Summary
Summary IEB Grade 12 Geography-Drainage systems in South Africa
- Course
- Institution
IEB Geography notes for Grade 12 These notes are on Drainage systems in South Africa
[Show more]
1 review
By: saaymanv • 2 year ago
Seller
Follow
Accoutingstudent3rdyear
Reviews received
Content preview
Drainage systems in South AfricaDrainage systems
o Drainage systems refer to river systems.
o A number of small streams and rivers join to form a
river system.
o A river is a body of water flowing downslope in a
defined channel from a source to a mouth.
A drainage basin and a catchment area
o The area drained by a river system or stream network
is called the drainage basin.
o The catchment area is the drainage area that supplies
water to a river.
o This water comes from the rainwater that flows down
the slope of the high ground, as well as from the
underground water that seeps into the river.
o The area of land forming the catchment area of a river
is not always the same size as the drainage basin, as it
is determined by the origin of underground water.
What happens to the precipitation that falls in a drainage basin?
o A drainage basin is an open system of inputs, stores, flows, and outputs.
o The drainage basin collects precipitation, allows water to infiltrate or seep
underground to become groundwater, and stores water in lakes, in wetlands and
underground.
o Rainwater that does not infiltrate underground flows over the surface as surface
runoff.
o This runoff flows into streams that join the main river that flows out of the basin.
Eventually this water flows into the ocean when the river reaches sea level.
o Precipitation that does not infiltrate underground or flow over the surface may
evaporate, be intercepted by vegetation, or be transpired as water vapour.
, Features of a drainage basin: watershed, tributary, river
mouth, source and confluence
A drainage basin has several features.
Watershed:
o The high ground separating one drainage basin from the adjacent drainage basin
o The size of a drainage basin is determined by the position of the watershed.
Stream/ River Network:
o Within the drainage basin, individual streams and rivers join together
Tributaries:
o The individual river channels that form the stream network
Confluence:
o The point where one river in the network joins another.
Interfluves/Spurs:
o The ridges of high ground between the individual channels of the stream network.
Source:
o The place where a stream or river begins
o This is usually in mountainous terrain where the precipitation flowing over the land
erodes a small channel. Rivers can also rise at springs or where there is melting ice.
Mouth:
o Where the river flows into a sea or lake.
Important watersheds in South Africa
o Drakensberg Mountains
o Witwatersrand
o Mountains south of the plateau
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Accoutingstudent3rdyear. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.55. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
64438 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now