Rivers Definitions

All the Definitions related to Rivers.

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Discharge
The volume of water flowing in a river per second, measured in Cumecs.
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Precipitation
All forms of moisture that reaches the Earth's Surface
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Evaporation
The transformation of water droplets into water vapour by heating
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Evapotranspiration
The loss of water from a drainage basin into the atmosphere from the leaves of plants + loss from evaporation
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Surface Storage
The total volume of water held on the Earth's surface in lakes, ponds and puddles.
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Groundwater Storage
The storage of water underground in permeable rocks.
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Infiltration
The downward movement of water into the soil surface.
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Percolation
The gravity flow of water within soil.
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Overland Flow
The movement of water over the surface of the land, usually when the ground is saturated or frozen or when precipitation is too intense for infiltration to occur.
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Throughflow
The movement of water down slope within the soil layer.
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Groundwater Flow
The deeper movement of water through the underlying rocks.
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Dynamic Equilibrium
Rivers are constantly changing over time to reach a state of balance with the processes that determine their form. As the flows of energy and materials passing through a river system vary, the river changes to move towards this equilibrium.
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Interception
The prevention of rain reaching the Earth's surface by trees and plants.
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Condensation
The process by which water vapour is converted into water.
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Channel Flow
The movement of water within the river channel.
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Soil Moisture
The total amount of water, including vapour, in an unsaturated soil.
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Hydrograph
A graph showing for a given point on a stream the discharge, depth, velocity, or other property of water with the respect to a time. A graphical representation of a stream discharge during a storm or flood event.
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Flood
A temporary excess of water which spills over the land.
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Baseflow
Water that reaches the channel largely through slow throughflow and form permeable rock below the water table
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Storm Flow
Water that reaches the channel largely through runoff. This may be a combination of overland flow and rapid throughflow.
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Hydraulic Radius
The ratio of the cross-sectional area of a channel and the length of its perimeter
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Wetted Perimeter
The portion of the perimeter of a stream channel cross-section that is in contact with water.
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Cross-Sectional Area
The total length of the bed and the bank sides in contact with the water in the channel.
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Attrition
The reduction and rounding of particles of sediment carried in water by repeated collision with each other and banks/the bed.
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Abrasion/Corrasion
The wearing away of the banks or bed by sediment carried by the river.
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Corrosion
Includes the dissolving of carbonate rocks in water which help certain rocks disintegrate (Chemical Erosion).
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Sinuosity
The curving nature of a meander described as actual channel length/straight-line distance.
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Isostatic
Changes in sea level resulting from the rise and fall of land masses.
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Eustatic
Changes in sea level induced by variations in the amount of water in the oceans.
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Recurrence Interval
The time interval at which particular levels of flooding occur.
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Urbanisation
An increase in the population of a country's population living in urban areas.
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Frequency
How often floods occur.
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Magnitude
The size of a flood.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

All forms of moisture that reaches the Earth's Surface

Back

Precipitation

Card 3

Front

The transformation of water droplets into water vapour by heating

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

The loss of water from a drainage basin into the atmosphere from the leaves of plants + loss from evaporation

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

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

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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