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Geography - The Water Cycle (Year 2) > EQ1 > Flashcards

EQ1 Flashcards

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1
Q

what is the key characteristic of the hydrological cycle?

A

It is a closed system. It is estimated to have 1385 mil km3 of water in this closed system.

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2
Q

name a sub-system within the hydrological cycle:

A

sub system: a system operating within a larger system. E.g., the drainage basin.

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3
Q

what is the global water budget?

A

The amount of water in the system.

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4
Q

What is the world’s largest water store?

A

The ocean, with 1,335,040 100km3 0f water. This is 96% of the total water in the system.

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5
Q

Why is the atmosphere the smallest store?

A

It has the smallest residence time of around 10 days, due to regular precipitation.

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6
Q

how much of the global water is fresh water?

A

2.5%

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7
Q

How much of the global freshwater is groundwater?

A

30.1%

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8
Q

how much of the global freshwater is surface water?

A

1.2%

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9
Q

how much of the global freshwater is ice?

A

68.7%

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10
Q

What differs between the drainage basin and the hydrological cycle?

A

The drainage basin is an open system with inputs, and outputs.

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11
Q

what is another word for the drainage basin?

A

the ‘catchment’

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12
Q

give an example of a large and small drainage basin:

A

Large: The Nile River
small: The River Mole

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13
Q

in what ways does the amount of precipitation affect the drainage basin?

A

the higher the amount of precipitation, the less variable the pattern within the basin.

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14
Q

what is the impact of the type of precipitation on the drainage basin?

A

Large fluxes are released in the form of hail, snow, rain, and sleet.

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15
Q

what is the impact of the variability of precipitation on the drainage basin?

A

secular variability: long-term (years, decades)
periodic: short-term (weeks, months)
stochastic variability: Random

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16
Q

what is the impact of the seasonality of precipitation on the drainage basin?

A

physical processes can be impacted in places where seasonal patterns are present such as the Mediterranean, or the Continent.

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17
Q

what is the impact of the distribution of precipitation on the drainage basin?

A

distribution may vary in places where the tributaries start in different climactic zones, such as the Nile.

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18
Q

What are the three requirements needed in order for precipitation to occur?

A
  • air cooled and hit a point of 100% humidity.
  • the presence of condensation nuclei (Ice droplets or dust)
  • a temperature below dew point
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19
Q

What are the three types of precipitation?

A

cyclonic, orographic, and frontal.

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20
Q

what are the characteristics of cyclonic rain:

A

Occurs all over the UK. Is experienced when hot air meets cool air and is forces upwards. is hundreds or thousands of miles long. Can last hours.

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21
Q

what are the characteristics of orographic rain?

A

Occurs in the west of the UK. mountainous or high elevation areas force up air, these are the feeder clouds. Seeder clouds above them then rain, and wash out droplets from below. This creates the seeder-feeder affect, and a rain shadow.

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22
Q

What are the characteristics of convectional rain?

A

Occurs in the South and South East of the UK. Cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds form due to sea evaporation, and then when they weight enough, they precipitate.

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23
Q

the point where two rivers meet is called a…

A

tributary

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24
Q

the area the river collects its water from is known as the…

A

catchment / drainage basin.

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25
Q

the point where the river enters a lake or a sea is a…

A

mouth

26
Q

the point where a smaller river runs into a bigger river is known as a…

A

confluence.

27
Q

what are the main input into the drainage basin?

A

precipitation

28
Q

what are the main stores to the drainage basin?

A

interception, groundwater, surface storage, soil moisture.

29
Q

what are the main flows to the drainage basin?

A

percolation, groundwater flow, throughflow, infiltration, surface runoff.

30
Q

What are the factors affecting the drainage basin outputs, once water is in the system?

A

ET, Potential ET, Evaporation, transpiration.

31
Q

How does evapotranspiration affect the drainage basin?

A

It is the most influential water loss into the atmosphere. It accounts for 75% water loss in humid environments, and 100% loss in arid environments.

32
Q

How does evaporation affect the drainage basin?

A

can increase when there is high temperatures, wind speeds, and low humidity.

33
Q

How does transpiration affect the drainage basin?

A

Water is lost through the stomata in leaves. Rate is affected by type of vegetation and time of year.

34
Q

how does potential ET affect the drainage basin?

A

It is the maximum ET possible in an area. The difference between arid and humid areas is incredibly large compared to actual ET levels.

35
Q

What are the nine different human impacts affecting the drainage basin?

A

Cloud seeding,
deforestation,
aforestation,
mega dams,
grassland conversion,
farming strategies,
irrigation,
channelisation of rivers,
manufacturing activity.

36
Q

What is cloud seeding?

A

It is where planes deposit ammonium nitrate in order to stimulate precipitation. It impacts precipitation. This is occuring in Idaho.

37
Q

What is deforestation?

A

The act of removing trees where forest was previously established. It affects infiltration, runoff, lag-time, and decreases surface storage. this has been seen in the DRC.

38
Q

What is aforestation?

A

It is establishing new forest where none has previously been. It has negative impacts for soil infiltration and compaction for the first 30 years, then has positive impacts on interception and transpiration. This has been seen by the River Severn in Wales.

39
Q

What are mega dams?

A

Large structures over 15 ft which prevent water from flowing downstream. This increases evaporation. This has been observed in the Aswan dam in Egypt.

40
Q

What is converting grassland?

A

This is the act of changing a landscape in order to have grazing animals on grassland. This has a negative impact on soil compaction, and therefore infiltration, and groundwater levels. This has been seen in the Amazon rainforest.

41
Q

What is the channelisation of rivers?

A

It is the changing of their direction for irrigation, transport, or for the ease of erosion. It has a negative impact on wildlife, and their habitat. It also cuts down surface water storage. This has been seen in the USA, in the Piedmont Region.

42
Q

What is irrigation?

A

It is the redirectio of water in order to water crops and plants. This is negatively affecting surface water levels and groundwater levels, and can be seen to cause famine in areas such as the Aral Sea in the 1960’s.

43
Q

What are farming practises affecting the drainage basin?

A

Allowing cattle to graze tramples soil and causes damage to infiltration, and therefore increases surface runoff.

44
Q

Whatb are the five physical factors which affect the drainage basin?

A

climate
relief
vegetation type
geology
soil type

45
Q

what impact does the climate have on the GHC?

A

It controls precipitation, and evaporation. also impacts vegetation type.

46
Q

What impact does relief have on the GHC?

A

the height and shape of land determines where precipitation will occur. It also impacts the rate of runoff surface, and groundwater flow.

47
Q

What impact does vegetation type have on the GHC?

A

The type of vegetation impacts transpiration rates, infiltration rates, interception, and overland flow.

48
Q

what inpact does geology have on the GHC?

A

The porosity of rock determines groundwater levels through percolation and overland flow. It also indirectly impacts soil formation and characteristics.

49
Q

What impact does soil type have on the GHC?

A

determine throughflow and infiltration, and vegetation if it is present.

50
Q

What are the six factors which affect infiltration?

A

duration of rainfall
droplet size
soil porosity
antecedent soil moisture
vegetation cover
slope angle

51
Q

Why does the equator have a positive water budget?

A

It is at the ITCZ, wich means that as vapour rises, it condenses and can then precipitate again, in the form of dramatic thunderstorms.

52
Q

a river regime

A

the annual discharge of a river, measured from a certain point or a gauging station. it is usually measured in Cumecs.

53
Q

What are the five different factors which impacts river regimes?

A

deforestation
relief
urbanisation
climate
geology

54
Q

What occurred during the 2004 London thames leak?

A

10,000 fish died due to exposure to raw sewage.

55
Q

How does urbanisation affect the flooding risk accompanied by weather?

A

It means any precipitation that occurs has less infiltration occuring due to the low infiltration capacity of impermeable concrete.

56
Q

How does building activity affect the drainage basin?

A

more impermeable surfaces

57
Q

How do drains and sewers affect the drainage basin?

A

The decrease the amount of time between precipitation and collection back into the catchment.

58
Q

How does channelisation of rivers affect the drainge basin?

A

concrete structures affect the lag time between the input into the catchment and the drainage of water into rivers.

59
Q

how do bridges affect the discharge of the river?

A

They act as dams in the local runoff, therefore inhibiting discharge.

60
Q

What are the characteristics of flashy river hydrographs?

A

Formed by:
- circular basins
- high relief
- high drainage density
- antecedent rainfall

61
Q

what are the characteristics of a subdued storm hydrograph?

A

Formed by:
- Elongated basins
- low relief
- low drainage density
- dry land beforehand

Geography - The Water Cycle (Year 2) (7 decks)

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