facts Flashcards
1
Q
what is the definition of a closed system
A
a system which transfers energy but not matter across its boundary to the surrounding environment
2
Q
define an open system
A
a system which transfers energy and matter across its boundary to the surrounding environment
3
Q
what effect does the size of water stores have on the hydrological cycle
A
the larger the store the greater the potential of evaporation to occur thus a greater chance of convectional rainfall
4
Q
what factors effect the fluxes in the water cycle
A
ground water saturation, evaporation rates (temperature), interception
5
Q
give 3 human factors which effect the water budget
A
deforestation
abstraction
contamination
6
Q
what is fossil water and where is it stored usually
A
a fixed amount of water which has been contained in an undisturbed place for millennia. Usually stored underground for example in aquifers
7
Q
what are the three types of rainfall
A
frontal
orographic
convectional
8
Q
3 physical factors which effect river discharge
A
vegetation
topography
dam construction
9
Q
3 human factors which effect water security
A
waste contamination
over abstraction
agriculture
10
Q
how does climate change effect a drainage basin
A
greater global temperature= raising sea levels, increased rainfall, decreased salinity at the poles
11
Q
what is meant by residence time
A
the average amount of time in which water is in a given location
12
Q
what is the water budget
A
a balance of inputs and outputs to a water basin
13
Q
what is a river regime
A
a river regime outlines the discharge of a basin
14
Q
why is the water cycle a closed system
A
because there are no external inputs or outputs
15
Q
state 2 natural things which might affect the water budget
A
1-permeability of soil/rock
2-amount of vegetation
16
Q
state 2 reasons why the type of soil may affect river regimes
A
1-the absorption of the soil
2-how fertile the soil is and if it can hold the vegetation
17
Q
state 2 human resources which may affect the water budget
A
1-urbanisation
2-over extraction
18
Q
state a characteristic of a water budget in a tropical environment
A
1-flash flooding
2-high levels of interception
19
Q
what does a storm hydrograph show
A
a way of outlining the discharge of a river or water basin, in response to a rainfall event
20
Q
give 2 reasons why the shape of a storm hydrograph may vary in different areas
A
1-size of the water basin
2-the lag time
21
Q
state one group of people who a storm hydrograph may be useful to
A
a farmer
22
Q
state 2 natural causes of drought
A
1-el Niño effect
2-prelonged periods of no rainfall
23
Q
explain why the el Niño effect can cause drought
A
the el nino affect is a natural phenomena in which causes a change in the climate
24
Q
state 2 human factors which may cause drought
A
1-over extraction
2-dam construction
25
explain how drought may negatively affect 2 groups of people
1-farmers (reduced crop yield)
2- the public
26
explain one reason how drought could affect a biome
drought may kill vegetation in a biome
27
how may drought affect the carbon cycle
cause drying up of biomes which in turn may kill vegetation and emit carbon
28
state a group of people who may benefit from a drought or a prolonged period of warm periods
some types of biodiversity and an ice cream man/woman
29
why may a type of rock/soil increase the affects of drought
because the rock/soil is very permeable
30
what is an agricultural impact of drought
smaller crop yield, animals die
31
what is a hydrological drought
reduced precipitation and high rates of evaporation
32
list 3 meteorological causes of flooding
flash flooding, intense periods of rainfall, extreme monsoon rainfall and snow melt
33
list ways in which humans can impact flooding
urbanization
speeding up drainage
deforestation
dam construction
34
how many flood disasters were recorded between 1990 and 2010 by the EM-DAT?
3000
35
how many people have died and how many have been affected as a resultof flooding between 1990 and 2010
200,000 and 3 billion
36
which countries do 50% of flood damage and 90% of flood deaths occur in
Asia-China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam
37
name a social impact of flooding
Youths and aged population are venerable
Spread of Water-borne diseases
psychological stress among victims
38
name a water-borne disease
Typhoid
Cholera
39
name an economic impact of flooding
crops and livestock damaged
infrastructure loss
loss of jobs in all sectors
40
name three storms in the UK and their dates
Desmond-5th of december
Eva-24th December 2015
Frank-30th december 2015
41
name an environmental impact of flooding
habitats flooded
spread of water borne diseases
eutrophication
42
name changed to the hydrological cycle that may occur
evapotranspiration rates increase
more unpredictable rainfall
perception rates increase
43
will glaciers grow or shrink as a result of climate change
shrink
44
what does ENSO cycle stand for
the El Niño Southern-oscillation
45
how will higher latitudes be affected by climate change
increased air and ocean temperatures
deepening of the active layer and spring melting comes earlier and more intense
46
how are lower latitudes affected by climate change
increased chances of drought
spreading deserts
shorter growing season
47
why is sometimes difficult to distinguish the difference between effects of climate change and ENSO
teleconnections
48
name one other oscillation
North Atlantic oscillation (NAO)
49
in what year did the balkan’s receive the worst flooding in 100 years?
2010
50
name three areas in the uk that were heavily affected by the storms of 2007
Worcester
Upton upon Severn
Abingdon
51
name the fastest retreating glacier in the world?
Jakobshavn Glacier
52
define water security
the ability to access sufficient quantities of clean water to maintain adequate standards of food and goods production,
proper sanitation and sustainable healthcare
53
state a physical cause to water insecurity
salt water encroachment
climate variability
54
state a human cause to water i security
over abstraction
water contamination
55
what is meant by salt water encroachment
salt water encroachment is the movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers, which can lead to contamination of drinking water sources and other consequences
saltwater intrusion occurs naturally to some degree in most coastal aquifers, owing to the hydraulic connection between groundwater and seawater
56
define water stress
water stress occurs when the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period or when poor quality restricts its use
57
why is there a growing mismatch between supply and demand or water?
demand is always increasing and supply remains constant and more unpredictable flue to climate change
58
why are finite water resources under increasing demand?
rising population
rise in the middle class
59
why is there a global pattern of water stress
increasing population
global warming
60
what defines a place being under water stress?
below 1,700m3 per person
61
what is meant by water scarcity
below 1000m3 per person
62
why does the price of water vary globally
some counties water is scarce and therefore prices are high as supply is low and demand is high and vice versa
63
what is a cause of global water scarcity
climate change such as altered weather patterns, deforestation, increased pollution and wasteful use of water
64
why is water important for economic development
water is important for maintaining agriculture/ used in industries/ water used for energy
65
state 1 environmental problem caused by an inadequate water supply
loss of biodiversity
66
state 1 economic problem caused by an inadequate water supply
higher economic growth-water contamination can result in a lower active workforce
67
why do conflicts over water occur between users within a country
areas with a surplus and areas which are scarce argue over water supply
68
state a risk associated with water insecurity
deaths
69
how much water is used every day per person
80-100 gallons
70
which country has the poorest quality of water in the world
Jordan
71
which country has the highest quality of water
Switzerland
72
what factors would a large river basin have
large surface area
large amount of discharge
73
what is a water sharing treaty
rules and regulation to share the river
74
what are the most influential stakeholders in a large river basin
the largest economic force
75
why do rivers need to be sustainable
to meet the future needs of the population
76
how should conflict be reduced over a water source
through water sharing treaties
77
give an example of large scale management
three gorges dam
78
what frameworks are there when considering the economic implications of a river
water sharing treaties
government
79
what large scale management seemed to fail
egypt
80
how do stakeholders benefit from a large river
economically
socially
81
describe the characteristics of a large river
large amounts of discharge, surface area
82
large scale management of a river, named example
three gorges dam
83
who are the economic stakeholders
the people in the surrounding area of china
84
what factors would change the discharge in the basin
amount of rainfall
size of basin
85
what could influence the lag-time in a large basin
urbanisation
speeding up drainage
deforestation
dam construction
86
what ways can reservoirs be used
to store water and help
87
what can impact the amount of discharge in a reservoir
if water has large surface area can increase the amount of evaporation
88
list three pros of hard engineering techno-fixed in china
provides 500 million people with clean water in an area susceptible to drought
diverts 44.8 billion cubic metres of water per year
avoids water shortage and supplies the growing population
89
list three disadvantages of hard engineering techno-fixes in China
330,000 people were relocated due to the expansion of the reservoir, The area where water is taken from is not immune to drought and in 2011 the water levels were too low in the reservoir for water to be transported to the North,
Cost $62 billion to build
90
list three reasons why not all countries can use a techno-fix
requires a lot of money which some countries cant pay as Chad that is part of the Sahel has a GDP of $9.6 billion which is much less than China's water transfer project cost
Some countries are land locked such as Chad and Niger and so cannot use techniques such as desalinisation as there is no ocean
Education and technology may not be available to poorer countries
91
list three reasons why China needed a techno-fix
Beijing and Northern China is home to over 500 million people, more than the entire population of the USA
The north is under the Hadley cell and air sinking which creates a very dry environment
population is growing 0.5% annually
92
list 3 reasons why a techno-fix was the best solution for China
had a lot of money available for an expensive solution with a GDP of 11.2 trillion (second highest in the world)
needed a quick solution
needed to be sustainable as the reservoir is supplied by mountain springs in the south
93
what is the population of China
1.379 billion
94
by how much is the population expected to increase by 2050
400 million
95
what is the average rainfall in north and south china
115cm in North China and 203.2cm in South China
96
how much water does California desalinise
50 million gallons of drinking water per day
97
how much did the 8 desalinisation plants cost
$34.4 million
98
what date did the UK 2007 floods happen
28th July 2007
99
how many deaths were there in the 2007 floods
13
100
how many homes and businesses were flooded
55,357
101
how many insurance claims were there in the 2007 floods
180,000
102
total cost to uk economy for repairs from the 2007 floods
£3.2 billion
103
how much per hectare of land flooded did farmers lose in the 2007 floods
£1,150
104
how much was the cost of damages for infrastructure in the 2007 floods
£660 million
105
how many properties were there without water on the 24th July 2007
140,000
106
2007 was the wettest summer since....
1766
107
how many properties went without power for 48 hours in the 2007 floods
50,000
108
what is the un definition of water scarcity
it is the capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable drinking water for sustainable livelehoods, human wellbeing and socio-economic development
109
what are the main causes of human water insecurity
thermal pollution
over farming
over abstraction
deforestation
over population
110
how much of the worlds population lives in areas that receive less than 25% of global precipitation
66%
111
what % of the worlds river systems are impeded by dams
60%
112
by 2025 how many people will be living in absolute water insecurity
1.8 billion
113
as of 2017 how much water is still left in Lake Mead (Las vegas)
40%
114
how much water does it take to irrigate one acre
27,154 gallons of water will cover one acre, one inch deep
115
how far away is water being sourced to refill the Edwards Aquifer
100 miles away
116
in 2010 how many dams were there worldwide
845,000
117
how many acres a second are deforested in the Amazon rainforest
2 football fields a second
118
how much water did availability decrease between 1950 and 2005
34-76%
119
what is the definition of water insecurity
it occurs when the demand of the population exceeds the availability of water sources
120
what % of Earth's fresh water is fit for human consumption
3%
121
how many people experience the problem of water shortages
2.7 billion
122
how many people lack access to safe water
1 in 9
123
what is salt water encroachment
the movement of saline water into fresh water aquifers
124
what does the population growth rate vary between?
2.2 and 3.8%
125
what are the 6 main physical causes for water insecurity
population growth
food production
climate change and vulnerability
land use
water quality
water demand
126
how much of an increase of agricultural water consumption will we see by 2050?
19%
127
how many gallons per day does the average American use compared to how much is needed to sustain a human
158 gallons- 12 gallons
128
what is the average precipitation rate in tropical climates
no less than 1,680mm and can exceed 10m
129
how many tributaries does the Amazon rainforest have
17
130
how much freshwater is expelled from the Amazon River into the atlantic ocean every second
around 7,381,000 cubic metres
131
is the soil in tropical rainforests high or low in nutrients
low
132
how many sqaure kilometres on either side of the equator did tropical rainforests occupy and how many do they now
was 24 million
now 10 million
133
how many degrees latitude are tropical climates normally found at
10 north and south of the equator
134
what is the mean monthly temperature in tropical climates
18 degrees c minimum
135
what % of the forest floor receives sunlight
2%
136
what is the average evapotranspiration rate in tropical climates
<0.25
137
over a year, how much does the average temperature vary by
2 degrees
138
what is the length and source of the river Nile
4,345 miles long and its source is in Rio Mantaro located in Huancayo Peru
139
where is there the least and most discharge in the Amazon
in hot months of September to November there is least precipitation and discharge and in cooler months of January to June precipitation peaks with the highest discharge
140
role of geology on the Amazon river
its made from sedimentary layers of soft clay and sand deposits
few rocks survive journey from Andes and the soil is thin and lack of nutrients due to erosion
141
what are the inputs and outputs of the Amazons river
precipitation of up to 300mm in a year and the outputs are river discharge at 209,000 m3/s
142
what is the climate in Yukon river basin
in Peru at source its warm and humid all year with average temperatures of 31 degrees, as you move down stream climate is similar but temperature decreases to 17 degrees.
Near the mouth in Brazil it's a tropical climate with no defined seasons
143
where is the Yukon river basin and how big is it
its located between the Yukon territory in Canada and Alaska over 330,000m2 and 1980 miles in length
144
geology of the yukon river basin
its got many types of rocks including igneous and metamorphic
there is also needle leaf forecast, ice shrub lands with permafrost dominating the Yukon river basin
145
what is the hydrology of the Yukon river basin
drains from east to the west and the river basin is usually frozen for 8 months out of the year
146
climate in the yukon river basin
it varies but precipitation annually is 19 inches a year, with average temperature at 30 degrees in summer and -40 degrees in winter
147
how many people live within the nile basin
over 300 million
148
what % of water is abstracted for egypt
95%
149
how long is the nile
6,700km long
150
in what year was the nile agreement
1929
151
for water conflicts to develop what figure does it have to be below
1,400 cubic meters per person
152
with the water allocation agreement what countries did it favour
Egypt and Sudan
153
the Nile is sourced by how many countries
11
154
what are the names of all the Nile states
Tanzania
Uganda
Revanda
Burundi
Congo-Kinshasa
Kenya
Ethiopia
Eritrea
South Sudan
Sudan and Egypt
155
what are the two main tributries
White nile
blue nile
156
approximately what % of the worlds population live within a drainage basin
40%
157
when did decline in precipitation in Australia first set in
1970
158
by what % will average rainfall decline by over south west australia later this century
40%
159
how much km3 of water is stored in the great artesian basin
650 km3
160
by what % has groundwater extraction increased between the early 1980's and the early 2000's in australia
100%
161
how long did the drought last for in australia
over a decade from late 1990's to 2010
162
how long has the sahel been suffering from drought
since 1980
163
what human activities contribute to drought
overgrazing
over cultivation
the collection of firewood
164
how many children under 5 in the Sahel are at risk of acute malnutrition due to drought
1 million
165
how much was grain production down by in the Sahel
36% down on the previous year and 20% lower than the average for the past 5 years
166
how long are growing seasons in the sahell
1-2 months per year
167
how many aquifers does singapore have
0
168
the demand of water in singapore is expected to ............ in the next 50 years
double
169
how much water can be lost from a typical kitchen leak
10,000 litres
170
households participating in the water conservation awareness programme save up to what % of water each month
5%
171
PUB () encourages businesses in Singapore to cut down on water usage by what %
10%
172
why are water prices high in singapore
to try and reduce water consumption
173
how are leaks minimised in singapore
replacing ageing pipes
174
what has singapores water consumption dropped to since 2003
from 165 litres per day to 151 litres per day
175
what does singapore aim to reduce its water consumption to
147 litres by 2020 and 140 litres by 2030
176
what do some hotels in signapore do to reduce water consumption
encourage guests to re-use linen and towels to save laundry water
177
state 3 ways humans can disrupt the drainage basin cycle
deforestation
changing land use
creating new water storage reservoirs or by over abstracting water
178
where is amazonia
amazonia is the amazon rainforest located in south america
179
how many sqaure km does the amazon basin cover
7,000,000 km sqaured
180
what % of the amazon rainforest is in brazil
60%
181
what is the annual rate of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest
27,423km2 deforested a year (current of 2004)
182
in august 2017 what did brazilian president Michel Temer implement to promote conservation in the Amazon
established an Amazonian nature reserve the size of Denmark
183
between 2000 and 2006 how much forest did Brazil loose
150,000 km2 of Amazon rainforest deforested
184
name a manmade dam in brazil
Lake Balbina is a manmade reservoir in Brazil created to supply HEP to the city of Manaus in Brazil
185
how much does cattle farming make up the reason for deforestation in the amazon rainforest
cattle farming makes up for 60% of deforestation in the Amazon
186
what does the amazon river measure from mouth to source
6275km long from source to mouth
187
how many states does the river colorado flow through
7
188
how long is the river colorado
1450 miles long
189
how many people does the colorado supply water for
25 million
190
how much farm land does the colorado supply
3.5 million acres
191
how many national parks are along the river colorado
11
192
what is the famous dam along the river colorado
Hoover Dam built in 1935
193
what does colorado river mean
translates to red river die to the red silt within the river
