Geography A level topic 1: Drainage basins
What are rocks that contain a significant quantity of water called?
aquifers
Combined loss of water to the atmosphere through transpiration and evaporation.
evapotranspiration
Sub-surface water is known as..
groundwater
What is baseflow?
groundwater flow that feeds into rivers through river banks and river beds
The study of water as it moves on, through and under the Earths surface is known as:
hydrology
Water that is retained by plant surfaces and later evaporated or absorbed by the plant
interception loss
Name the three main components of interception.
interception loss, throughfall, stemflow
Infiltration is ____ related to runoff
inversely
EXAMPLE: how big is the amazon drainage basin?
nearly 7 000 000 sq km
A drainage basin is an ____ system
open
The conversion and transfer of moisture in the atmosphere to the land- what term does this definition describe?
precipitation
What 5 factors effect evapotranspiration?
temperature, humidity, windspeed, vegetation cover, albedo of surface, available water
What is a drainage basin?
the land drained by a river and its tributaries
What is infiltration capacity?
the maximum rate at which rain can be absorbed by a soil in a given condition
What is the water cycle?
the movement of water between land air and sea.
What is the antecedent soil moisture?
the pre-existing levels of soil moisture
What is potential evapotranspiration?
the water loss that would occur if there was an unlimited supply of water in the soil for use by plants
What is the upper layer of the permanently saturated zone within solid rocks and sediments (the phreatic zone) known as?
the water table
Name 5 characteristics of precipitation that affect local hydrology.
total amount, type, intensity,distribution, temporal variability
The water loss from vegetation to the atmosphere
transpiration
What conditions increase evaporation a transpiration?
warm and dry conditions
EXAMPLE: How many tributaries does the Amazon basin contain?
1100+
EXAMPLE: The Thames drainage basin is densely populated, supporting ___ people
13 million
EXAMPLE: what area does the Thames drainage basin cover?
16 000 sq km
EXAMPLE: what percentage of South America does the Amazon drainage basin cover?
40%
EXAMPLE: it's one of the driest parts of the UK, receiving ___ of rainfall yearly
690mm