geog water

Question 1

why is the earth a closed hydrological system

Answer 1

because negligible amounts of water can enter or leave the atmosphere and the water is recyled.

Question 2

what is infiltration

Answer 2

the transition of water going from above ground into the soil

Question 3

what is percolation

Answer 3

the downwards movement of water through soils and into rocks due to gravity

Question 4

what is evapotranspiration

Answer 4

the combination of water evaporating from surfaces of vegetation and through the transipration of plants

Question 5

what is throughfall

Answer 5

precipitation falling through vegetation and straight onto the ground

Question 6

what is stemflow

Answer 6

precipitation falling through vegetation and travelling down branches/stems to the ground

Question 7

what is interception

Answer 7

precipitation being caught by vegetation before hitting the ground

Question 8

what are the stores of water

Answer 8

clouds, oceans, lakes, curface storage, channel flow

Question 9

what are the flows of water

Answer 9

throughfall, stem flow, interception, percolation, infiltraton, evapotranspiration

Question 10

what 2 things power the global hydrological cycle

Answer 10

solar energy and gravity

Question 11

what is the cryosphere

Answer 11

all the frozen parts of the earth, that includes ice caps, glacies, permafrost e.c.t this helps to maintain the earths climate

Question 12

what is residency times

Answer 12

the average amount of time a water molecule will stay in a store

Question 13

name the non-renewable water supplies

Answer 13

cryosphere, fossil aquifers

Question 14

what factors impact a drainage basin

Answer 14

climate, soils, geology, human, vegetation, topography

Question 15

what is orographic rainfall

Answer 15

precipitation that occurs when a cloud is forced over a geographical feature causing the clouds to cool and condense into rain

Question 16

what is frontal rainfall

Answer 16

when warmer air masses raise above denser, cooler air masses and the warmer air cools down and condenses into water vapour that creates rain

Question 17

whats convectional rainfall

Answer 17

the sun heating the ground which causes the air above to rise and cool, which creates clouds and rain

Question 18

what is a complex river regime

Answer 18

can have multiple high and low flow seasons and various different climates

Question 19

what is a simple river regime

Answer 19

only has one high and low flow season and a reliable climate

Question 20

what is a flashy hydrograph

Answer 20

high peak discharge
long lag time
steep rising limb

Question 21

what is a flat hydrograph

Answer 21

low peak discharge
short lag time
gentle rising limb

Question 22

what factors affect a flood hydrography

Answer 22

vegetation, humans, drainage basin, geology, intensity of rainfall event, topography

Question 23

what is a blocking high pressure system

Answer 23

when a high pressure system remains stationary/moves very slowly and doesn’t produce any precipitation. this is associated with hot weather and little cloud coverage.

Question 24

where is the ITCZ located

Answer 24

it is a band across the equator that forms due to the Haddely cell. the low pressure systems cause air to rise and then cool and condense into clouds and precipitation.

Question 25

what is the ENSO cycle

Answer 25

el nino = a climate pattern that happens every 2-7 years thats caused due to the warming of the central eastern pacific ocean
la nina = a climate pattern thats part of the el nino cycle and leads to the cooling of the central and eastern pacific ocean

Question 26

what is the indian ocean dipole

Answer 26

a climate phenomenon that describes the difference in sea-surface temperaturs in the western and eastern indian ocean.
+ = warmer in west and cooler in east
neutral = average temperatures across the ocean
- = cooler temps in the weat and warmer in the east

Question 27

how will climate change impact the water cycle

Answer 27

increased evapotranspiration means more water cirulating in the atmosphere
increased frequency of ENSO cycle
precipitation events vary more
winter looding 4.5X more likely in 2100 and summer droughts are 3X more likely in 2100
higher water vapour means more precipitation events
warmer temps lead to dryer land

Question 28

what is water stress

Answer 28

renewable water sources are between 1000-1700m3 per capita
serious restricitions on water use, competetion for water, conflict, harvest failure

Question 29

what is water scarcity

Answer 29

renewable water sources are between 500-1000m3 per capita
tensions, conflict, over-abstraction, insufficient flows

Question 30

what is absolute water scarcity

Answer 30

renewable water sources are below 500m3 per capita
widespread resitrictions and rationings of water

Question 31

what are renewable water sources

Answer 31

long-term annual total of internal and external water sources
internal sources are discharge of rivers and recharge of aquifers that’s generated by precipitation
external sources are generated outside a country and include inflows from upstream countries.

Question 32

human causes of water stress

Answer 32

population growth
industrialisation and urbanisation
changes in living standards and food consumption
political conflicts
over-abstraction
the price of water

Question 33

physical causes of water stress

Answer 33

causes of droughts
changes in precipitation patterns
ENSO cycles
warmer weather increases growth of bacteria