Hydrology.

Definition of terms:
dryness Unsaturated

Aeration

1. Aeration zone: zone between soil

moisture zone and capillary zone
above water table.
Counter
boundary

table level

2. Water-table: it separates Ground

water zones that lies below and
Aeration zone /capillay fringe lines
above.

3. Ground water zone: Precipitation

that succeeds in moving from the
soil layer down into the underlying
bedrock will at some point reach an

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area of permanent saturation that is
known as the groundwater zone

4. Precipitation: Form major inputs into

the system, for example rainfall and
snow.

below Bottom

base

5. Groundwater flow/baseflow: water

transferred slowly laterally below water
table.

6. Infiltration: The maximum rate at

which water can pass through the soil.

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 Percolate
Get into Seep into

7. Percolation: Water reaches

underlying soil or rock layers, which
tend to be more compact (slow
movement) create groundwater
storage.
From Beginning to
end Side to side

Through

8. Throughflow: Water that flow

laterally parallel to the earth’s surface.

9.Throughfall: Water reaches the

ground when it drops off the leaves.

10. Interflow: The water, derived from

precipitation, that infiltrates the soil
surface and then moves laterally
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 through the upper layers of soil above
the water table until it reaches a
stream channel or returns to the
surface at some point downslope from
its point of infiltration.
disappear
loss

Evaporation

11. Evaporation: physical process by

which moisture loss into atmosphere
from water surfaces, including
vegetation, soil due to sun’s heat and
effects of air movement.

Stem trunk

12. Stemflow: Water reaches the

ground when it flows down the trunk.

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 13. Transpiration: biological process by
which water is lost from a plant through
stomata in its leaves.
stop

catch
Intercept collect

14. Interception: the first raindrops of a

rainfall event will fall on vegetation
which shelters the underlying ground.
(interception storage)

Over flow
In excess of above Run / pour

15. Overlandflow: Excess water which

flow over earth surface when
precipitation is very heavy or when soil
becomes saturated.

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leakage escape

Seepage

16. Seepage: slow movement of water

through the soil.

17. Evapotranspiration: Moisture which

is loss directly into atmosphere from
water surface by process of
evaporation and by process of
transpiration from vegetation.

18. Soil moisture storage: amount of

water held in the soil at one time.

19. Interception storage: first raindrops

of a rainfall event that fall on
vegetation which shelters the
underlying ground. (water collected in
leaves of trees)

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20. Surface storage storage: rainfall
that are not intercepted by vegetation
reaches the ground surface and fill in
small surface depression and excess
water will overflow as run-off.

21. Ground water storage: water which

is held in pores and cervices and its
underlying bedrock.

22. Drainage basin: the area that is

drained by a river and its tributaries.
overflow
Submerged
Flood

23. Flood: A body of water that rises to

overflow land not normally submerged.