The dividing lines of mountain ranges are known as watersheds, and the areas between them are called drainage basins. Drainage basins Drainage basins refer to the area of land drained by a major river and its tributaries. Processes of a river drainage basin The hydrological cycle within a drainage basin is different in that it is a closed system.
A diagram showing the ways in which water moves through a drainage basin The video below shows an illustrated explanation of the hydrological cycle, introducing key terms. Most of this water moves through the plant and escapes into the atmosphere through the leaves. Transpiration is controlled by the same factors as evaporation, and by the characteristics and density of the vegetation.
Vegetation slows runoff and allows water to seep into the ground. Storage : Reservoirs store water and increase the amount of water that evaporates and infiltrates. The storage and release of water in reservoirs can have a significant effect on the streamflow patterns of the river below the dam. Water use by people: Uses of a stream might range from a few homeowners and businesses pumping small amounts of water to irrigate their lawns to large amounts of water withdrawals for irrigation , industries , mining , and to supply populations with drinking water.
This pool cover is an example of a watershed. All of the rain that falls into this area flows inside of the cover, in this case towards the center. You're expecting to see a picture of a watershed — so why am I showing you a picture of a common swimming pool in winter with a pool cover? This covered pool is really a good example of a watershed. The blue cover represents the watershed, the area in which precipitation that falls flows "down-gradient" towards the lowest part of the basin, the center of the pool cover in this case.
Likewise, in nature, water flows towards a valley, river, or lake. The lake in the center of the pool forms for the same reason that a lake will form on the landscape — it is the lowest area around and the water comes in, through a river, seepage into the ground, or by evaporation, faster than it can get out.
In most valleys, the land slopes downhill somewhere, in which case, a river will form. Do you see why this pool cover is not exactly the same as a real drainage basin? There is no outlet for water to exit the "watershed", as almost all watersheds have, such as a stream flowing out of the watershed. Thus, in our pool watershed, you can see how a large "lake" is forming.
Rain and snow are key elements in the Earth's water cycle, which is vital to all life on Earth. Rainfall is the main way that the water in the skies comes down to Earth, where it fills our lakes and rivers, recharges the underground aquifers, and provides drinks to plants and animals. The USGS follows four basic steps for collecting streamflow data. The following example uses a streamgage though more portable methods are also frequently used.
Read on to learn more. Water is nature is never really totally clear, especially in surface water, such as rivers and lakes. Water has color and some extent of dissolved and suspended material, usually dirt particles suspended sediment. Suspended sediment is an important factor in determining the quality of water. The banner picture shows it all — Superhighways! Streets and pavement! House roofs!
These are all "impervious surfaces"; impervious to the water from precipitation. When it rains in this locale, water no longer seeps into the ground, but now runs off into storm sewers and then quickly into local creeks. What Is River Runoff? How Is Hydropower Gathered or Created? Famous Delta Landforms. Gradual River Flooding in Ancient Mesopotamia. What Are the Functions of the Grassland Ecosystem? What Is a Gorge in Geography? Physical Geography Dissertation Ideas. List of Montana's Natural Resources.
Four Ecosystems of Pennsylvania.
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