Geography

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  • Created by: Jessica03
  • Created on: 10-06-15 22:02

Geography notes: Rivers

The drainage basin hydrological cycle

The drainage basin is an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. The hydrological cycle is

the process by which water is moved within the drainage basin. The drainage basin hydrological

cycle is an open system as water is gained and lost. The system is made up of;

Inputs ­ in the form of precipitation e.g. rain, hail, snow or sleet.

Transfers ­ flows through the system

Stores ­ storages above or below ground

Outputs ­ where the water is lost from the system either by the river carrying it to the sea or

through evaporation.

The water cycle

Understanding how the water cycle operates is key to understanding how rivers work. The water cycle is also known as the hydrological cycle. It is called a cycle because water continuously moves around the system. Rivers are part of this cycle. The illustration below shows how water changes state through the cycle. It can be a liquid, a vapour or a solid.

Diagram of…

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