Hydrological Cycle

Question 0

What are drainage basin inputs?

Answer 0

Known as precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet, hail and dew

Question 1

What is drainage basin?

Answer 1

An area of land drained by the river and it’s tributaries

They are local,open systems. It is the area surrounding the river where rainfall flows into the river.

Boundary of DB is known as the watershed, any precipitation that’s falls beyond the watershed, enters a new DB.

Water enters the system through rainfall and leaves via transpiration. Evaporation and river discharg

Question 2

What is global hydrological cycle

Answer 2

Explains the distribution of water between the litho, bio, hydro and atm.

As it is a closed system, amount of water is constant

Water evaporates from lakes oceans and seas vegetation and soil

Water condenses to form clouds to ppt transferring water to other parts if the HC

Over land -> ppt> evap
Over seas -> evap> ppt

Question 3

What is basin hydrological cycle

Answer 3

Predicts the movement among storage places for discrete areas of the earth

Used to study hydrology of river and DB

Characteristics:
Inputs: ppt
Outputs: eavpotranspiration, channel flow
Flow: through flow, baseflow, percolation, SOF, HOF
Storage: interception, soil moisture, sub-surface, channel and groundwater

Question 4

What is interception

Answer 4

Temporary storage

It is where ppt lands on vegetation or other surfaces before reaching the ground

Denser the vegetation , the higher the interception

Question 5

What is surface storage

Answer 5

Water that is collected in ponds, puddles and lakes

On the earth surface

Question 6

What is groundwater storage

Answer 6

Water that is stored I either rocks or soil in the ground

Question 7

What is channel storage

Answer 7

Water held in streams or in river channels

Question 8

Through fall

Answer 8

Leaf drip that penetrates gaps in the canopy so that water can run down trunks and branches(Stemflow)

Question 9

Through flow

Answer 9

Water slowly moving downhill through the soil

Question 10

Infiltration

Answer 10

Water that slowly soaks penetrates into the ground

Fills up soil pores

Influenced by soil type, structure and saturation

Question 11

Infiltration capacity

Answer 11

Maximum rate or amount if water that a soil can absorb in a given condition

Depends on rainfall and intensity

Vegetation increases, IC Increaes

Question 12

Surface runoff

Answer 12

Water moving down land on the surface

When rainfall>IC

Question 13

Percolation

Answer 13

Water that seeps down the soil into the Water Tab,e

Question 14

Groundwater flow

Answer 14

Water flowing though the WT into permeable rock

Question 15

Baseflow

Answer 15

Groundwater flow that feeds into river through banks or basins

Question 16

Soil moisture storage

Answer 16

Water that is stored as capillary water in pores that serves as narrow passages to allow rainwater to pass through

Size of pores-> size and shape of particles

Question 17

Channel flow

Answer 17

Water that is flowing in the river channel itself

Question 18

Overland flow

Answer 18

When rain is unable to infiltrate the soil

Question 19

HOF

Answer 19

When rainfall intensity>IC

When intensity decreases, IC increases

Thin impermeable soil

Question 20

SOF

Answer 20

When pores are fully filled with water

Depends on total amount of rainfall rather than intensity

Impermeable layer, high ST, vegetation(prom infiltration), gentle slope

Question 21

Factors affecting HC

Answer 21

Climate: IC , EVPT

Vegetation: IC, human(deforestation)

Soil conditions: IC and human(urb and concretization)

Geology: type of rocks-> structure (joints), mineral comp(strength)

Relief : steep-> higher SR and lower Infi
gentle-> lower SR and higher Infi