Geography B

The hydrological cycle is the movement of water between land, sea and the atmosphere. The key stages/terms are:

• Precipitation - All water released for the clouds as rain, snow, sleet, hail or fog.
• Surface Runoff - Water flowing across the surface, this could be in a channel (streams or rivers) or as overland flow which means it travels across fields or down roads.
• Interception - Where water is collected on objects such as leaves or roof tops.
• Infiltration - When water is soak into the soil.
• Thoughflow - Water soaks into soil and seeps through it towards a river or the sea.
• Percolation - Downward movement of water through soil into rocks.
• Groundwater Flow - Movement of water below the water table. water stored underground is called groundwater.
• Evaporation - Water heated then turns to water vapour and rises into atmosphere.
• Transpiration - Plants lose water throught leaves, water evapoates and returns to the atmosphere.
• Evapotranspiration - Processes involving both evaporation and transportation.
• Condensation - Water vapour cools and turns to water droplets.
• Water Table -  Upper level of staturated ground. level is closer to the surface in water when there is plenty of rain.

drainage basin is the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. The boundray of the drainage basin is callws the watershed. this is usually a range of hills or mountains. rain falling beyond the watershed will flow into another river and is part of another drainage basin. 

Drainage Basins cn also be represented in a systems diagram