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Geography Rivision Notes

The document defines key terms related to the hydrological cycle, including evaporation, condensation, infiltration, surface runoff, precipitation, and groundwater flow. It also describes stores of water like ice sheets, oceans, clouds, lakes, and reservoirs, as well as flows that transfer water between stores, such as precipitation, evaporation, condensation, and transpiration. Finally, it provides definitions and explanations of additional hydrological terms like drainage basin, watershed, river channel, and discharge.

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lumichaelyujie
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13 views

Geography Rivision Notes

The document defines key terms related to the hydrological cycle, including evaporation, condensation, infiltration, surface runoff, precipitation, and groundwater flow. It also describes stores of water like ice sheets, oceans, clouds, lakes, and reservoirs, as well as flows that transfer water between stores, such as precipitation, evaporation, condensation, and transpiration. Finally, it provides definitions and explanations of additional hydrological terms like drainage basin, watershed, river channel, and discharge.

Uploaded by

lumichaelyujie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Evaporation Liquid turning into gas.

Condensation Gas turning into liquid.

Infiltration Water flowing into the ground.

Surface run-off A portion of water running off the surface.

Precipitation Rain, snow, etc..

Groundwater Water flowing in the underground.


flow

Transpiration Water moving in plants.

Stores Flows (transfers)

Ice sheets Precipitation

Ocean Evaporation

Clouds Condensation

Lakes Transpiration

Reservoir Flowing

Closed system: no external inputs and outputs


Drainage basin: Collection of rivers, open system
Keyword Definition

Drainage basin Area of land that brings water from a source to the mouth of a
river

Watershed Dividing ridge between drainage basins

River channel Main body of the river - where most water is stored

Confluence Where two streams meet and join together

Source Where the river starts

Mouth Where the river ends

Tributary Small streams/rivers that flow into the main river

Precipitation All forms of moisture that reaches the Earth's surface (e.g. snow, rain
and sleet).

Evaporation The transformation of water droplets into water vapour by heating

Evapotranspiration The total amount of moisture removed by evaporation and


transpiration from a vegetated land surface.

Surface storage The total volume of water held on the Earth's surface in lakes, ponds
and puddles.

Groundwater The storage of water underground in the permeable rock strata


storage
Infiltration The downward movement of water into the soil.

Percolation The downward movement of water from the soil to the bedrock.

Surface run-off The movement of water over the surface, usually when the ground is
frozen/baked/impermeable.

Throughflow The movement of water downslope within the soil layer.

Groundwater flow The deeper movement of water through bedrock.

Stemflow Water that runs down the stems and branches of plants and trees to
reach the ground.

Interception The process by which raindrops are prevented from directly reaching
the soil by leaves, stems and branches.

More tributaries: more dense

River discharge – The volume of water flowing through a channel.


River regime - changes in a river discharge over a year
Four ways that water enters a river:
1 Surface runoff.
2 Precipitation.
3 Groundwater flow
4 Throughflow
Climate

Temperature Evaporation, less discharge, freezing, less discharge

Precipitation No precipitation, drought, less discharge. More precipitation, more


discharge.

Land use

Urban land Reduces interception, more surface run-off, more discharge

Agricultural land Animals damage land, erosion, wider channel, more discharge, less
vegetation, more surface run-off, more discharge.

Forest / vegetated Vegetation absorbs water, less discharge


land

Human
Dams Controls discharge

Water abstraction Taking water out of the ground.

Discharge The volume of water flowing through a river channel

Baseflow The normal discharge of a river

Rising limb Shows the increase in discharge on a hydrograph

Stormflow The additional discharge of a river after rainfall

Lag time The time between peak rainfall and peak discharge.

Peak discharge The maximum amount of water held in the channel.

Falling limb Shows the decrease in discharge on a hydrograph as the river returns to
normal

Flashy – Quick response


Subdued – slow response

Human factors

Factor Explanation Flashy or


subdued?

Increased urbanisation No infiltration, sewage system, roads, surface Flashy


run off.

Increased agricultural More infiltration, less surface run-off subdued


land

Deforestation More surface run-off, no interception flashy

Dams control subdued

Climate factors

Factor Explanation Flashy or


subdued?
Intensity of rainfall More rainfall, more water flashy

Low temperatures Snow subdued

Natural factors

Factor Explanation Flashy or


subdued?

High valley slope angle Faster surface run-off Flashy

Low valley slope angle Slower surface run-off subdued

Impermeable rock No percolation Flashy


types

Permeable rock types Percolation Subdued

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