eq2 simple defini

Question 1

define drought

Answer 1

a prolonged period of time where rainfall hasnt been present.

Question 2

what are the 4 types of drought

Answer 2

agricultural
meterological
hydrological
socio-economic

Question 3

what is a hydrological drought

Answer 3

occurs when there is deficiencies in surface and subsurface water supplies.

Question 4

what is meteorological drought

Answer 4

when long term precipitation is lower than normal

Question 5

what is a argicultural drought

Answer 5

when there is not enough soil moisture to allow enough crops to grow

Question 6

what is socio economic drought

Answer 6

the water demands fro social and economic purposes exceed water avaiblity

Question 7

what are the 2 phases of ENSO

Answer 7

El nino
la nina

Question 8

what is ENSO

Answer 8

EL NINO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION

Lareg scale climate pattern including el nino and la nina

Question 9

what is el nino

Answer 9

naturally occuring large mass of very warm water in equatorial pacific ocean

trade winds weaken thus warm water moves to the middle of the sea, this causes high amounts of rainfall in the sea and sinking air to the East of Australia which will then receive dry conditions and drought

Question 10

what is la nina

Answer 10

-when normal conditions are strenthened.

Here, trade winds are stronger which pushes warm water closer to Australia, here the increased heat causes air to rise which forms clouds and rainfall in Australia, sinking air occurs in South America causing drought/ dry conditions

Question 11

what 5 factors icrease droughts- human

Answer 11

. abstraction
.changing land use
.deforestation
overgrazing

Question 12

how does deforestation n lead to droughts

Answer 12

reduces vegetation cover- reduces evaportaranspiration rates- reduces atmospheric moisture and precipation

Question 13

what is the itcz

Answer 13

is a band of low pressure around the Earth which generally lies near to the equator, it can move

Question 14

what are the 3 physical causes of drought

Answer 14

The Intertropical Convergence Zone
Mid Latitude Anticyclone Blocking
El Niño Southern Oscillation Cycles (ENSO)

Question 15

what are mid latitude anticyclone blocking and how do they cause drought

Answer 15

its a high pressure system so doesnt bring rain, prevents movement from itcz

Question 16

what is a wetland

Answer 16

a land area saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps and fens

Question 17

give an example of a large and small wetland

Answer 17

Small-minsmere suffock
Large-Florida

Question 18

what did the environment agency find about drought on wetland ecosystems

water and soil

Answer 18

reduction in water- areas of water dry up- resulting in progressive loss of habitat.

soil dry ups meaning soil ersion occurs and reduces ability to store water in times of flood.

organic soils may oxidise- releases carbon in atmosphere.

Question 19

how do droughts negativelty affect the wet land ecosystem

Answer 19

can alter communities by elimintaion some species and creating gaps in the food chain

Question 20

how does forest die-off cause drought?

Answer 20

deforestation=> less vegetation and thus less transpiration back into the atmosphere=> less humidity and recycling of water

Question 21

what six factors are forest ecosystems highly valued for

Answer 21

.water storgae
.regulation of hydrological processes
.timber production
.wildlife habitat
.carbon sequestration
.recreational opportunities

Question 22

what have researchers revealed about forests

Answer 22

average of two to four years to recover and resume normal growth rates- following a period of drought.

Question 23

what has long term forest loss cuased due to droughts (3)

Answer 23

foliage loss
impairing growth
increased accumulation of pests

Question 24

give an example of a forest ecosystem affected by severe drought

Answer 24

Pinion pines in the four corners region of the south west USA

Question 25

What did drought do to the Pinion pines

Answer 25

in some areas more than 90% of the pinions died resulting in major ecosystem changes

Question 26

what did the Global Footprint Network measure how much forests sequester per year

Answer 26

the GFN calculated that forests store an average of 0.73 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year, which is important for climate change

Question 27

what is a flashflood

Answer 27

floods that occur very quickly without warning- may be caused by intense heavy rainfall.

Question 28

name a place where flashfloods where evident and list the economic and social factors

Answer 28

saradinia atleast 18 deaths 1.4b in damage

Question 29

what are the meterlogical causes of flooding

Answer 29

monsoon and flash flood

Question 30

what is a monsoon

Answer 30

a seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing windsof a region, causing wet and dry seasons in many sub tropical areas

Question 31

where do monsoons occur and when is it peak

Answer 31

india and south east asia- peak in april and septemeber

Question 32

what can human impacts of flooding being linked to (3)

Answer 32

population increase urbanization deforestation

Question 33

how do urban drainage systems contribute to flooding

Answer 33

reduces the natural capacity of the floodplain causing land to shrink as it dries out, getting lower and thus an even greater susceptibility to flooding

Question 34

how does the population increase the risk of flooding

Answer 34

population pressure causes vegetation removal for agricultural development and living spaces- these land changes increase run off

Question 35

how does the deforestation increase the risk of flooding

Answer 35

reduces interception and evapotranspiration- increasing surface runoff. ensures precipitation reaches river channels faster-flashy hydrogrphs

Question 36

how does deforestation affect the soil

Answer 36

expose to greater erosion, increasing river sediment load-reduces the capacity of river to carry water- increases flooding

Question 37

how does the urbanization increase the risk of flooding

Answer 37

the expansion of impermeable surfaces (roads)increases surface runoff.

Question 38

what does the IPCC predict about climate change and the hydrological cycle

Answer 38

predicts considerable changes to the global hydrological cycle as a result of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations

Question 39

list some potential impacts of climate change on the UK water cycle by 2050

Answer 39

rainfall events will be much more intense (heavy downpour) -more flooding expected -Coldwater species will decline, this increases invasive species -Estuaries at increasing risks from floods -sea level will rise between 0.4m and 1m by 2100 -urban areas will see more flash flooding -higher demand for water

Question 40

give an overview on how climate change will affect the global hydrological cycle

Answer 40

warmer temperatures will increase the atmospheres ability to hold water vapour, thus rain will be more intense change in storm patterns as temperature rises, decrease in snow,permaforst warmer temperatures will cause earlier snow melt, this means less water available for human use more flooding increased incidence of drought

Question 41

what is the IPCC

Answer 41

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the international body for assessing the science related to climate change

Question 42

what are 3 reasons why predicting the impact of climate change is difficult

Answer 42

-climate dynamics- the way the atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial, cryosphere and biospheres interact is only partially understood - the complexity of teh global climate system means its difficult to distinguish between the impacts of oscillation such as ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) and climate warming -Global records are very incomplete- there is no reliable evidence on trends on climate change in many parts of the world making firm predictions hard -variables and uncertainty

Question 43

what does the IPCC consistently predict about climate change and the water cycle

Answer 43

-precipitation will become more variable -increased risk of droughts and flooding -IPCC represent serious concerns over the security of water supplies in the future