drainage basins

What is a drainage basin

Area drained by tributaries of a river

What is drainage density

Total length of all streams in a drainage basin / total area of basin

What is the watershed?

The boundary of the basin / system

What are examples of inputs within a drainage basin

What enters the system ;Precipitation like rain snow hail and sleet

What are 4 examples of stores in a drainage basin?

Interception, surface storage, soil moisture and groundwater

Give examples of surface storage

Puddles, ponds, lakes, river channel

Give examples of fast flows in a drainage basin

Stemflow, surface run off, infiltration, percolation

Give examples of slower flows in a river basin

Through flow, interflow and groundwater

What factors can increase evaporation

Higher temp, wind speed, hours of sunlight and volume of water on surface. Decrease in humidity and cloud cover.

What factors increase transpiration ?

Increase in sunlight, surface area, vegetation, temperature. Depends on humidity, antecedent conditions and leaf type

What factors increase interception ?

Increased precipitation, permeability of leaves urbanisation. Wind

What factors increase Infiltration?

Increase of precipitation, permeability of soil. Smaller water table height and angle of slope

What factors effect percolation?

Increased rock permeability, precipitation, rock density. Depth, water table height and antecedent conditions