16 Questions
What is a river basin?
The portion of land drained by a river and its tributaries
What does a river basin eventually drain into?
Estuary
What is the role of a river basin?
To collect all the water falling on the surrounding land and channel it into the river
What does a river basin encompass?
All the land drained by many streams and creeks flowing downhill into one another
Where does a river basin send all the water falling on the surrounding land?
Into the river, then to the lake, and eventually the estuary before the ocean
What is the final destination of a river basin's water?
Ocean
What does a river do in relation to the creeks, streams, valleys, hills, lakes, and underground springs in a river basin?
Connects them together
What is the main difference between a river basin and a watershed?
A river basin drains to a large river while a watershed drains to a smaller stream or lake
What is the definition of a watershed?
The area of land that catches rain and snow and drains or seeps into a water body
What is the term used to describe the movement of water through the rock layer towards the river channel?
Groundwater flow
What is evapotranspiration?
The loss of moisture directly from water surfaces such as rivers and lakes
What does drainage density indicate?
The risk of flooding in a river basin
What is interception in relation to water flow?
'Interrupt' the flow of water through evapotranspiration
What is throughflow in relation to water movement?
The movement of water through the soil towards the river channel
What does a confluence refer to in terms of rivers?
The point where two rivers meet
What is an isolated island similar to in terms of meeting the definition of an ecosystem?
It shares characteristics with a river basin.
Learn about the river ecosystem, river basin, structure, riparian area, and waterfall formation in this lecture. The content will be assessed in Test 2, PBL, and the Final Exam.
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