Physical geographyLesson 2 of 3 in the course Rivers and fluvial processes

Drainage Basins: Boundaries, Hydrology, and Flood Response

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 4 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

A drainage basin is a useful way to understand how water moves across land and into rivers, lakes, or oceans. This lesson introduces basin boundaries, basin types, and the major drainage patterns of the world.

A drainage basin is an area of land where flowing surface water converges toward a shared outlet, such as a river mouth, lake, or ocean. Rain falling within the basin may travel over the surface through streams and rivers before reaching that outlet.

All flashcards

What is a drainage basin?
An area of land in which flowing surface water converges toward a shared outlet, such as a river mouth, lake, or ocean.
What is a drainage divide?
A boundary between adjacent drainage basins, usually formed by elevated features such as hills or ridges.
What is an endorheic basin?
A closed basin whose water drains toward an interior sink rather than flowing to the ocean. Its sink may be a lake, dry lake, or location where water goes underground.
How does a drainage basin differ from a hydrologic unit?
A drainage basin is a land area draining toward a shared outlet. Hydrologic units are mapped to fit a hierarchy and may be defined with multiple inlets, outlets, or sinks.
Which river basin is largest by area, and which river drains the most water?
The Amazon has the largest river basin by area, at about 7 million km², and drains the greatest volume of water.

Quiz questions

  1. What distinguishes an endorheic basin from an ocean-draining basin?Answer: It drains toward an interior sink rather than to the ocean.
  2. What does a stream gauge at or near a basin outlet measure?Answer: The volume of water flowing past the gauge per unit time.
  3. How can groundwater flow differ from surface drainage boundaries?Answer: Groundwater beneath one basin may flow toward another basin's outlet.
  4. Which catchment shape generally takes longer to drain than a circular basin?Answer: A long, narrow basin.
  5. Where do dendritic drainage patterns commonly develop?Answer: Where readily eroded rock allows streams to branch in a tree-like form.

Based on the Wikipedia article Drainage basin, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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