Geography: Drainage Basins and River Systems

Vocabulary flashcards covering key river system concepts and drainage basin terminology from Grade 12 Geography.

Drainage basin

Area drained by a river and its tributaries.

Catchment area

Refers to the upper reaches of a drainage basin which supplies a river with water, example, the Drakensberg Mountain is a catchment for many South African rivers.

River system

Refers to the main river and its tributaries.

Watershed

It is a high lying area (spur, mountain, ridge) that separates two different drainage basins.

Interfluve

Land that separates streams in the same drainage basin.

Tributary

Smaller streams that join the main stream

River mouth

Point where the river enters the sea,

River source

Starting point of a river

Confluence

Point where two or more rivers join or meet.

Surface run off

water that flows on the surface after it rains

Infiltration

Water that seeps into the ground after it rains

Ground water

water found within the earth's surface