Hydrology Terminology Quiz

The portion of rainfall that contributes to plant growth by staying within the soil.

A formula representing the relationship between peak discharge and catchment area, along with other factors.

The branch of hydrology focused on applying hydrological information to engineering projects, like designing dams or water systems.

A smooth curve outlining the range of known data points.

A stream that flows only in direct response to rainfall or springs, often drying out completely between events.

The broad, widening portion of a river or stream near its mouth, where it meets the sea.

The process where liquid water transforms into water vapor at a temperature below boiling point.

A device for measuring the amount of water that evaporates into the atmosphere during a specific time period.

The middle value in a sorted set of numbers. If there's an even number of values, it's the average of the two middle values.

A forecast of a water system's future state for a period between 2 and 10 days.

A system that uses electromagnetic waves to detect and measure objects, like weather formations.

The study of the atmosphere and its phenomena.

The lowest flow rate of a river during a year.

The value that appears most frequently in a dataset.

The average speed of a fluid over a certain period of time. It is calculated by dividing the total distance traveled by the total time taken.

A simplified representation of a system or process.

Adjusting a model's parameters to make its output match real-world observations as closely as possible.

The amount of water flowing through a cross-section of a river or channel per unit time.

The year for which the average of a specific weather condition, like rainfall or temperature, is closest to the long-term average for that region.

The maximum amount of water a river can carry without overflowing its banks.

The height of the water in a river or stream when it just starts overflowing its banks.

The time duration between the start and end of the direct runoff caused by a rainfall event.

The area drained by a river or lake.

How a basin responds to rainfall events and changes in weather.

Averages of meteorological or hydrometeorological data calculated over a long period (at least 30 years).

The magnitude of a hydrological event with a specific return period. For example, a 100-year event has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year.

Designing a system by optimizing variables to maximize its objective function (e.g., net benefits) while adhering to design criteria.

Precipitation caused by moist air rising as it encounters mountains or hills.

The flow of water out of a specific area or system, like a stream, lake, reservoir, or aquifer.

Data points in a sample that are significantly different from the rest, potentially indicating errors or a different population.

Land alongside a stream that floods only when the stream overflows its channel.

Water flowing over the ground before entering a defined channel.

A system whose output is completely determined by its initial conditions and inputs. The same input will always produce the same output.

A method to measure stream discharge by adding a tracer solution and observing its dilution downstream. The greater the dilution, the higher the streamflow.

The part of surface runoff that flows quickly into a river after a rainfall event. It excludes baseflow.

The ratio of the actual measured discharge to the theoretical discharge calculated based on the river geometry.

A graph showing how discharge (or other hydrological data) changes over time. Usually used for discharge or water level.

A modified unit hydrograph showing the fraction of total runoff occurring during successive time periods.

A graph that plots accumulated values of two variables against each other. Useful for analyzing relationships and trends.

A test that involves pumping water from a well at different rates and measuring the resulting water levels in the well and nearby observation wells. This data helps determine the aquifer's properties near the well.

A class of data points that divide a population or sample into equal proportions. Examples include quartiles (4 divisions), deciles (10 divisions), and percentiles (100 divisions).

A forecast of the total amount of precipitation expected in a given area over a specific time period.

An equation that calculates the maximum distance a radar system can detect rainfall, considering factors like radar power and target reflectivity.

An instrument that measures the depth of rainwater collected at a specific location.

An instrument that measures and records the depth of rainwater over time.

A region on the leeward side of a mountain range that receives significantly less rainfall than the windward side due to the rain shadow effect.