence the flood hydrograph
Land use that creates impermeable surfaces or reduces vegetation cover, reduces interception and increases overland flow. However, if more drainage channels are built, the water is carried to rivers very quickly. This increases peak flow and reduces time lag
93
Examples of flows
rainfall rivers evaporation surface runoff
94
Examples of stores
``` Resevoirs Ice Snow Clouds Groundwater Vegetation ```
95
Degradation
The lowering of a riverbed over a period of time
96
Aggradation
Build-up of the level of any land srface by the deposition of sediment
97
How are pools and riffles formed
Turbulence cause the deposition of coarse sediments at high velocity points

AS Geography (10 decks)

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