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Y2 Climate Change Science > Freshwater Systems > Flashcards

Freshwater Systems Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the 4 states of water in the hydrological cycle?

A
  • Ice/snow
  • Precipitation
  • Condensation
  • Water vapor
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2
Q

What is the 4 ways water is transported in the hydrological cycle?

A
  • Evaporation
  • Runoff
  • Infiltration
  • Transpiration
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3
Q

What is a way to visualise how water flow in a drainage basin, (particularly river runoff) is impacted by meteorlogical and physical characteristics is

A

plotting a hydrograph

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4
Q

What does the bars and the line represent in a hydrograph?

A
  • a bar chart showing rainfall (usually from a storm)
  • A line graph showing discharge before, during and after the rainstorm
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5
Q

What is meant by:
Peak rainfall, base flow, and rising limb

A

Peak rainfall - maximum amount of rainfall
Base flow - the ‘normal’ discharge of the river
Rising limb - the increase in discharge on a hydrograph

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6
Q

What is meant by:
Peak discharge, lag time and falling limb

A

Peak discharge - when the river reaches its maximum flow
Lag time - the time taken for the water to find its way to the river (difference between peak rainfall and peak discharge)
Falling limb - the return of discharge to normal/base flow on a hydrograph

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7
Q

How is Precipitation (P) and Evaporation (E) affected by altitude

A

Precipitation - increases with altitude
Evaporation decreases with altitude

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8
Q

discharge (Q) is determined by

A

Q = P-E
Hence altitude will determine an areas hydrology (3-4x more runoff in the alps compared t lower lying areas of europe

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9
Q

Mountainous areas are also important because they provide water over the longer term through…

A

glacial melt water

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10
Q

Freshwater ecosystems are particularly sensitive to warming because

A

Water quality and quantity are influenced by atmospheric temperature
e.g. air temp determines the chemical reactions due to volumes of dissolved O₂

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11
Q

Why will climate change impact where water is carried and stored?

A

Chanes in water storage/regimes are impacted by temperature:
precipitation, snow melt, runoff soil moisure discharge

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12
Q

How does temperature affect atmospheric moisture?

A

Water holding capacity of the atmosphere - for every 1°C warmer the air is, there is a 7% increase in atmospheric water holding capacity

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13
Q

If atmospheric mositure and warming a positively correlated, why does global precipitation instead increase due to warming?

A

Evaporation increases exponentially with temperature
(increased evaporation from oceans in particular)

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14
Q

apart from anthropogenic global warming, how else are freshwater systems impacted on by humans

A

modification
(over recent decades freshwater biodiversity loss has exceeded both terrestrial and marine species)
Which can affect the adaptive capacity of species

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15
Q

What is the suggested global trend in precipitation due to climate change?

A

Climate models predict a strengthening of existing precipitation patterns with wetter areas getting wetter and drier areas becoming more arid
With the wetter areas being: high latitudes and some tropical regions
And the drier areas being: western north America, middle east and northern China

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16
Q

What is happening to the total number of wet days globally due to climate change

A

Increasing numbers of wet days
Fuelled by europe and N.America
(more extremes)

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17
Q

How does precipitation affect runoff

A

increased surface runoff

18
Q

How is stream flow being affected by climate change?

A
  • Increasing stream flow in the arctic
  • Earlier spring peak flows
  • Increased winter base flow (N.Hemisphere, snow fed river basins)
19
Q

How are Lakes being affected by climate change?

A
  • Warming of lakes
  • Increased/decreased lake levels
  • Reduction in ice cover
  • Changes in net water availability (precipitation-evaporation)
20
Q

Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover has decreased since 1974
How does this affect rivers?

A

Less snow cover as a result, will mean less discharge into the river
Also affect seasonality in terms of, ealier spring peak flow, increased winter base flow and decreased summer flows

21
Q

How does glacial retreat affect surface runoff and rivers?

A

Glacial retreat increases summer flows (runoff) initially but decreases in the longer term (limiting water storage)
Similarly increases seasonality in the flow of river too, with higher peak flows and lower base flows

22
Q

Increasing precipitation intensity and increasing westerly weather patterns during winter over europe leads too…

A

…very rainy low pressure systems that trigger floods
But causes drought in the summer due to ealier snow melt

23
Q

What are the 4 main global trends associated with water which we will see with climate change?

A
  • Increased rainfall
  • Increased evapotranspiration
  • Increased runoff
  • Reduced soil moisure
24
Q

What was the Australian Millennium drought (2000-2009)

A

Between 2000-2009 Australia experienced an intense drought that contributed to a decline in the economy from failing agriculture by 0.5%

25
Q

What happen in California between 2020-2021

A

Summer of 2020 was the driest on record with monsoon rains absent for two years in a row
This led to a 50% reduction in river flow and lake volumes, compounded by wildfires

26
Q

What happened in South Africa between 2018-2021

A

Depletion of water resources after 3yrs of little rainfall
This forced residents to restrict their water consumption to 50L a day

27
Q

How many people live with water scarsity
What are the knock on impact of it on society?

A

4 billion live with severe water scarcity (half the planet)
Food insecurity due to agriculture using depleting and non-renewable groundwater and loss of land from changing land use

28
Q

What has happened to lakes/estuaries and wetland due to drought?

A
  • 70% of lakes/estuaries are eutrophic
  • Wetland are lost 3 times faster than forest - wetland provides essential buffers in some high-risk water areas
  • Saline lakes are disappearing
29
Q

How has groundwater, rivers and oceans been affected by climate change and drought?

A
  • Groundwater depletion and pollution
  • Loss of natural river/stream flow
  • Altered ocean circulation
30
Q

Why does saline intrusion of freshwater resources occur?

A

As a result of the combined effects of sea level rise and storm surge, and a result of increased rates of groundwater withdrawl

31
Q

What are the four main applications for water resources?

A
  • Irrigation
  • Livestock
  • Industry
  • Domestic
32
Q

In what ways have humans put pressure on freshwater systems

A
  • Land use, water use and water resource management
  • Water pollution, damming of riversm wetland drainage, reduction in stream flow and lowering of the water table (irrigation)
  • Climate change
33
Q

What process accounts for 90% of global water consumption and severely impacts freshwater availability for humans and ecosystems?

A

Irrigation
(due to population/economic growth)

34
Q

What from where is expected to supplant other sources for irrigation due to climate change

A

Irrigation from groundwater is expected to increase due to increased variability of surface water supply due to climate change

35
Q

Why did the Aral Sea shrink

A

Rivers which fed the sea were diverted for irrigation

36
Q

How is climate change expected to affect groundwater recharge?

A
  • Shift from spring to winter recharge (linked to surface flows)
  • Thawing permafrost - changes in levels and quality
  • Increased intensity and frequency of floods may increased recharge
37
Q

What hydrological processes do anthropogenic activities affect?

A
  • Surface runoff
  • Direct effluent discharge
  • Infiltration
  • Overland flow
38
Q

How do anthropogenic activities affect transport and volume?

A
  • Sewage sludge application
  • Soil erosion
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Sediment retention
  • Groundwater permeability
  • Storm events
39
Q

How do anthropogenic activities affect water quality?

A
  • Through general organics: BOD, DO
  • Nutrients: N + P
  • Inorganics: pH, ions
  • Metals: Pb, Cd, Cr, Mg
  • Organics: pesticides, pharmaceuticals
  • Physio-chemical: temp, colour, odor, suspended solids
40
Q

What are some overall impacts anthropogenic activities have on river systems?

A
  • Eutrophication
  • Toxicity
  • Reduction in biodiversity
  • Adverse human health
41
Q

Warming is expected to lead to partially more runoff
What does this lead to

A

Greater aquatic loads of
- Salts - urban areas
- Faecal coliforms
- pathogens
- heavy metals
- organic matter - drinking water
- suspended soils - due to erosion

42
Q

What are the two main concerns associated with algal blooms

A
  • Biotoxins can be producted under excessive nutrient loading conditions
  • Death of algae draws oxygen from the water using up the waters remaining oxygen

Y2 Climate Change Science (8 decks)

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