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Physical Geography (Paper 1) > geography so far > Flashcards

geography so far Flashcards

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1
Q

How does the world work?

A

It is complex but geographers simplify it with models such as the demographic transition model and the global atmospheric circulation model.

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2
Q

What is a system?

A

A system is a set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process.

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3
Q

What is the universal systems model?

A

Input —– process—->output
I I
I I
I ——— feedback -

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4
Q

What is an input?

A

Material or energy moving into the system from outside.

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5
Q

What is an output?

A

Material or energy moving out of the system to the outside.

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6
Q

What is energy?

A

Power or driving force.

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7
Q

What are stores/components?

A

The individual elements or parts of a system.

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8
Q

What are flows/transfer?

A

The links or relationships between the components.

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9
Q

What is positive feedback?

A

Where the effects of an action are amplified or multiplied by subsequent knock on or secondary effects.

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10
Q

What is negative feedback?

A

Where the effects of an action are nullified by its subsequent knock on effects.

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11
Q

What is an open system?

A

A system that has both inputs and outputs of energy or other material, and which involves a flow or exchange of material = glaciers.

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12
Q

What is a closed system?

A

A system that has no inputs or outputs, but which cycles energy or resources around a closed loop = water system.

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13
Q

What is dynamic equilibrium?

A

This represents a state of balance within a constantly changing system. = can be messed up by humans.

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14
Q

What are Earth’s 4 major subsystems?

A

atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere

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15
Q

What is the atmosphere?

A

The atmosphere is the gases which surround the earth.

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16
Q

What is the hydrosphere?

A

The hydrosphere is water in all it’s forms e.g. vapour and ice.

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17
Q

What is the geosphere?

A

The geosphere is the sand, sediments e.g. land and the very outer layer is called the pedisphere.

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18
Q

What is the biosphere?

A

The biosphere is all of earth’s living things, e.g. humans and it is found in all of the spheres.

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19
Q

What is the lithosphere?

A

The lithosphere is the crust and upper mantle and the tectonic plates.

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20
Q

Where does the earth’s energy come from?

A

Earth’s energy comes from either the sun or the centre of the Earth.

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21
Q

Where does carbon circulate?

A

Carbon circulates throughout all of the spheres.

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22
Q

What is an isolated system?

A

Isolated systems have no interactions with anything outside the system boundary. There is no input or output of energy or matter (neither matter nor energy can enter or leave) but these aren’t found in nature.

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23
Q

What is an example of an explanation of a negative feedback loop in the carbon cycle?

A

It is clear that this is a negative feedback loop as the input of the increased use of fossil fuels is counteracted and nullified by the global temperature increase leading to more plant growth and lastly the reduction in the ouput of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and the ‘dampening’ effect reducing global temperatures.

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24
Q

What is an example of an explanation of a positive feedback loop in the carbon cycle?

A

It is evident that this is a positive feedback loop as the effect of the global temperature rise is amplified when more carbon dioxide acts as a greenhouse gas due to the change in the output and inputs e.g. the warm water is less able to dissolve gas, and the global temperature rise warming the oceans.

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25
Q

What is the ice albedo positive feedback loop?

A

A positive feedback loop is a series of events that enhance or amplify changes in climate. An example of this in the context of global warming is the ice albedo feedback loop. Ice is a highly reflective surface (reflects approx. 50% of solar radiation) and is important in regulating temperature on Earth. Rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere causing global warming by enhancing the greenhouse effect mean that ice melts, and this leads to a decreased area of ice to reflect solar radiation back into space. A lower albedo means that more solar radiation is absorbed by the earth’s surface, warming the surface and increasing ice melt. This leads again to decreased ice area and lower albedo. This leads to a positive feedback where ice continues to melt and the earth continues to warm.

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26
Q

What is the change in state from a solid to a gas?

A

Sublimation

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27
Q

What is the change in state from gas to solid?

A

Deposition

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28
Q

what is the change in state from ice to water?

A

Melting

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29
Q

What is the change in state from water to vapour?

A

Evaporation

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30
Q

What is the change in state from vapour to water?

A

Condensation

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31
Q

What is the change in state from water to ice?

A

Freezing

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32
Q

What are clouds?

A

Clouds are condensed water vapour

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33
Q

What are specs of dust in clouds called?

A

condensation nuclei or hydroscopic nuclei

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34
Q

What is the dew point?

A

Where condensation happens

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35
Q

What do clouds clean in the atmosphere?

A

Clean the atmosphere of tiny specks of dust.

36
Q

Where does condensation take place in the clouds?

A

Tiny specks of dust in the atmosphere is where condensation takes place as it has to be a solid.

37
Q

What is relief rainfall?

A

Relief rainfall is where hills and mountains act as barrier & force warm air to rise & the air cools to form clouds.

38
Q

What is convectional rainfall?

A

Convectional driven by heat e.g. in the rainforest and there is lots of evaporation of water quickly to form cumulonimbus clouds which form rainstorms.

39
Q

What is frontal rainfall?

A

Frontal rainfall is where warm and cold air meet, the lighter warm air rises above the denser cold air and it cools to form clouds of rainfall.

40
Q

What is the oceanic water store?

A

The oceanic or saline water store is the biggest store of water, they dominate the amount of water available with 97% of all water is found in the ocean.

41
Q

What is the cryospheric water store?

A

The crysophere includes all of the frozen water in the Earth’s system. This means the frozen parts of ocean, so water can be stored in sea ice, glaciers, ice shelves, ice sheets and caps and also permafrost.

42
Q

What is the terrestrial water store?

A

Terrestrial water includes surface water, ground water, soil water, biological water, rivers and lakes are the most accessible in the terrestrial system.

43
Q

What is the atmospheric water store?

A

Most of the water stored in the atmosphere is found in the gaseous state, water vapour, which is a colourless and odourless gas. Atmospheric water absorbs solar energy, redistributes water around the globe and also removes impurities from the air.

44
Q

What type of system is the global water cycle?

A

The global water cycle is a closed system in dynamic equilibrium which is driven by energy from the sun.

45
Q

What is percolation?

A

Percolation is where water continues to sink into the ground through the layers to the groundwater layer.

46
Q

What is transpiration?

A

Transpiration is water evaporated from a plant.

47
Q

What is an aquifer?

A

An aquifer is an underground store of water that can be used as a resource for fresh drinking water.

48
Q

Why does groundwater have a long residency time?

A

Groundwater has a very long residency time as it cannot be evaporated underground.

49
Q

What is the residence time?

A

The residence time is how much time water tends to spend in a store.

50
Q

What is the usual trend in the size of a water store and its residence time?

A

Some of the biggest stores have the longest residence times.

51
Q

Where are there less clouds?

A

There are less clouds in areas where there are deserts as there is high pressure where the air is sinking e.g. Antarctica as it is a cold desert and the driest place on earth.

52
Q

Where are there lots of clouds?

A

There are lots of clouds in areas of low pressure. There are also more clouds in 60 degrees North and South of the equator as it is an area of extreme low pressure.

53
Q

What is the soil moisture budget driven by?

A

The soil moisture budget is driven by SEASONAL VARIATIONS & how they affect soil moisture.

54
Q

How is the soil moisture budget affected in the winter?

A
  • In winter precipitation is high and evapotranspiration is low so there is a soil moisture surplus.
  • There is more surface runoff as the soil and ground is saturated
  • River levels are high & more likely to flood
55
Q

How is the soil moisture budget affected in the summer?

A
  • In summer evapotranspiration may exceed precipitation
  • Soil water is used to fill the rivers
  • There is less water in the soil and in the river
56
Q

How is the soil moisture budget affected in the Autumn?

A
  • In Autumn precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration
  • Soil Water levels are replenished
  • Back to and beyond field capacity.
57
Q

Why does soil water have the shortest residency time

A

Soil Water has the shortest residency time of 1-2 months, this is because it may quickly soak into the underlying soil and be transpired by plants, it could be transferred into rivers by throughflow or simply evaporated back into the atmosphere.

58
Q

Why does deep ground water have the highest residency time?

A

Deep groundwater has the highest residency time as when it flows along longer, slower and deeper paths it spends more time in the subsurface, so it has a longer residence time when it reaches the stream and can enter at various different locations.

59
Q

What is the source of a drainage basin?

A

The beginning of the river.

60
Q

What is the water shed of a drainage basin?

A

The boundary between two river basins.

61
Q

What is the channel of a drainage basin?

A

What the river flows in.

62
Q

What is the confluence of a drainage basin?

A

Where the two main channels meet.

63
Q

What is the tributary of a drainage basin?

A

Small stream which joins the main channel.

64
Q

What is the mouth of a drainage basin?

A

Where the river meets the sea.

65
Q

What is the drainage basin hydrological cycle?

A

The drainage basin is an open system as new water (inputs) eneters and then leaves (outputs).

66
Q

What is precipitation?

A

Any form of moisture falling to the ground.

67
Q

What is interception?

A

Water being prevented from reaching the ground by trees or grass.

68
Q

What is surface storage?

A

Water held on the ground surface e.g. puddles.

69
Q

What is overland flow/surface runoff?

A

Water flowing on top of the ground.

70
Q

What is infiltration?

A

Water sinking into the surface layers of the soil.

71
Q

What is stem flow?

A

Water running down the stem of plants and trees.

72
Q

What is throughflow?

A

Water flowing sideways through the soil.

73
Q

What is soil moisture?

A

Water held in the soil layer.

74
Q

What is throughfall?

A

Water flowing from leaves and vegetation onto the soil.

75
Q

What is groundwater flow?

A

Water moving through the saturated rock.

76
Q

What is the water table?

A

The upper level of the saturated rock/soil.

77
Q

What is groundwater?

A

The water stored in the rock.

78
Q

What is the water budget calculation?

A

P=Q+E
P = precipitation
E = evaporation’
Q = run off to the ocean

79
Q

What does permeable rock allow?

A

Permeable rock allows more percolation.

80
Q

What is there more negative water storage values in the summer?

A

There are more negative storage values in the summer months as there is more evapotranspiration from the flourishing vegetation and the warmer temperatures.

81
Q

Why do some of the stores have negative water storage values?

A

Some of the stores have lost water so therefore they have negative storage values as there are more outputs than there are inputs.

82
Q

What is discharge?

A

Discharge is the volume of water in cubic metres that flows in a river per second. Cubic metres per second is often shortened to cumecs.

83
Q

What is regime?

A

The river regime refers to the changes in a rivers discharge over the course of a year in response to a number of factors, including precipitation, temperature and evapotranspiration.

84
Q

What does it mean if the contour lines are close together on a map?

A

It means that the gradient is steep.

85
Q

What does the presence of two distinct peaks on a hydrograph mean?

A

This must mean that there is a fast runoff source as well as a slow one coming together and contributing to the total runoff.

86
Q

What does the gentle falling limb mean?

A

Most overland flow has now been discharged and it is mainly throughflow which is made up the river.

Physical Geography (Paper 1) (6 decks)

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