Features of a drainage basin, including watershed and channel network.

Drainage Basin: An open system (the amount of water varies) in a river

Catchment area: the area within the drainage basin

Watershed: the edge of highland surrounding a drainage basin. It marks the boundary between two drainage basins

Source: the beginning or start of a river e.g a spring or boggy area

Confluence: the point at which two rivers or streams join

Tributary: a stream or smaller river which joins a larger stream or river

Mouth: the point where the river comes to an end, usually when entering the sea.

Channel Network: the pattern of linked streams and rivers within a drainage basin

Drainage Density:

Drainage density = sum of length of all the rivers ÷ area of drainage basin

The drainage density is highest in the top half of the picture. This is shown through the number of rivers and the information about the rock type.

The Hydrological Cycle: characteristics, stores and transfers.

Hydrological cycle: the global movement of water between the air, land and sea 

The hydrological cycle is a closed system- there is a fixed amount of water on Earth that is constantly recycled

Stores:

• The atmosphere- water is held as water vapour or droplets in clouds
• The land- water is held in ice sheets, glaciers and snowfields; in lakes,rivers and reservoirs; in vegetation; and as groundwater in the soil or bedrock
• The sea (95% of the Earth’s water is stored in the sea)

Transfers:

• Evaporation- the beginning of the hydrological cycle, transfers water from the sea to the atmosphere. Evaporation by the heat of the sun. 
• Transpiration- The transfer of water vapour into the atmosphere by plants. Plants take up water from the soil and releases it as water vapour.
• Precipitation- The transfer of water in any form. Water condenses in the atmosphere and then transfers from the atmosphere to the land or sea surface as rain, hail or snow.
• Overland flow- Precipitation that runs off the ground surface into a stream, river or lake
• Infiltration- The transfer of water through the soil into the groundwater store.
• Through-flow- This takes place between groundwater store and the ground surface. The water moves through the soil until it reaches a steam,river or lake.
• Groundwater flow- The underground transfer of water to rivers,lakes and the sea.
• Percolation- The water moving downwards through the soil.
• Interception- Plants, trees or buildings collect the precipitation.

All of these transfers fit together to form a cycle which usually starts and ends in the sea.