Drainage Basin Terminology

Water stored in rivers, streams and other drainage channels.

• Groundwater storage

• Channel storage

• Soil moisture storage

• Surface water storage

Evaporation

• Water that moves in a downward movement.

• Water that moves in an upward movement.

• Physical process by which moisture is lost directly into the atmosphere from water surfaces due to the suns heat.

• Physical process that includes moving water from the soil store back into the atmosphere.

Evapotranspiration

• Flow of water down the trunk of a tree.

• Physical process which includes moving water from the soil store back into the atmosphere.

• Physical process by which moisture is lost directly into the atmosphere from water surfaces.

• Wet leaves shed excess water to form drops that drip through the canopy onto ground surface.

Water flows from groundwater storage to channel storage.

• Throughfall

• Stemflow

• Overland flow

• Groundwater flow

Water that has collected above an impermeable rock layer. It is moved from surface through processes of infiltration and percolation.

• Soil moisture storage

• Surface water storage

• Groundwater storage

• Groundwater flow

Process by which water on the surface of the soil seeps into the soil. It is a downward movement and occurs due to gravity.

• Infiltration

• Interception

• Percolation

• Throughflow

Precipitation being stored on the leaves and branches of trees and other vegetation.

• Stemflow

• Infiltration

• Interception

• Percolation

Downward movement of infiltrated water under gravity through the pores of soil and the pores and joints of permeable rock.

• Overland flow

• Interception

• Percolation

• Infiltration

Precipitation

• Storage process

• Atmospheric moisture in liquid and solid forms

• Output process

• Atmospheric moisture in liquid forms such as rain.

Water moves across the surface of the land as it is unable to be absorbed into the ground.

• Overland flow

• Stemflow

• Through fall

• Through flow