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Geography > ELSS SG1 > Flashcards

ELSS SG1 Flashcards

1
Q

What are three reasons water is important for people?

A

Economic activity e.g. farming, Chemical reactions in the body and the circulation of oxygen and nutrients, Growth and reproduction

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2
Q

What are three reasons water is important for flora?

A

Photosynthesis (to make glucose and starches to grow), Transport nutrients from the soil, Metabolic function

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3
Q

What are three reasons water is important for fauna?

A

Chemical reactions in the body and the circulation of oxygen and nutrients, Cooling systems (evaporate cooling), Respiration

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4
Q

What are three reasons water is important for climate?

A

Clouds reflect 1/5 of incoming solar radiation and lower surface temperatures, Water vapour absorbs long-wave radiation helping maintain average global temperatures, Precipitation

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5
Q

Is the global water system a closed or open system?

A

Closed - transfers energy but not matter between the sun and earth

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6
Q

Define Stores or Stocks

A

The total amount of material of interest held within a part of the system

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7
Q

What are stocks expressed in?

A

Units of mass

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8
Q

What are stores measured in?

A

Thousands of cubic kilometres

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9
Q

What are the five global stores of water?

A

Lithosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Cryosphere, Atmosphere

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10
Q

Define Lithosphere

A

The rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle. It is divided into tectonic plates

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11
Q

Define Biosphere

A

The space at the Earth’s surface and within the atmosphere occupied by living organisms

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12
Q

Define Hydrosphere

A

All the waters on the Earth’s surface e.g. lakes and seas

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13
Q

Define Cryosphere

A

The frozen part of the Earth’s surface e.g. ice caps, permafrost, glaciers

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14
Q

Define Atmosphere

A

The envelope of gases surrounding the planet

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15
Q

What % of water is stores on land (e.g. in ice, groundwater, soils, biosphere etc.)?

A

3%

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16
Q

What % of water is stored in the atmosphere?

A

0.1%

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17
Q

What % of water is stored in oceans?

A

97%

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18
Q

What % of water is stored in polar ice and glaciers?

A

2%

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19
Q

How long is water stored in oceans?

A

3,600 years

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20
Q

How long is water stored in ice?

A

15,000 years

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21
Q

How long is water stored in soil?

A

2-50 weeks

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22
Q

What % of freshwater is stored in rocks below the ground surface as underground reservoirs called aquifers?

A

20%

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23
Q

Where is most water vapour distributed?

A

Around the equator (between 15 degrees N and S) there is 55-770mm of water vapour

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24
Q

Why is there more water vapour at the equator?

A

Rays are more concentrated around the equator due to curvature so the climate is warmer = more water evaporates so the air has more water vapour (is more humid)

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25
Q

Define Drainage Basin

A

The area of land drained by a river

26
Q

Define Confluence

A

Where two rivers meet

27
Q

Define Tributary

A

Small river flowing into a larger river

28
Q

Define River Source

A

Where the river starts

29
Q

Define Watershed

A

Boundary between two drainage basins

30
Q

Why is a river drainage basin an open system?

A

Water enters (precipitation) and leaves (evaporation/flows to sea) the drainage basin and won’t return

31
Q

Define Precipitation

A

Any form of moisture falling from the sky e.g. rain, snow, sleet, fog

32
Q

When does precipitation occur?

A

When water vapour cools to its dew point and condenses into water droplets. Precipitation only occurs when the droplets coalesce into larger ones. When they get large and heavy enough to overcome the uplift of the air, the droplets leave the cloud as precipitation

33
Q

Define Flows

A

Physical mechanisms that drive the flux of material between stores

34
Q

What is flows measured in?

A

Thousands of cubic kilometres/year

35
Q

Define Flux

A

A measurement of the rate of flow of material between stores

36
Q

Define Channel Precipitation

A

10% of precipitation falls directly into the river channel, before flowing out to the ocean

37
Q

Define Interception

A

Precipitation is stopped from reaching the ground by vegetation

38
Q

Define Stemflow

A

Water runs along branches and down the trunk of a tree

39
Q

Define Throughfall

A

Water drips off leaves to the ground

40
Q

Define Interception Loss

A

Water that is intercepted by plant surfaces and is later evaporated or absorbed by the plant. It never reaches the ground

41
Q

What are four factors affecting interception loss?

A

Interception storage capacity, Wind Speed, Vegetation type, Tree species

42
Q

How does interception storage capacity affect interception loss?

A

Before the onset of rain, the plant surfaces are dry so increasing the interception storage capacity. In prolonged rain interception storage capacity is reduced due to more stemflow and throughfall which could reduce the overall amount of interception loss which can happen

43
Q

How does wind speed affect interception loss?

A

Turbulence increases with wind speed, causing more throughfall and therefore reducing interception loss

44
Q

How does vegetation type affect interception loss?

A

Trees have the highest interception storage capacity due to their large surface area so interception losses will be higher compared to grasses and crops

45
Q

Hoe does tree species affect interception loss?

A

Interception losses are greater for coniferous trees (evergreens e.g. conifers) than broadleaved deciduous trees. This is because coniferous trees all year round and water adheres to the spaces between the needles

46
Q

Define Infiltration

A

The downward movement of water into the soil

47
Q

Define Percolation

A

Movement of soil water into underlying permeable rock

48
Q

What is the fastest flow of water?

A

Overland flow

49
Q

What is the slowest flow of water?

A

Groundwater flow

50
Q

What five factors affect infiltration?

A

High infiltration capacity, Saturation of soils, Arable land in winter, Coniferous trees, Rock type

51
Q

Define Discharge

A

The volume of water passing a given point in a given time

52
Q

What is discharge measured in?

A

Cubic meters per second (CUMECS)

53
Q

What two ways does water leave the drainage basin and enter the atmosphere?

A

Evaporation and Transpiration

54
Q

Define Evaporation

A

Water changes state from a liquid to water vapour due to heat

55
Q

Define Transpiration

A

Loss of water from vegetation stomata via evaporation

56
Q

What four factors affect transpiration?

A

Temperature, Wind speed, Water availability to plants, Seasons

57
Q

Define Water Balance

A

The balance between the inputs and outputs of a drainage basin

58
Q

Precipitation (P) =

A

Evaporation (E) + Streamflow (Q) +/- Storage

59
Q

Define Water Surplus

A

Precipitation is greater than evapotranspiration and streamflow, creating saturated soil

60
Q

Define Water Deficit

A

Precipitation is less than evapotranspiration and streamflow, creating dry soil

Geography (40 decks)

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