Hydrological Cycle Quiz

What is meant by 'evapotranspiration' in the hydrological cycle?

• Water released from rocks underground

• Combined process of evaporation and transpiration from plants

• Water running off the surface into a stream

• Water condensing into clouds in the atmosphere

Which of the following is a tributary?

• The location where a river ends

• A ridge that separates drainage basins

• A small river or stream that joins a larger one

• A point where two rivers split apart

Which TWO factors can affect the rate of infiltration?

• Tree height and rainfall acidity

• Soil type and vegetation cover

• Wind speed and air pressure

• Cloud cover and temperature

Why does lateral erosion increase in the lower course of a river?

• The river has more energy and flows faster

• The river is steeper and cuts down into its bed

• The river becomes wider and erodes the banks

• Rainfall increases upstream

What change is expected from source to mouth according to the Bradshaw Model?

• River becomes narrower and deeper

• Bedload becomes larger and more angular

• Velocity increases downstream

• Channel becomes steeper downstream

Which river course has the steepest gradient and vertical erosion?

• Lower course

• Estuary

• Middle course

• Upper course

Which of the following correctly compares the upper and lower courses of a river?

• Upper course has higher velocity and wider channels

• Bedload is smaller in the upper course than the lower course

• Lower course has faster flow and smoother bedload

• Upper course has gentler slopes and deeper channels

Which of the following best describes the Bradshaw Model?

• A diagram showing where rivers flood

• A model showing how river characteristics change from source to mouth

• A chart comparing rainfall and temperature

• A cross-section of a meander

Which best describes the long profile of a river?

• A cross-sectional view of a meander

• A side view showing the gradient from source to mouth

• A top-down view of the river and its tributaries

• A diagram of rainfall and discharge

Which erosion process most likely turns sharp rocks into smooth, round pebbles?

• Solution

• Abrasion

• Attrition

• Hydraulic action