The Drainage Basin System

These icons indicate that teachers notes or useful web addresses are available in the Notes Page.
This icon indicates that the slide contains activities created in Flash. These activities are not editable.
For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation.
1 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Learning objectives

What is a drainage basin?

How does the drainage basin system operate?
What is a flood hydrograph?
What factors influence the shape of a flood hydrograph?

2 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

What is a drainage basin?

Mouth
Where the river
flows into the sea,
or sometimes a
lake.

Tributary
A river which joins a larger river.

Watershed
The boundary
dividing one
drainage basin
from another- a
ridge of high
land.
Confluence
The point at which two rivers join.
3 of 29

Catchment
The area from
which water drains
into a particular
drainage basin.

Source
The upland area
where the river
begins.
Boardworks Ltd 2005

Do you know your drainage basin terminology?

4 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Watershed
The drainage basin of the Afon Caerfanell, a tributary of
the River Usk, South Wales.

the watershed can

be clearly seen on
this photograph
5 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

The confluence of two rivers

6 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Match the label to the correct letter

Watershed
c
Confluence
Tributary

Source

d
a

7 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Sketch the river showing its catchment

Add the following labels Watershed, Confluence, Tributary

8 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Learning objectives

What is a drainage basin?

How does the drainage basin system operate?
What is a flood hydrograph?
What factors influence the shape of a flood hydrograph?

9 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

How does the drainage basin system operate?

A drainage basin system is a part of the worlds
hydrological (water) cycle:
The hydrological cycle is a closed system.
The drainage basin is an open system.
You should be able to explain why once you have seen
the following slides!

10 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

The water cycle more detailed

11 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

The water cycle definitions!

12 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

The drainage basin

13 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Drainage basin system

precipitation

interception

evapotranspiration
infiltration
percolation
water table

14 of 29

s ur fa
throu

ce ru
n

off

ghflow

river

groundwater flow

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Drainage basin system

inputs
precipitation

stores and flows

interception

outputs
river runoff

surface water storage

evaporation

surface runoff

transpiration

infiltration
soil water storage
throughflow
percolation
groundwater storage
groundwater flow
15 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Drainage basin terms

16 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Drainage basin system

17 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Learning objectives

What is a drainage basin?

How does the drainage basin system operate?
What is a flood hydrograph?
What factors influence the shape of a flood hydrograph?

18 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

What is a flood hydrograph?

19 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Hydrographs
Peak discharge
Rising
limb

I = Lagtime

Falling
limb
storm flow
normal (base) flow

Peak rainfall

Write a definition of lagtime.

Calculate the lagtime shown on this hydrograph.
20 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Learning objectives

What is a drainage basin?

How does the drainage basin system operate?
What is a flood hydrograph?
What factors influence the shape of a flood
hydrograph?

21 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Hydrographs
Geology and soil

Gradient of the valley sides

What affects the shape
of a hydrograph?

Land use

Drainage density

Type and amount of precipitation

22 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

How do trees reduce flooding?

trees intercept the rain
evapotranspiration
reduces the amount
of water that
reaches the river

water is taken through the roots

and so less enters the river
23 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

What factors influence the shape of a hydrograph?

The hydrographs a and b have been produced from the

same storm event but from different drainage basins.

24 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Hydrographs
Imagine that these two areas have had the same
amount of rain over a 24-hour period. Draw a possible
hydrograph for each of these areas.
A

25 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Hydrographs

What could cause 2 peaks in a hydrograph?

26 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Hydrographs

Compare these two hydrographs.

Which one has the largest lag time? Explain your answer.

27 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

What do you know about drainage basins?

28 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005

Key ideas
A drainage basin is an area of land drained by a main
river and its tributaries.
The hydrological (water) cycle is the global circulation of
water. It is a closed system.
A drainage basin system is one part of the hydrological
cycle. It is an open system as it has inputs and
outputs.
A flood hydrograph shows how a rivers discharge
changes in response to a rainfall event.
The shape of a flood hydrograph is influenced by a
range of physical and human factors.

29 of 29

Boardworks Ltd 2005