Catchments - Channels

10 important questions on Catchments - Channels

What is the formula for drainage density?

Dd = Ltot : A
Dd = drainage density
Ltot = total length of the channels
A = certain area (m2)

What does an high drainage density indicate?

A certain area contains many channels and the average distance from a location on land to the nearest channel is small. And there is water flowing on the ground (low conductivity, farming)

What are different channel network patterns?

-Dendritic
-radial
-trellis
-parallel
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What is a dendritic pattern?

Tree shaped channel network. Homogeneous geological fromations.

What is a radial pattern?

Streams start from 1 central point and flow into all directions.

Why do headwaters often run dry?

Headwaters are the upstream part of a catchment. The chemisty of the headwater is only determined by local conditions since it is not influenced by water coming from upstream. Local weather conditions vary and the weather doesn't always supply water which is why the headwaters often run dry

What is a trellis pattern?

Large number of cahnnels that have the same direction on easch side of the river. Folds in the earths crust.

If the Strahler order numbering is 5, the distance between every junction is 1 km, and water flows 1 km/h, how long does it take for water to get from the source to the outlet?

5 hours

What is a parallel pattern?

Occurs on steep slopes where the water flows downhill fast.

What are the rules of Strahler order numbering?

- exterior links get order 1 (links between source and first junction)
- when links of the first order merge, add 1
- when links with different orders merge, it will continue as the highest
- the highest order is always found at the outlet and represents the Strrahles order of the catchment

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