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The rising limb is the portion of the hydrograph where discharge rises as a result of precipitation. It indicates the response of a watershed to a rain event and can be influenced by soil saturation and land cover.

Discharge is the volume of water passing a given point within a stream over a set period of time, typically expressed in cubic meters per second (m3/s). It serves as a primary measurement in hydrographs to analyze river behavior during and after precipitation events.

The return period, sometimes called recurrence interval, is an estimate of the likelihood of an event such as a specific discharge level, to occur within any given year. It is used in flood risk assessment and planning.

Direct runoff is the portion of rainfall that enters the stream almost immediately after precipitation without infiltrating the ground. It indicates rapid watershed response and can contribute to flash flooding.

Time to peak is the duration from the beginning of a significant rise in discharge to the occurrence of peak flow. It helps in understanding the speed of floodwater conveyance in a river.

An inflection point on a hydrograph is a point at which the curve changes from concave up to concave down or vice versa, often indicating a change in the rate of discharge in response to precipitation input or basin characteristics.

Coincidence in hydrology refers to the occurrence of peak flows in multiple tributaries at the same time, leading to a higher risk of flooding at the confluence. It can be analyzed through the hydrograph timing of different tributaries.

The falling limb is the portion of the hydrograph where discharge decreases after the peak flow has been reached. It indicates the receding flow of the river and the draining of excess water from the catchment area.

Watershed storage refers to the ability of a watershed to store precipitation either on the surface or in the soil and groundwater. It influences the shape and characteristics of the hydrograph, affecting both peak flow and timing.

Time base describes the time duration over which the river flow is above the baseflow before returning back to normal. It can be used to infer the capacity of a watershed to retain water after rain events.

Peak flow is the maximum discharge resulting from a rainfall event. It indicates the highest volume of water flowing in the river and can be associated with flooding if the flow exceeds the river's capacity.

Lag time refers to the period between the peak rainfall and the peak flow of a river. It reflects the delay caused by the watershed's ability to absorb, store, and slowly release water.

Baseflow is the portion of streamflow that is not attributed to direct runoff and results from seepage of water from the ground into a channel. It indicates the contribution of groundwater to river flows and maintains streamflow during dry periods.

The recession limb is the segment of the hydrograph after the peak flow, characterized by a decline in discharge rates. It shows the rate at which a river recedes back to its baseflow condition after a rainfall event.