To understand the concept of a systems

approach

To understand all of the stages of the

Drainage Basin Hydrological Cycle (HC)

Use the following resources (article and

diagrams) to annotate the following blank
diagram with the inputs, outputs, transfers and
stores of the hydrological cycle. You should
include some quantities in your annotations.
Your diagram should have the following labels as
a minimum:
channel flow | infiltration | interception |
groundwater discharge | throughflow | ice storage
| percolation | lake storage | surface runoff |
groundwater storage | stemflow | aquifer | vapour
transport | groundwater storage | evaporation |
interception storage | groundwater flow |
atmospheric storage | transpiration | precipitation
| ocean storage | evapotranspiration

Write 250 words to describe whether the HC

is and open or closed system and why?

In turn students have 30 seconds each to

draw on the board. The finished diagram
should be a completed drainage
basin/hydrological cycle diagram that the
whole class have contributed to.

Questions:
Give 2 examples of how humans might
influence the hydrological cycle.
Create two lists (stores, flows) of the key
terms.
The hydrological cycle is an example of an
open system. What do you think open and
closed systems are?
Extension sheet.

What might change the Hydrological Cycle?

500words
http://www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/sea-level-rise-caused-by-themelting-of-mountain-and-subpolar-glaciers_fccc
http://www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/population-area-and-economyaffected-by-a-1-m-sea-level-rise-global-and-regional-estimatesbased-on-todays-situation_d4fe
http://www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/estimated-contributions-tosea-level-rise-1993-2003_9cc9

To understand the characteristics of the

drainage basin.

The stores within the drainage basin system

have been labelled upon the system diagram for
you.
You need to add all the following terms onto your
blank system diagram and then colour code
them to show whether they are an output, store,
input or process:
throughflow | groundwater flow into deep rocks |
infiltration | precipitation | capillary rise back into
soil | evaporation and evapotranspiration |
overland flow | percolation | channel flow |
throughflow and stemflow | baseflow in bedrock
Don't forget to add a key!

To understand the characteristics of the

drainage basin.

How do the following three choropleth maps

link to the idea of a 'water balance'?
The water balance is the relationship
between the inputs and outputs of a water
system.

Add the following labels to your blank water balance diagram:

Total Evapotranspiration
Precipitation
Water consumption
Runoff
Groundwater store
Unsaturated zone
Surface water
Dam store
Dam capacity
Aquifer recharge from channel flow
Aquifer discharge to base flow
Aquifer recharge from surface water
Groundwater Evapotranspiration
Non-irrigated land Evapotranspiration
Irrigated land Evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration from stores

Using the water balance graph on page 4 of

AQA AS Geography as a model produce your
own, using the following data for Perth,
Western Australia:

Estimate and shade areas of soil water

surplus, soil moisture deficit, soil moisture
utilization and soil moisture recharge.

Describe your Water Budget graph. 300

words

http://www.slideshare.net/geographyalltheway
/geographyallthewaycom-ib-geography-thebradshaw-model?
utm_source=slideshow02&utm_medium=sse
mail&utm_campaign=share_slideshow_logged
out

Aims today:
To learn about:
1.Channel Efficiency
2.The Hydraulic Radius
3.The Graded Profile
4.X-Sections along a long profile

1. CHANNEL EFFICIENCY
Measure of the ability of a river channel to move water and
sediment.
The most efficient channels are generally semicircular in crosssection, and it is this shape that water engineers try to create
when altering a river channel to reduce the risk of flooding.

2. THE HYDRAULIC RADIUS

The hydraulic radius is a measure of a river's channel efficiency, and is
used by water engineers to assess the likelihood of flooding.
The hydraulic radius of a channel is defined as the ratio of its crosssectional area to its wetted perimeter.
The greater the hydraulic radius, the greater the efficiency of the channel
and the less likely the river is to flood. The highest values occur when
channels are deep, narrow, and semi-circular in shape.

3. THE GRADED PROFILE

Contrast the channel shapes and comment on the relative efficiency of the two river cross
sections ( 7 marks)

VIDEO LINK

VIDEO LINK

VIDEO LINK

Deltas are depositional landforms that are

created from the loading of sediment onto the
land as the rivers capacity is reduced.
They are dynamic areas that change rapidly due
to continual formation and erosion during storm
and flood events.
Great examples can be found at the Ganges delta
in Bangladesh, the Nile Delta in Egypt

As rivers approach the sea they contain high sediment loads

and the rivers start to spread out laterally and the velocity is
reduced. (Because the sea is a large body of water with a low
velocity and the water spreads out).
This lateral movement of water reduces hydraulic radius and
increases wetted perimeter. (Because the capacity is reduced
so sediment is deposited on bed creating undulations).
The sediment is deposited and flocculation occurs (where clay
sediments join together, gain in mass and sink.)
This sedimentation builds up over time and can create small
islands which split the channel, similar to braided streams.
This can happen again and again until the river consists of a
number of smaller streams separated by islands.
Sediment is often deposited closer to the sea so builds the
delta outwards. These areas are called fore beds, and are
highly unstable. They often collapse and cause mass
movements within the sea and clouds of sediment known as
turbidity currents.

Topset bed: larger and heavy particles due

to energy loss.
Forest bed: medium sized particles travel
slightly further.
Bottomset beds: very fine particles travel
the furthest.

If sediment is coarse grained, arcuate deltas

form.
If it is fine grained then birds foot deltas can be
created (e.g. Mississippi).
A cuspate delta is pointed like a tooth and is
shaped by gentle, regular BUT opposing sea
currents/ long-shore drift.


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Floods can be controlled in many ways:

Dams control, store + release water
Pumping stations pump water into stores
Straighten river allows speed of river to
increase
Widen + deepen river so the channel can carry
more water
Build barriers such as concrete embankments
Control land use Stop people building on the
floodplain or plant trees to increase interception

How bad is
the flooding
Who would
benefit from
building
defences?

How much
each method
would cost

What do you have

to consider before
building river
defences?
Are they good
Who would
for the
lose out from environment?
defences?

How often the

river floods

Type of defence

Build concentrete
flood walls to hold
rising waters
Build a dam tohold
flood waters back

Straighten river so
water moves along it
quicker
Buildearth
embankments to
stop river flooding
Widen and Deepen
river so that it can
carry more water
Plant more trees that
slow down water
reaching the river
Stop people building
on floodplains where
flooding is worst

Cost

Appearance

1=low 10=high

1=natural
10=ugly

Environment
friendliness
1=good for env
10 = bad for env

Effectiveness

Total score

1 = very effect
10 = not effect

Higher the score

worse the
defence type

Look at the approaches to flood prevention and

complete the sentences below

I think the cheapest project is..because

however, I think is the most expensive project
because. .
The best project for wildlife is
as/because
whereas the project which is best for the rivers appearance is.
because

Aid Agencies

Bangladesh Government
Distributed

money and 400

tonnes of rice

Provided

Relief

Supplied

medicines

Supplied

clean drinking

supplies of fresh water,

water purification tablets and
sanitation services provided

Boats to rescue

people

water
Set

up a medical treatment
centre
Distributed

fodder for

livestock
Distributed

food and plastic

sheeting
Planned

a rehabilitation
programme to repair and
construct housing and
provide sanitation

Other Governments
Gave

aid including wheat,

money, medicines, water
tablets, house repair,
sanitation and rehabilitation
for farming and fishing

In 1989 the Bangladesh government working with several international agencies and the world bank
produced a FLOOD ACTION PLAN (FAP):

SHELTERS AND WARNING SYSTEMS

Built

5000 flood shelters in high risk areas

Improve

flood forecasting system using

satellite and computer technology
Prepare

flood disaster management plans

which provide early warning and clear,
effective instructions as to what people
should do before, during and after a flood

DAMS
Building

7 new dams to control river flow

and to hold back the monsoon rainwater in
reservoirs
The

water would be used for irrigation and

generating electricity

BANGLADESH
MANAGING THE FLOOD
LONG TERM cont
Flood Control

Embankments

12-15

floodwater storage basins to hold

floodwater diverted from main rivers
Divide

the land into compartments and

control water flow through a system of
channels by sluice gates and water pumps
In

the dry season water can be moved to

farming areas requiring irrigation

Complete

and strengthen the

embankments along all the main river
channels to a height of up to 7 metres
More

than 7500km of embankments are

already in place but repairs, heightening
and new building would cost over $6 billion

Other controls
Pumping

water out of the ground in the Himalayas during the dry season to create
underground storage for the monsoon rains
Replanting

of forest cover in Nepal and Tibet

Debate between HARD and SOFT engineering flood prevention schemes continues

Many oppose the FAP both locally and internationally:

Embankments will
trap rainwater and
make flooding
worse!

How can we
provide solutions if
we dont really
know the causes?

Dam construction
could increase the
build up of silt and
make flooding worse

Flood control
systems may
damage the
environment

Embankments
restrict river
access for
fishing people

These plans
are far to
expensive!

Flood shelters save

lives but dont help
protect our property
and livelihood

Half a million people will

lose their land to reservoirs
and embankments!

Deforestation

Possible decrease in
channel capacity due to
increase in sediment
carried.

Reduces interception and

evapotranspiration, which
increases run-off.

Loss of root systems may

cause the soil to erode
more rapidly.

Urbanisation

Highly impermeable
surfaces, such as roads,
roofs and pavements.

Some river channels may

be straightened, leading to
fast delivery of water
downstream.

Natural river channels

restricted by bridges or
roadside facilities.

Smooth surfaces drained by

a network of drains, gutters
and sewers.

Coastal Influences

High seasonal tides affect

areas close to the sea.

Storm surges and tropical

cyclones can result in high
water levels in rivers and
low-lying coastal areas.

Insufficient planning control

allowing high density
building along coastlines.

Climatological

Sudden increases in temperature

can induce snowmelt, which can be
made worse if frozen ground exists
lower down, thus reducing
infiltration rates.

Intense precipitation reduces

infiltration capacity.

Prolonged periods of rainfall

produces saturated soil and
increases overland flow.

Land Management Techniques/

Agriculture

Overgrazing can lead to

less vegetation and can
also compact the soil,
increasing run-off.

Planning strategies may allow

for building on low lying land
prone to flooding.

Drainage systems, ditches and

ploughing all reduce the lagtime
for the water reaching the river
channel.

Ploughing up and down a slope

rather than along the contour
increases soil erosion, which
increases the rivers load.

Nature of the basin

Shape of the basin, relief/gradient and

vegetation cover affects how quickly
runoff reaches the channel.

Infiltration rate depends

on rock and soil type.