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Flip to reveal answersDefine a drainage basin (catchment).
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All 10 Flashcards — Drainage basins
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Question
Define a drainage basin (catchment).
Answer
A drainage basin is an area of land where all precipitation drains into a single river system, bounded by a watershed.
💡 Hint
One “drain”.
Question
Catchment vs watershed: what’s the difference (IB wording)?
Answer
Catchment (drainage basin) is the AREA where water drains to one river. Watershed is the BOUNDARY line between basins.
💡 Hint
Area vs boundary.
Question
In IB terms, what is a watershed?
Answer
A watershed is the boundary line (usually high ground like hills/ridges) that separates two drainage basins.
💡 Hint
Boundary line.
Question
Name two inputs to a drainage basin system.
Answer
Precipitation is the main water input and solar energy drives processes like evapotranspiration.
💡 Hint
Rain + sun.
Question
Name three components of a drainage basin system.
Answer
Examples include the source, tributaries, confluence, main channel, floodplain, and the mouth.
💡 Hint
Source–tributaries–mouth.
Question
Name two outputs from a drainage basin system.
Answer
River discharge to the sea/lake and evapotranspiration are key outputs (also abstraction by humans).
💡 Hint
Discharge + ET.
Question
Define “confluence”.
Answer
A confluence is the point where two rivers or streams meet.
💡 Hint
Meet point.
Question
Is a drainage basin an open or closed system, and why?
Answer
At the local scale a drainage basin is an open system: water enters as precipitation and leaves via evapotranspiration and runoff/discharge.
💡 Hint
Inputs and outputs.
Question
Explain why “upstream affects downstream” in a drainage basin.
Answer
Water, sediments, and pollutants move through tributaries into the main river, so land use upstream can change flooding, water quality, and ecosystems downstream.
💡 Hint
Trace the flow.
Question
Why must water management consider the whole catchment?
Answer
Because activities anywhere in the basin can change flow, sediment, and pollution, affecting ecosystems and people downstream.
💡 Hint
Whole system thinking.
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Full study notes for Drainage basins
Topic 4.1 hub
Water systems
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