ELSS KQ 1 Flashcards
What is evapotranspiración ?
Total amount of moisture removed by evaporation and transpiration from a vegetated land surface
What is interception ?
Process by which raindrops are prevented from falling directly onto the soil surface by the presence of a layer of vegetation
What is throughfall ?
The capacity of the plant surface may be exceeded and water will drip off the leaves and branches
What is stem flow ?
During prolonged or heavy rain, water will run along branches and down the trunk
What is throughflow ?
The transfer of water from the soil storage zone to the channel at a much slower rate than overland flow
What is percolation ?
The downward vertical movement of water within a soil
What is the groundwater flow ?
When the water is transferred slowly through the rock and into the bed of the river
What is ablation /
Melting of ice
Mainly during summer months and usually at the snout end of the glacier
Is the drainage basin an open or closed system ?
Open - water and matter can be inputted and outputted
What will deforestation increase the rate on in the hydrological cycle ?
Surface run off - soil = saturated sooner
Increase in I E O F because rain s no longer intercepted so intensity of rainfall increases
What will deforestation decrease the rate off in the hydrological cycle ?
Infiltration - soil will quickly become saturated
Interception - no leaves
Stem flow
Evapotranspiración
Throughfall
Leaf drip
What are the two types of overland flow ?
Infiltration excess and saturation excess
What is infiltration excess overland flow ?
When rainfall intensity is greater than the rate at which they soil can absorb rain (infiltration capacity )
What is saturation excess overland flow ?
When soil becomes saturated and there is no longer any space for water to infiltrates
Why is the earths atmosphere suitable to support life ?
Breathable
21% of air is oxygen
Small amount co2 - 0.04%
Its kept on the planet by the pull of gravity
what is co2 useful for in the environment ?
Useful 4 greenhouse effect
What percentage of the earths surface is covered in water ?
75
How much water is there in the earth ?
1.4 billion cubic kilometres
When did the water cycle begin ?
3.8 billion years ago
What percentage of our cells are made up of water ?
70
How much o earths water is stored in the oceans ?
97 percent
How much water is stored in the ice caps ?
1.7 percent
What percent of water is stored in the rivers , lakes and the ground ?
1.7
How much water vapour is stored in the atmosphere ?
0.0001 percent
Why is water needed for people ?
Generate electricity
Provide recreational facilities
Drinking water
Sewage disposal
Irrigate crops
Steel making
Paper making
Why is water needed for the earths climate ?
Moderates temp by absorbing heat
Water helps to create benign thermal conditions
Why is water needed for fauna (animals)?
Sweating
In fur covered mammals. Birds and reptiles , evaporative cooling is achieved by panting
Water is the medium used for all metabolic reactions in the body
Why is water needed for flora (flowers)?
Transpiration, respiration and photosynthesis
To maintain their rigidity
Transport mineral nutrients from the soil
Why is photosynthesis useful ?
Produces glucose and starch
why is respiration useful ?
Converts glucose - energy
Why is the earths atmosphere suitable for humans life ?
Breathable
Plenty of oxygen
Small amount of c02
Keep on the planet by the pull of gravity
Mars and mercury are too small to keep an atmosphere
How much oxygen makes up earths atmosphere /
21%
How much carbon dioxide makes up earths atmosphere ?
0.04%
Useful 4 greenhouse effect
Poisonous gas
Why is earths climate suitable for human life ?
Temp doesn’t go from one extreme to another
Mercury can go from anything from -200 degrees to +375 degrees
Why is earths light suitable for life ?
Plants need sun to grow through photosynthesis
Earth take 24 hours for it to spin on its axis (each side of the planet receives sunlight regularly )
Why is earths sun important for life ?
Receives perfect amount of heat and light to allow life to be created and supported
If su vanished , earth would float away
Why is earths water suitable for human life ?
Allows organic molecules to mix and form more complex structures
Earth is in the right zone for water to be liquid
Allows life providing molecules to move around easily
What is the lithosphere ?
The rigid outer part of the earth , consisting of the crust and upper mantle. Its divided into tectonic plates
What is the biosphere ?
The space at the earths surface and within the atmosphere occupied by living organisms
What is the hydrosphere ?
All the waters of the earths surface , such as lakes and seas
What is the cryosphere /
The frozen part of the earths surface , including the polar ice caps , continental ice sheets , glaciers , sea ice and permafrost
What is the atmosphere ?
The envelope of gases surrounding the planet
How many people die each year because of drought / dehydration / unsafe drinking water ?
1 million
What percentage of water on earth is safe for human consumption ?
3 percent
Why is two thirds of fresh water unavailable ?
Too salty and poisonous
Locked up in ice sheets and glaciers
How much rainfall do the wettest countries receive /
Over 3m per year
How much rainfall do the driest countries receive ?
Less than 6cm per year
What is water scarcity ?
Lack of sufficient water to meet the needs of everybody
what is water insecurity /
If the water has a poor quality , destroyed or damaged or polluted
What is water security ?
Plenty of safe water to meet everyone’s needs
Reliable supply
How does rainfall duration impact infiltration and overland flow ?
Longer the rain falls the more saturated the grown gets
Reduce infiltration rates
More overland flow
How does rainfall intensity affect rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
More overland flow because the rain will fall faster than it can be absorbed which will lead to infiltration excess overland flow
How does the angle of slope affect the rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
Force of gravity is stronger than the infiltration rate so less infiltration and more overland flow
How do brands surfaces affect the rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
Due to usage of concrete , less infiltration and higher level of overland flow in the form of IEFO
Bitumen (tarmac )and concrete possess non-porous impermeable properties
How does rock type / geology affect the rate of infiltration an overland flow ?
Increased amount of pores in the rock means increased infiltration as it is more permeable (decreases rate of overland flow )
Increased amount of pores in the rock menas a decreased amount of infiltration
What types of rock are impermeable ?
Granite
Slate
What are some permeable rock ?
Limestone
What is a porous rock ?
Sandstone
Lots of air pores
How does previous weather affect the rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
If its been wet the land is overly saturated so the water table rises and water can’t infiltrate and overland flow will increase (SEOF)
Dry land - so rain can’t infiltrate into the ground so more surface run off - (IEOF)
How do deciduous trees affect the rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
In the winter - less interception due to no leaves on trees
Saturio is faster and eventually more surface run off occurs
When soil is saturated , infiltration cannot occur
How does vegeatation in summer affect the rate of infiltration and overland flow ?
More leaves ,more interception , more throughfall , encourages infiltration , less overland flow
How do coniferous trees affect infiltration and overland flow ?
Have needles with a small surface areas
So less Interception
More saturation
More overland flow
What is water surplus ?
Occurs when precipitation is greater than evapotranspiration and streamflow . This will create saturated soil
What is water deficit ?
Occurs when precipitation is less than evapotranspiration and streamflow
This will create dry soil
During which months does water surplus occur ?
From December to May
Why does water surplus occur in these months ?
Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration , will results in overland flow
What is soil utilisation ?
In summer potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation so plants and animals utilise water in the soil
Why does soil moisture utilisation occur in the summer months ?
Summer months = more leaves - so demand for water is higher
Hotter so more evapotranspiration
What is soil moisture recharge ?
In autumn , the water must be replaced
So little overland flow
What is field capacity ?
The amount of water that remains in the soil after draining all gravitational water
Thsi is because micro pores do not give up water easily
What i wilting point ?
The point that the plant can no longer extract water from the soil.
Micro pores always lose their water later , because they hold onto water with greater force
What is absolute humidity ?
Mass of water vapour in a given volume of air measured in grams per cubic metre
What is saturated air ?
At any given temp , there is a limit to the amount of moisture that the air can hold
When this limit is reached the air is saturated
What is relative humidity ?
Amount of water vapour in the air at a given temp expressed as a % of the maximum amount of vapour that the air could hold at that temp
What is dew point ?
Temp at which you will start to get condensation
If the relative humidity is 100 % then what will the air be ?
Saturated