Core Physical Flashcards

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1
Q

Water Table

A

level at which pore spaces and fractures in ground become saturated.
Above = unsaturated
Below = saturated

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2
Q

Groundwater recharge

A

recharged by precipitation & surface water bodies seeping into groundwater stores. Storm events less effective

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3
Q

Field Capacity

A

no more water can infiltrate the soil

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4
Q

Formation of springs

A

1) Permeable rock meets impermeable rock, causing infiltrated water to build up and escape as a spring
2) Water table meets surface, causing discharge of groundwater

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5
Q

Influences on Hydrographs - CLIMATE

A

Climate - Precipitation, Temperature, antecedent moisture

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6
Q

Influences on Hydrographs - TOPOGRAPHY AND RELIEF

A

Rough & Jagged - ↓ velocity

Steeper slope - ↑ velocity, less time to infiltrate = ↑overland flow

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7
Q

Types of Erosion

A

Corrasion: Scraping and Grinding along river channel
Solution: Water dissolving parts of rock/soil
Hydraulic Action: Force of water causes rocks to fragment
Cavitation: water enters small cracks, increases pressure and widens cracks

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8
Q

Transportation

A

Traction: Rolling of large rocks
Saltation: pebbles bounced along bed
Suspension: small pebbles carried
Solution: Soluble materials carried within water

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9
Q

Hjülstrom Curve

A

Graph shows how velocity affects rivers material

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10
Q

Riffle-pool sequences

A

alternating patterns of shallow and deeper water in a river channel

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11
Q

Prevention: Forecasts and warnings

A

Forecasting: precipitation forecasts - estimate level of flood risk in an area, allowing for warnings to be issued as soon as possible
UK warnings: Met Office issues flood alerts (🟠) flood warnings and severe flood warnings (🔴)

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12
Q

Predicting flood risk

A

floods modelled to show different factors that effect likelihood of flood e.g. slope, topography

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13
Q

River Don Case study

A

84mm rainfall in south yorkshire
groundwater flooding: late november, major incident declared
IMPACTS: 6 severe flood warnings issued, thousands of properties evacuated, 1,000 properties flooded
Flood defences: Put in place 2007, EA said these significantly reduced damage in 2019, sandbags on side of rivers at towns

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14
Q

shortwave radiation

A

incoming directly from sun

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15
Q

longwave radiation

A

energy received by earth stored as heat energy. when ground warms it is re-radiated as longwave radiation

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16
Q

Latent heat transfer

A

occurs when water evaporates, moving heat from surface to atmosphere

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17
Q

sensible heat transfer

A

transfer of parcels of air from point at which budget is assesed

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18
Q

Wind belts

A

wind patterns that cover the planet. Changes in air pressure make winds blow from high to low
3 main types: Polar easterlies, Prevailing westerlies, tropical easterlies

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19
Q

Jet streams

A

strong, regular winds which blow in upper atmosphere, 10km above surface as part of rossby waves. 2 each hemisphere, 100-300km/h

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20
Q

types of jet stream

A

30-50 Polar Jet, 20-20 Sub Tropical Jet

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21
Q

Absolute and Relative humidity

A

Absolute humidity - amount of Water Vapour in atmosphere
Relative humidity - amount of Water Vapour in atmosphere, expressed as % of maximum amount of water that air can hold at temperature

22
Q

Adiabatic processes

A

rising & sinking of air

23
Q

Radiation cooling

A

calm, clear evenings. surface loses heat as sun goes down. Air near ground cooled & condensed, precipitation occurs

24
Q

advection fog

A

warm, moist air moves over cold surface. Air cools and condensation takes place

25
Q

Hail

A

raindrops carried up and down in vertical air currents. freezing and melting may occur several times before pellet large enough to escape cloud

26
Q

Case Study: Vancouver

A

Tarmac roads absorb heat and release through night = ↑ average temperature.
Dense, tall buildings create less of an angle for heat loss during nights = ↑ average temperature in downtown vancouver
Central heating common in most homes, ↑ burning of fossil fuels for fires etc
wind - skyscrapers decrease wind strength as they deflect air flow, create wind tunnels = ↓temperature
Humidity - lower in city area than surrounding area due to drains and transpiration of plants. higher around harbour and stanley park
Precipitation - buildings force moist air to rise, causing convection

27
Q

Asthenosphere, Lithosphere and crust

A

Asthenosphere: the very top layer of the mantle, semi-molten, constant movement
Lithosphere: broken up into plates, top layer is crust
Crust: Oceanic is dense, destroyed by plate movement. Continental is less dense and not destroyed by plate movement

28
Q

Types of Plate Boundary

A

Destructive →←
Constructive ←→
Conservative ↑↓

29
Q

Formations at different plate boundaries

A

Destructive: C+O - ocean trench, fold mountains, volcanoes. O+O - ocean trench, fold mountains, underwater volcanoes, island arcs. C+C - fold mountains

Constructive: O+O - Sea floor spreading. C+C - Rift valley, volcanoes, lifted rocks (horsts) and valley (graben)

Conservative: no landforms but fault lines may occur on continental crust

30
Q

Physical and Chemical weathering

A

Physical - affects rock and rock formations

Chemical - caused by chenical reactions

31
Q

Types of Physical weathering

A

freeze-thaw, heating/cooling, Salt crystal growth, pressure release, vegetation root action

32
Q

Types of Chemical weathering

A

Hydrolysis, Hydration, Carbonation

33
Q

Hydrolysis

A

Rock reacts with water and soluble rocks break down e.g. chalk

34
Q

Hydration

A

water absorbed into substance, causing new substance to form. e.g. Anhydrite + Water ⇢ Gypsum. rocks expand

35
Q

Carbonation

A

CO2 dissolved in water (carbonic acid) reacts with rocks & breaks them down

36
Q

Factors affecting weathering

A

Climate, rock type & structure, Vegetation, Relief

37
Q

How does climate affect weathering

A

Temperature & Precipitation: Alpine climates - fluctuating temperatures = ↑ freeze-thaw
Dry climates - ↑ Salt crystal growth

38
Q

Water & sediment movement

A

Rainsplash - Rain hits surface, displaces soil particles, moves downhill
Sheetwash - Overland Flow. Sheet of water flows over surface, takes top layer
Rills - Small streams develop by erosive flowing water. develop into rivines

39
Q

Types of mass movement

A

Heaves - Cohesive & non-cohesive. slowest and most prevalent e.g. frost heave and soil creep
Flows - Cohesive e.g. mudflow. controlled by moisture
Falls - Rocks, sudden & dramatic. triggered by freeze thaw, seismic waves & gravitational stress
Slides - Fast movement of rock, earth or debris down slope e.g. rockslides. triggered by seismic waves & gravitational stress

40
Q

Decreasing stability

A

↑ stress or ↓ strength via mining, construction, tourism, agriculture and forestry

41
Q

Increasing stability

A

afforestation, netting, pinning, grading

42
Q

pinning

A

soil nailing - steel rods which carry weight drilled into soil.
Rock bolting - bolts drilled in a specific pattern to transfer load from weak exterior to strong interior of the slope.

43
Q

California Case study

A

Causes of mass movement: intense rainfall. 5-6mm/hour in SW california. San Gabriel mountains: 400m slides triggered by 76-100mm rainfall.
Oil and water extraction, earthquakes, steep relief and construction
Examples: 18 April 1906 & 3-5 Jan 1982 - landslides
10 jan 2005 - mudslide
december 2020 - mudflow

44
Q

Drainage basin is made up of

A

outputs, stores, flows

45
Q

outputs

A

Evaporation, Evapotranspiration, River Discharge

46
Q

stores

A

Interception, soil water (upper levels of soil), surface water, Groundwater (pore spaces of rock), channel storage

47
Q

Above ground flows

A

Throughfall: Leaves → Ground
Stemflow: Intercepted water flows down stem
Overland Flow: water cannot infiltrate soil
Channel Flow: Streams and Rivers

48
Q

Below Ground Flows

A

Infiltration: water from above ground → soil
Percolation: Ground → porous rock or rock fractures
Throughflow: water floes through soil into channels
Groundwater Flow: through permeable rocks below water table
Baseflow: level of channel flow with no overland flow

49
Q

Surface pressure belt

A

equatorial low pressure trough, sub-tropical high pressure belt, sub antarctic & sub polar areas, polar highs

50
Q

Ocean Currents

A

continuous, predictable, directional movement of sea water driven by gravity, wind and water density. Horizontal movements are referred to as currents

51
Q

Cloud Shape

A

Stratus: little uplift, wide area
cumulus: more uplift, localised area