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Geography > Hydrological Cycle > Flashcards

Hydrological Cycle Flashcards

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1
Q

Input

A

Precipitation

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2
Q

Storage

A
  • Interception
  • Vegetation storage
  • Surface storage
  • Groundwater storage
  • Channel storage
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3
Q

Flows and Processes

A
  • Surface runoff
  • Throughfall (water dripping from leaf to leaf)
  • Stemflow (water running down stem)
  • Throughflow (downhill through soil)
  • Infiltration (soaking into soil)
  • Percolation (seeping down into water table)
  • Groundwater flow (below water table, through permeable rock)
  • Baseflow (groundwater feeding into river)
  • Interflow (water flowing above water table in permeable rock)
  • Channel flow
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4
Q

Outputs

A
  • Evaporation
  • Transpiration
  • Evapotranspiration
  • River discharge
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5
Q

What is river discharge affected by?

A
  • Precipitation
  • Hot weather (rate of evaporation is higher)
  • Removal of water
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6
Q

Characteristics of a typical storm hydrograph.

A
  • Peak discharge (highest point on graph)
  • Lag time (delay between peak rainfall and peak discharge)
  • Rising Limb
  • Falling Limb
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7
Q

Physical features that affect lag time and peak discharge.

A
  • Larger drainage basins
  • Steep-sided
  • Circular basins (because all points on the watershed are roughly the same distance from river thus water flow will reach river at the same time)
  • Lots of tributaries
  • Human activity (impermeable surfaces and drainage systems)
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8
Q

What does “antecedent moisture” mean?

A

Amount of water already present.

This means infiltration is reduced and surface run off increases.

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9
Q

Erosion can affect…

A

the length, depth and width of a river.

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10
Q

Headward erosion

A

Makes river longer.
Happens near the river’s source as throughflow and surface runoff causes more erosion at the point the water enters the river channel.

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11
Q

Vertical erosion

A

Makes river deeper.

Upper stages.

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12
Q

Lateral erosion

A

Makes river wider.

Middle and lower stages of river.

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13
Q

Five man ways in which river erosion happens

A
  • Hydraulic action
  • Abrasion (rocks rub against bank and bed_
  • Attrition (rocks smash into each other)
  • Cavitation (air bubbles in turbulent stretches implode causing shockwaves that break pieces of rock off the bank and beds)
  • Solution
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14
Q

Transportation methods

A
  • Solution
  • Suspension
  • Saltation
  • Traction
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15
Q

What is river capacity?

A 
Total load (measured by volume, mass or weight) that a river is able to transport at a particular discharge or energy level. 
A river's capacity increases as discharge increases.
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16
Q

What is river competence?

A

The maximum size or weight of material a river can transport. Under flood conditions river competence is greatly increased.

17
Q

What does the Hjulstrom curve show?

A

It shows the link between river velocity and competence

18
Q

Waterfall formation

A
  • The river flows over bands of softer and harder rocks
  • Softer rock is more quickly eroded
  • The river undercuts the harder rock leaving an overhang
  • The river forms a plunge pool below the waterfall
  • Overhanging rock is unsupported and falls into the plunge pool
  • The waterfall is moved upstream
  • This process continues and a gorge is cut back into the hillside
19
Q

Potholes

A

Small, circular hollows in the river bed. Formed by abrasion as turbulence swirls a river’s bedload round in circular motions causing it to rub and scrape out holes.

20
Q

Rapids

A

Steep sections of river with turbulent flow where there are several sections of hard rock. Like mini waterfalls.

21
Q

Meander formation

A
  • Alternating pools and riffles develop at equally spaced intervals along a river
  • In the pools water is more efficient, greater energy, more erosive power. Energy is lost when flows over a riffle due to friction.
  • Spacing and distance leads to uneven flow and maximum flow to be concentrate don one side.
  • Turbulence increases in pools and water begins to twist and coil. (helicoidal flow) creates more erosion and deepening of pools.
  • Erosion and deposition exaggerates bends.
22
Q

Braiding

A
  • River carries a lot of sediment
  • Rivers velocity drops, sediments is deposited
  • River divides into small, winding channels and then joins back together.
23
Q

Floodplains

A
  • Overflow banks
  • Increase in wetted perimeter and decrease in hydraulic radius means increase in friction
  • Reduction in velocity means sand and silt is deposited across floodplain
24
Q

Levees

A
  • Natural embankments

- Heaviest material deposited during floods

25
Q

Deltas

A
  • Energy of river reduces when river meets sea
  • River deposits its load
  • River braids into several distributaries
26
Q

Rejuvenation features

A
  • River terraces (former floodplains that ahve been eroded vertically)
  • Incised meanders (deep, winding valley with steep sides)
27
Q

Main causes of flooding

A
  • Heavy rainfall

- Prolonged rainfall

28
Q

Physical factors that increase risk of flooding

A
  • Sparse vegetation or deciduous trees
  • Impermeable ground
  • Circular drainage basins
  • High drainage density (lots of streams)
  • Steep slopes
29
Q

Human factors that increase risk of flooding

A
  • Urbanisation
  • Deforestation
  • Flood management strategies
  • Agriculture
  • Climate change
30
Q

Hard engineering flood management

A
  • Dams
  • Channel straightening
  • Levees
  • Diversion spillways
31
Q

Soft engineering flood management

A
  • Land use management
  • Wetland and river bank conservation
  • River restoration
  • Alteration of urban surfaces
32
Q

Social impacts of flooding

A
  • People and animals are killed
  • Water is contaminated
  • Risk of diseases
  • Possessions damaged
  • Can become homeless
33
Q

Economic impacts of flooding

A
  • Businesses shut down
  • Rescue work and repairs are costly
  • Insurance goes us
  • Unemployment levels rise
  • Public transport, roads and bridges can be destroyed
  • Crops can be destroyed
34
Q

Environmental impacts

A
  • Pollution of rivers
  • River banks eroded
  • Land becomes more fertile after deposition of sediment
  • Wetlands can be created

Geography (7 decks)

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