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EAS 456 > Concepts > Flashcards

Concepts Flashcards

1
Q

what is a model

A

simplification of reality with essential features

no model is 100% accurate or else it would not be a model, it would be reality

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2
Q

Advantages of modelling

A
  • test knowledge and answer questions of physical phenomena
  • integration of knowledge and disciplines
  • quantification of variables
  • interpretation of data
  • ease of scenario analysis
  • creation of projects/policies
  • predictive capability

knowledge, questions, integration, quantification, interpretation, scenarios, policies, predictions

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3
Q

disadvantages of modelling

A
  • overparameterized
    ~~~
  • measurability and generalizations
    ~~~
  • may be too inaccurate
  • can’t include everything
  • uncertainty of predictions
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4
Q

types of models

A
  • empirical
  • physical-based
  • numerical
  • analytical
  • deterministic
  • stochastic
  • fully-distributed
  • semi-distributed
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5
Q

empirical based model

A
  • relationships of different variables based on measurements in a specific area
  • unique to specific conditions designed for
  • correlational and only predict yield

includes extreme events and conditions of one specific area

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6
Q

physical-process based

A
  • real physical relationships based on proven physical laws
  • universal and predictive
  • not linked with local resources and their relationships

mostly not calibrated or validated

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7
Q

numerical

A
  • approximations
  • good for environmental sciences because allows for uncertainties
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8
Q

analytical models

A
  • math that gives exact examples
  • bad for earth science because there are no single right answers or solutions
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9
Q

deterministic models

A
  • one single solution given
  • bad for es because no room for uncertainty
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10
Q

stochastic

A

range of solutions given

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11
Q

fully-distributed

A
  • predicts variation across time and regions
  • delineate water shed all the way down to grid cells
  • lots of computation power required
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12
Q

semi-distributed

A
  • delineates watershed across topographic map into hru’s/subbasins
  • delineates watershed across map, not delineates across watershed
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13
Q

model selection based on what?

A
  • objectives
  • details and robustness
  • cost (incl time)
  • literature review to avoid trial and error
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14
Q

importance of modelling

A
  • status (state of water basin)
  • trends (historical changes, seasons, etc)
  • find relationships between variables
  • predictions
  • decisions
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15
Q

SWAT

A

soil water and assessment tool
- watershed scale
- semi-distributed
- physical process based
- hydrologic but cannot simulate groundwater flow and connectivity between watersheds

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16
Q

world water supply distribution

ocean vs fresh water
freshwater distribution

A

ocean: 96.5%
fresh: 2.5
- glaciers: 69%
- groundwater/aquifers: 30% (mostly permafrost and ice)
- surface/other: 1% (lakes, atmosphere, soil moisture, etc)

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17
Q

renewable water

A
  • 0.4% of freshwater
  • snowfall, snowmelt, rainfall
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18
Q

fossil water

A
  • non renewable (not controlled by melt or precipitation)
  • 99.6% of freshwater
  • glaciers, ice, permafrost, groundwater feeding rivers
19
Q

overland processes

A

surface flow outside of a river channel
- evap, et, precip, infiltration
- surface runoff
- lateral/subsurface flow
- groundwater recharge/percolation

20
Q

T/F: there can be both fossil and renewable water in the same aquifer

A

true

21
Q

what are the boundaries of a watershed

A

highest elevation that can drain int a catchment/basin
- not governed by political borders, topographic

22
Q

what type of boundaries do transboundary rivers flow across

A

political borders

23
Q

Canada water distribution

freshwater, renewable, fossil

A
  • 20% of world’s freshwater
  • 7% of that is renewable
  • 13% is fossil

we have large internal water availability and inflow

24
Q

Alberta water trends

A
  • lowest precipitation in south and drier in south due to wter demand for economy
  • most snowfall/BW along mountains
  • ET is similar or higher than blue water in most river basins
25
Q

Alberta economy

A
  • oil and agriculture
    - athabasca, and bow and oldman river basins respectively
  • dams and irrigation is seasonally regulated and above 80% efficiency
26
Q

water scarcity indiators and alberta

A

water distirbution varies across canada, lots gets used up in economy as opposed to iran where most is domestically consumed, how does this factor into indicators

27
Q

why should we manage our ET loss

A

60% of water resources lost to ET, but 80-90% of water for crop production is from soil moisture. If we can anage losses than we can utilize green water better and less has to be rainfed

28
Q

Water scarcity

A

no commonly accepted definition but essentially when an individual does nto have the access to enough safe ad affordable water to meet their needs

29
Q

qualifications of water scarcity depend on

A
  • how needs are defined
  • water availability
  • socioeconomics
30
Q

variations in calculating water scarcity

A
  • methods
  • models
  • assumptions
  • reliability and robustness of data
  • spatial/temporal resolution/variation
31
Q

disagreements on water scarcity

A
  • water needed for food security
  • water needed to sustain natural ecosystems
  • whether or not the earth has enough resources to meet human and natural needs
32
Q

is water scarcity a supply or demand problem

A

both and also economic

33
Q

water scarcity indicator definition

A

how much water of a specified quality is needed vs how much is/can be made available

34
Q

water withdrawal

A

water diverted or withdrawn from a source

doesn’t always mean water gets used

35
Q

water use vs consumptive use

A

use of water by a certain sector/industry/household vs water completely removed from water resource avilability through evaporation, ET, etc

36
Q

water scarcity indicators list

A
  • falkenmark
  • shiklomanovs (water resources vulnerability)
  • alcamo
  • physical and economic scarcity indicators
  • water poverty index
  • bos water scarcity index
37
Q

falkenmark indicator

A

water per capita
1700m3/person = good
- easy to understand and data is available
- doesn’t account for temporal changes, assumes all water will be used domestically, generic and not local

38
Q

shiklomanov

water resources vulnerability index

A

annual withdrawal (of ag, indust, and domestic)/total available water
- if above 20-40% = bad

39
Q

alcamo’s index

A

withdrawal/total renewable water
- doesn’t account for what can be made available and what can be recycled

40
Q

physical and aconomic scarcity indicator

A

supply of what is and can be made available
demand for consumptive use
- differentiates between economic and physical water scarcity

41
Q

water poverty index

A

5 dimensions
- access to water
- water quality, quantity, variability
- water uses
- water management
- environmental aspects

good for small scale, not global and complex and not easy for public understanding

42
Q

bos water scarcity index

A

total outflow/total inflow
- if B index is below .2 = bad, .1 is worse
- thresholds are bad
- only addresses surface water

43
Q

overall index limitations

A
  • only consider blue water
  • no suffiecient consideration to spatial and temporal variations
  • all relative

green water is main source of food production in most countries

EAS 456 (2 decks)

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