What is the term used to describe the area from which a river collects its surface runoff?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is Catchment area.
Explanation:
☛ A catchment area refers to the geographical area of land from which surface runoff, rainwater, and snowmelt drain into a specific river, lake, or reservoir.
☛ It is bounded by natural geographic features such as ridges, hills, or mountains, which act as water divides.
☛ An area drained by a river and its tributaries is commonly referred to as a drainage basin, whereas the catchment of a small stream or rill is typically termed a watershed.
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Delta: A triangular landform formed at the mouth of a river where sediment is deposited as the river enters a slow-moving or standing body of water.
☛ Estuary: A partially enclosed coastal water body where freshwater from rivers mixes with saline water from the ocean (e.g., the Narmada and Tapi rivers form estuaries).
☛ Tributary: A stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main river rather than emptying directly into an ocean or lake.
☛ Water Divide: An elevated boundary, such as a mountain ridge or upland, that separates two adjacent drainage basins.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Which is the largest river drainage basin in the world? → Amazon River Basin
☛ Which river basin is the largest in India? → Ganga River Basin
☛ What is the elevated ridge separating two adjacent drainage basins called? → Water divide (or Drainage divide)
☛ Which is the largest river delta in the world? → Sundarbans Delta (Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta)
☛ Which major west-flowing Indian rivers flow through rift valleys and do not form deltas? → Narmada and Tapi