Fresh Water syllabus Flashcards
State all the outputs of the hydrological cycle?
Evaporation, Transportation, River runoff
What are the inputs of the hydrological cycle?
Precipitation
Tell me all the transfers of the hydrological cycle
Stem flow/through fall, infiltration, percolation, through-flow, surface runoff, groundwater flow
What are transfers
The transfer of water between stores
All the stores of the hydrological cycle
interception, surface storage, soil water, groundwater, channel storage
What are drainage basins divided by
watersheds
What is a closed drainage basin?
Rather than flowing into an ocean, the water flows into an inland depression such as a lake. Surface water is not lost via river etc, it’s lost via percolation(into groundwater)
Describe what exactly inputs are
the conversion and transfer of moisture in the atmosphere to the land
What a=characteristics of precipitation which affect hydrology?
Amount
Intensity
Type
Distribution
What is evaporation
Solid to liquid or liquid to gas
What is evapotranspiration
The process of water escaping plants and entering the atmosphere
What is potential evapotranspiration
The potential amount of water loss if vegetation would have an endless supply of water
What is transpiration
the exhalation of water through the plants stomata
What affects transpiration?
Temperature, humidity, water available, colour of surface
What is infiltration ?
Water soaking into the soil
What affects infiltration?
Soil capacity, vegetation
What is overland flow and when does it occur?
When precipitation exceeds soil capacity, when soil isn’t very permeable
What is through-flow and through which streams does it flow?
It flows through the soil through percolates and natural pipes
What is wilting point
The amount of water which results in the permanent wilting of plants
What are aquifers
Simply rocks that contain a significant amount of water
How does water enter aquifers ?
The rocks in the top are permeable. Percolation occurs
What acts as a natural regulator to the hydrological cycle?
Aquifers because the water moves out and within very slowly. They save water for long dry periods.
What is the cryosphere?
The snow and ice environment. Stores over half of the earths water and usually occurs in high altitudes
What is river discharge
The amount of water passing a given point of a river over a set time. CSAx mean velocity