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Geography A-level > Case studies for Paper 2 Section A 'water and carbon cycles' > Flashcards

Case studies for Paper 2 Section A 'water and carbon cycles' Flashcards

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1
Q

State the case study and location used for a complex river regime

A

River Po, Italy

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2
Q

Why is the River Po an example of a complex river regime?

A

It has two peaks during a year (one in May and one in November) and two troughs (One in January and one in August).

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2
Q

Which river do humans influence?

A

Colorado River, Arizona, USA

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3
Q

What month is peak rainfall for the Colorado river, and what type of rainfall causes intense rainfall? What do storms lead to?

A

August due to intense storms from convectional rainfall. Storms lead to flash flooding, due to infiltration excess overland flow or Hortonian flow.

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4
Q

How have humans influenced the Colorado river?

A

Construction of the Hoover dam in 1936

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5
Q

Before the Hoover Dam construction, what was the fluctuating discharge?

A

500cfs to 100,000 cfs

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6
Q

What did the Hoover Dam construction do to the regularity of discharge?

A

Discharge became regular with less extreme fluctuations after construction.

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7
Q

After the Hoover Dam construction, what was the fluctuating discharge rate?

A

5,000 to 30,000cfs

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8
Q

What did humans do downstream of the Colorado River?

A

Humans regulated stored water from Lake Mead

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9
Q

Where does orographic rainfall affect? Gives examples?

A

Orographic rainfall affects upland areas such as the West of England, including the Brecon Beacons, Dartmoor and Exmoor.

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10
Q

How many mm does precipitation exceed in upland orographic areas?

A

2000mm

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11
Q

Which areas are affected by convectional rainfall? Give examples?

A

Convectional rainfall affects equatorial regions. Tropical rainforests like the Amazon are affected.

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12
Q

Which areas are affected by frontal rainfall? Give examples?

A

Frontal rainfall affects the UK due to latitude. Warm tropical air collides with cold Polar air along the Polar Front.

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13
Q

Name and year the case study for an intense storm with prolonged rainfall

A

Boscastle August 2004

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14
Q

What category storm caused the Boscastle flooding?

A

Category 2 on the Saffir Simpson scale

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15
Q

Why was the storm over Boscastle so powerful? How many metres did the air rise?

A

Warm air travelled over a large fetch from the Atlantic, rising 400m over Bodmin Moor?

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16
Q

What type of rainfall caused by the storm caused Boscastle flooding?

A

Orographic rainfall

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17
Q

Which other type of rainfall affected Boscastle apart from Orographic? Explain…

A

Boscastle was located at a convergence zone as two air masses moved in opposite directions – frontal rainfall

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18
Q

How many mm of rain fell over Boscastle over what time?

A

75mm in two hours

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19
Q

Give the name of the river that rose in Boscastle? How much did it rise by? What were the direct impacts? Why was there lots of river discharge?

A

The Valencie River rose 2m causing 30 vehicles to be washed in the harbour. The river has a low catchment areas so low interception and impermeable geology. Steep slopes.

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20
Q

Which case study river do we use for snowmelt?

A

Red River of Fargo 2009

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21
Q

How many metres did the Red River of Fargo rise by?

A

13m

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22
Q

What caused flooding the The Red River of Fargo? What year?

A

2008-2009 winter had high snowfall and frozen ground, followed by unusually high temps and rapid snowmelt.

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23
Q

Describe the study in the UK which describes the affects of deforestation?

A

One study in mid-Wales found rainwaters infiltration rate into soil was 67x higher under trees than under sheep pasture

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24
Q

When is a drought recognised between countries? Give examples?

A

In Libya, droughts are recognised after two years without rain, compared to the UK which defines a drought as a period of at least 15 consecutive days where no more than 0.2mm rain falls.

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25
Q

Name the case study for the seasonal drought variations?

A

The 1976 UK drought

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26
Q

What had to happen as a result of the 1976 drought?hint. industry and £

A

Industry was forced to reduced output by 50%

9 pints of water required to make 1 pint of beer

40 gallons for 1 newspaper.

Food prices increased due to crop failure

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27
Q

Name the American case study regarding climate change and drought + depletion of aquifers?

A

Megadrought in western USA

28
Q

Define megadrought

A

A multi-decade event that contains periods of high severity that last longer than anything observed during 19th/20th century

29
Q

Since 2000, how much did Western USA increase by temperature? How does this compare to the global increase?

A

Since 2000 western USA has increased by 1.2 degrees – the world has increased by 1.1 since 80’s.

30
Q

Name the lakes that Shrunk during the US’ megadrought

A

Lake Powell and Lake Mead shrunk

31
Q

Where did the American people turn to for a source of water during the megadrought? What % of water goes towards agriculture? How many farmers lost job?

A

They relied on groundwater aquifers. Agriculture accounts for 80%. 30,000 farmers lost jobs

32
Q

Give the name of the case study used for depletion of aquifers that isn’t the US megadrought?

A

Egyptian potato farming

33
Q

Give the name of the aquifer regarding depletion and management of aquifers

A

California’s Central Valley Aquifer

34
Q

What fraction of fresh food is produced in California’s central valley?

A

1/3

35
Q

In 2013, how many water wells were permitted for water extraction?

A

2,500

36
Q

In million acre-feet, how much did water levels drop and from what years? California

A

50 million acre-feet from 1962 to 2015

37
Q

Name the valley involving an artificial aquifer recharge study

A

California’s Pajaro Valley

38
Q

What % of groundwater supplied California’s freshwater?

A

Groundwater supplied 85% of freshwater

39
Q

Describe the artificial recharge project used in California’s central valley. Include water cycle terminology e.g. percolation and porous

A

Artificial recharge captures excess runoff and diverts water into recharge basins or canals. These basins have porous bases that allow the captured water to percolate down to the aquifer.

40
Q

What’s the study we use for rising groundwater?

A

London basin

41
Q

Describe the London Basin? How many metres is the aquifer located below central London?

A

The London basin contains a major aquifer, located 60m below central London.

42
Q

What process has changed the demand for water? Name industries dependant on water? What did demand mean for groundwater levels?

A

Industrialisation in the 19thy century increased water demand, for water intensive industries like brewing and paper production. This declined groundwater level.

42
Q

Which other process affected groundwater levels that isn’t industrialisation? How has this affected the aquifer?link to london basin

A

De-industrialisation reduced demand for water. Since 1970’s the aquifer has started recharging at a rate of 3m annually

42
Q

Which sea involves surface water extraction, human causes of water deficit

A

Aral sea

42
Q

What % of the seas original value is present

A

10%

42
Q

What chemistry linked characteristic changed as a result of Aral sea reduction?

A

Salinity increased from 0-100%

42
Q

What happened to the climate as a result of the Aral sea reducing in size?

A

The number of days above 40 degrees had doubled in the Aral sea region

42
Q

What has been done to increase water levels of the Aral sea? How much has been spent?

A

$80m world bank money to construct Kokaral dam – 2000 tonnes fish caught annually

43
Q

Name the case study regarding deforestation and palm oil plantation

A

Borneo, Indonesia

44
Q

How has logging and and palm oil plantations affected Borneo? Since what year?

A

Since 1950 Borneo has lost half of its TR for logging and palm oil plantations

45
Q

How much carbon do primary forests store per hectare compared to palm oil plantations?

A

Primary forests store 300 tonnes of carbon per hectare, compared to 30 tonnes per hectare in palm oil plantations

46
Q

How much rain does a TR receive annually compared to the UK?

A

A TR receives 2000-4000mm rain annually // the UK gets 200-400mm

47
Q

What key geographical term does deforestation cause in places like Borneo?

A

SAVANNAHRISATION – prevents forest recovery – dry climate

48
Q

The palm oil industry has resulted in what in Indonesia?

A

land grabs

49
Q

What did the company promise the indigenous community? what companies were supplied by this company?

A

Company promised ½ profits to its indigenous community. They never received anything. Supplies companies like Johnson & Johnson and Kellogg’s.

50
Q

For afforestation, what did Brazil sign in 2016 to increase this process? How much did they promise to reduce emissions by?

A

In 2016 upon signing the Paris agreement, Brazil pledged to voluntarily reduce CO2 emissions by 43% by 2030.

51
Q

Which organisation are planting trees and how many?

A

Ecosia are planting 1 million trees

52
Q

Name the three types of temperate grasslands around the world

A

The prairies of plains of USA and Canada
The Steppes of Eurasia from Ukraine to Mongolia
The Pampas of Argentina and Uruguay

53
Q

Name the case study for drought and soil erosion

A

The Dust Bowl of 1930’as Mid-West USA

54
Q

How many acres were affected by the dust bowl case study? which states?

A

Affected 100 million acres centred on Texas and Oklahoma

55
Q

What was the American dust bowl case study worsened by?

A

Poor farming practice

56
Q

What were the implications of the Dust Bowl case study? Name two for environment and people

A

Millions of tonnes of top soil eroded by wind
2.5 million abandoned farms

57
Q

Name the case study for peatland management and restoration

A

Fenn’s Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses, Shropshire

58
Q

How many gigatonnes of carbon do global peatlands hold?How does this compare to forests?

A

Global peatlands contain at least 550 gigatonnes of carbon—more than twice the carbon stored in all the forests in the world.

59
Q

How much of the earths surface to peatlands take up and how does this relate to carbon stores?

A

Peatland account for just 3% of the world’s soil surface, yet hold nearly 30% of soil carbon

60
Q

What two factors facilitated peatland extraction in Whixhall Moss?

A

facilitated by two transport developments: the Llangollen Canal opened in 1804; a railway that was laid across part of the Moss in 1863.

61
Q

Name three management strategies of a peat bog

A

Bunding: Bunds reduce the flow of surface runoff and help keep more precipitation on the site.
Dams and plastic piling: These strategies reduce run of from old drainage ditches and the loss of water from through flow.
Sphagnum moss planting: Sphagnum can store 20 times its own weight in water so will retain rainwater on the site.

Geography A-level (7 decks)

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