Systems approaches study hydrological phenomena by looking at the balance of inputs and outputs, and how water is moved between stores by flows.
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Stores
Resevoirs where water is held, such as oceans.
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Fluxes
The rate of flow between stores.
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Processes
The physical mechanisms that drive the fluxes of water between stores.
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Cryosphere (Cryogenic stores)
Areas of Earth where water is frozen into snow or ice.
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Blue water
Water that is stored in liquid form (e.g. rivers, lakes and groundwater). The visible part of the cycle.
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Green water
Water stored in soil and vegetation. The invisible part of the cycle.
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Fossil water
Ancient, deep groundwater from former pluvial (wetter) periods.
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Precipitation
The movement of water in any form from the atmosphere to the ground.
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Evaporation
The change in state of water from a liquid to a gas.
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(Evapo)Transpiration
The diffusion of water from vegetation into the atmosphere, invloving a change from liquid to gas.
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Condensation
The change from a gas to a liquid, such as when water vapour changes into water droplets.
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Dew point
The temperature at which dew forms; a measure of atmospheric moisture.
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Residence time
The average time a water molecule spends in a store.
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Groundwater flow
The slow transfer of percolated water underground through permeable or porous rocks.
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Drainage basin (Catchment)
The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.
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Watershed
The highland which divides and seperates waters flowing to different rivers.
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Convectional rainfall
Often associated with intense thunderstorms (Common in the UK and the Tropics). When the land becomes hot, air above it is heated and rises. It then cools and condensation occurs forming clouds.
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Cyclonic rainfall
Period of sustained, moderately intensive rainfall. Warm air is undercut by cold air and forced upwards where it cools and condensation occurs, leading to clouds forming.
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Orographic rainfall
Concentrated on windward slopes. When air is forced to rise over a barrier (e.g. a mountain) it cools and condesation takes place forming clouds/rain.
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Rain shadow
A dry area of land on the leeward (downwind) side of a mountain. It recieves little rainfall as it is sheltered by the mountains.
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Interception loss
Water that is retained by plants/vegetation is removed from the cycle.
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Throughfall
When rainfall persists or is relatively intens, and water drops from leaves, twigs, etc.
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Stem flow
When water trickles along twigs and branches and then runs down the trunk.
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Inflitration
The movement of water from the ground surface into the soil.
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Inflitration capacity
The maximum rate at which rain can be absorbed into the soil.
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Surface run-off (Overland flow)
The movement of water that is unconfined by a channel, across the surface of the ground.
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Throughflow
The lateral transfer of water down slope through the soil via natural pipes or percolines.
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Percolines
Lines of concentrated water flow between soil horizons to the river channel.
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Percolation
The transfer of water from the surface or soil into the bedrock beneath.
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Saturated overland flow
The upward movement of the water table into the evaporation zone.
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Albedo
A measure of the proportion of the incoming solar radiation that is reflected by the surface back into the atmosphere and space.
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Channel flow
The flow of water in rivers and streams.
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Channel storage
The storage of water in rivers and streams.
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Potential evapotranspiration
The water loss that would occur if there was an unlimited supply of water in the soil for use by vegetation.
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Deforestation
The cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in an area.
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Afforestation
The planting of trees in an area that hasn't been forested in recent times.
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River regime
The annual variation in discharge or flow of a river at a particular point or gauging station, usually measured in cumecs.
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Rising limb
The part of a storm hydrograph in which the discharge starts to rise.
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Falling/recessional limb
The part of a storm hydrograph in which the discharge starts to decrease.
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Lag time
The time interval between the peak rainfall and peak discharge.
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Base flow
The normal, day-to-day discharge of the river.
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Resevoirs where water is held, such as oceans.
Back
Stores
Card 3
Front
The rate of flow between stores.
Back
Card 4
Front
The physical mechanisms that drive the fluxes of water between stores.
Back
Card 5
Front
Areas of Earth where water is frozen into snow or ice.
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