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earths support systems and lifecycles Flashcards

1
Q

what is the lithosphere

A

the rocky outer part of the earth

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2
Q

what is the hydrosphere

A

all the water on or close to the Earths surface

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3
Q

what is the cryosphere

A

all the water frozen in glaciers and icecaps

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4
Q

what is the global water cycle

A

the constant recycling of the earths water

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5
Q

what are the main stores of the earths water

A

oceanic water
ice caps and glaciers
groundwater

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6
Q

what is evaporation an example of

A

flows of water between stores

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7
Q

what is surface runoff

A

where water flows on land

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8
Q

what is infiltration

A

when water enters the soils

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9
Q

what is throughflow

A

water moving through soil downhill

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10
Q

name examples of 3 transfers of water between stores

A

throughflow, evaporation transpiration

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11
Q

what is the cryosphere

A

the frozen water part of the hydrosphere

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12
Q

name an example of an input into a glacial system

A

direct snowfall

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13
Q

what is the earths atmosphere mostly made up of

A

nitrogen

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14
Q

what is the atmospheric heat budget

A

balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from the earth

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15
Q

what is the biosphere

A

the worldwide sum of all living things

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16
Q

why is water so important overall

A

it provides a medium that allows organic molecules to mix and form complex structures

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17
Q

name 3 examples of why water is useful

A
  • crucial for growth and reproduction of living things

plants use water in many processes eg respiration and photosynthesis

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18
Q

how is water important economically

A

helps generate electricity and irrigate crops

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19
Q

is the global water cycle an open or closed system

A

closed

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20
Q

why is the global water cycle a closed system

A

it has no inputs or outputs of matter only energy

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21
Q

are drainage basins open or closed systems

A

open

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22
Q

name 2 inputs into drainage basins

A

sunlight
precipitation

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23
Q

name 2 outputs into drainage basins

A

kinetic and heat energy
evapotranspiration

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24
Q

what is a drainage basin

A

the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries

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25
what is a confluence
where a river and a tributary join
26
what is interception storage
where vegetation temporarily stops precipitation from reaching the ground
27
name 3 factors which affect interception rates
wind speed vegetation type tree species
28
what is throughfall
when intercepted water reaches the ground by flowing down branches or dripping down leaves
29
what is secondary interception
when a lower layer of vegetation intercepts the water that has fallen from a higher level
30
when does infiltration occur
when water soaks in to the soul from surface storage due to gravity
31
what does porosity mean
how much of a rock has space between grains and joints
32
what does permeability mean
measure of the ease which water can move through a rock
33
what kind of rock can water move through easily
coarse grained sand
34
when does infiltration excess overland flow occur
when precipitation intensity is greater then the maximum rate soil can absorb water
35
when does saturation overland flow occur
when the soil has been saturated by earlier rainfall and the water rises back up to the surface
36
why is there an increased risk of overland flow in urban areas
there is buildings over the permeable surfaces preventing infiltration
37
name the 2 main types of storage
soil moisture storage and vegetation storage
38
what is percolation
the continued downward movement of water to the underlying rock beneath the ground
39
what is the water table
the upper limit of saturated layer of ground
40
where is water stored in groundwater storage
beneath the water table in aquifers
41
what is groundwater leakage
when water gets transferred between drainage basins
42
Name 2 short term diurnal factors that affect evaporation
Day - higher temps -more evaporation Night -lower temps -less evaporation
43
Name 2 short term seasonal factors that affect evaporation
Summer -higher temps -more evaporation Winter -lower temperatures -less evaporation
44
Name 2 long term climate change factors that affect evaporation
Interglacials -higher temps -more evaporation Glacials -lower temps -less evaporation
45
How does long and short term factors affecting evaporation differ in certain areas
Uk has significant daily and seasonal changes to climate Amazon rainforest has minimal seasonal differences Artic tundra has massive seasonal differences
46
Name an example of why carbon is a good economic resource
-contained in fossil fuels
47
Carbon contributes to what affect
The greenhouse gas affect
48
In the deep slow carbon cycle what occurs
Volcanic activity returns carbon subducted millions of ys ago to the atmosphere which is then taken from the atmosphere by precipitation and marine organisms then construct shells
49
What happens to carbon dioxide during glacials
It is trapped in the ice reducing levels
50
What happens to co2 levels during interglacials
Temps are warmer and there is more co2 in the atmosphere
51
how does being far from the equator affect the water cycle
it is cooler so less evaporation and precipitation eg in polar and tundra larger seasonal differences lower NPP due to less transpiration
52
how does being close to the equator affect the water cycle
warmer so more evaporation and precipitation smaller seasonal differences in temp higher NPP
53
how does having a low altitude v high affect the water cycle
at low altitudes -evaporation increases -transpiration increases -precipitation increases
54
when do adiabatic temp changes occur
in a parcel of air without the addition or subtraction of heat energy
55
what happens as air rises
it expands adiabatic cooling happens and temp of air parcel decreases
56
what happens as air falls
it sinks and is compressed adiabatic warming occurs and temp of air parcel increases
57
what affect does irrigation have on the water cycle
diverts waters from rivers back onto land instead of sea most is lost to evaporation
58
what affect does ploughing have to water cycle
act as a drainage channel which accelerates runoff increasing evaporation
59
what affect does deforestation have on the water cycle
reduces interception and evapotranspiration
60
what is the difference between extensive and localised deforestation
extensive is 50-100% of the catchment and localised is less than 20
61
how has water extraction in kennet impacted the regional water cycle
- rates of extraction have exceeded rates of recharge reducing flows in the river by 10-14% -lower flooding levels in kennets floorplan
62
how does the positive atmospheric feedback loop work
global temps increase evaporation increases atmosphere holds more water vapour water vapour is a greenhouse gas so temps increased more
63
how does the negative atmospheric feedback loop work
global temps increase evaporation increases increased cloud cover more solar radiation is reflected so global temps fall
64
what kind of rock is the amazon made up of
impermeable rock so it has minimal water storage capacity
65
what impacts has deforestation had on the amazon
fewer trees extract moisture from soil less humid as less transpiration soil is exposed to the sun and will become dry
66
what impacts has deforestation had on the carbon cycle
plant and animal respiration drops to zero photosynthesis ceases lack of organic matter returned to soil
67
how has legeslation helped the amazon
the amazon region of protected areas cover an area twenty times the size of belgium
68
what has brazil promised to do to its degraded areas
planning to restoring 120,00km of rainforest by 2030
69
what did oil and gas infrastructure do to permafrost and why
melts it infrastructure diffuses heat into environment dust on the road creates darker surfaces reducing albido removal of vegetation which insulates permafrost
70
what has resulted from melting of permafrost in the artic
increased runoff increased river discharge drainage networks are disrupted by construction and seismic explosions

geography (9 decks)

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