Hydrological Cycle and Rivers Flashcards

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1
Q

Why is the global hydrological system a closed system?

A

The main output (evaporation) is balanced with the main input (precipitation). Water is continually circulating through the system.

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2
Q

What is the global water budget?

A

The annual balance of water fluxes (the flows between stores)

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3
Q

What is groundwater otherwise known as?

A

Fossil water

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4
Q

What percentage of the worlds water is accessible immediately in rivers and lakes?

A

0.01%

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5
Q

What are the inputs of the drainage basin system (1)?

A

Precipitation

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6
Q

What are the outputs of the drainage basin system (2)?

A
  • channel flow

* evapotranspiration

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7
Q

What are the stores of the drainage basin system (4)?

A
  • soil moisture storage
  • groundwater storage
  • surface storage
  • interception storage
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8
Q

What are the transfers of the drainage basin system (6)?

A
  • through flow
  • surface runoff
  • groundwater flow
  • channel storage
  • infiltration
  • percolation
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9
Q

What is the rate of infiltration influenced by? (2)

A
  • amount of precipitation and vegetation

* degree of soil saturation

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10
Q

What is groundwater affected by (2)?

A
  • the angle of the rock strata. Steeper = gravity

* rock porosity. More porous = more flow

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11
Q

What human action can stop infiltration?

A

Urbanisation

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12
Q

What can lessen interception?

A

•deforestation/ removal of forest canopy

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13
Q

Equation for a balanced water budget

A
P=Q+E(+/-)S
•P=precipitation 
•Q=river discharge 
•E=evapotranspiration 
•S=change in storage
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14
Q

What do water budgets show?

A

If areas experience a soul moisture surplus and deficit at certain times of the year

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15
Q

What is a river regime?

A

The seasonal variability in a rivers discharge throughout the course of a year in response to precipitation, temperature and evapotranspiration

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16
Q

What is a simple regime?

A

When the river experiences a period of seasonally high discharge followed by low discharge

17
Q

What type rivers typically have a simple regime? Give an example

A

Rivers where inputs depend on glacial meltwater or seasonal storms
•Rhône France

18
Q

What is a complex regime ?

A

Where larger rivers cross several different relief and climatic zones and experience the effects of different seasonal climatic effects

19
Q

Give an example of a river with a complex regime

A

The Mississippi

20
Q

Factors that cause changes to the regime of the River Rhône (5)

A
  • differing local climates
  • glacial melt
  • Atlantic air masses
  • confluence
  • summer evaporation
21
Q

What does a storm hydrograph show?

A

Variations in a rivers discharge at a specific point over a short period of time (before,during and after a storm)

22
Q

What are the two types of storm hydrographs?

A
  • Flashy- rapid increase in discharge and high risk of flooding
  • subdued- the opposite
23
Q

Three types of rainfall

A
  • frontal
  • orographical
  • conventional
24
Q

How does drainage basin size affect a storm hydrograph?

A

the smaller the basin the more rapidly the water will reach the channel as it has shorter distance to travel

25
Q

How does drainage basin shape affect a storm hydrograph?

A

for circular basins it takes less timefor water to reach the channel as all the extremeties are equidistant from the channel while elongated basins, water will take longer

26
Q

How does drainage basin relief affect a storm hydrograph?

A

Steeper slopes mean water flows downhill and reachs channel more quickly

27
Q

What drainage basin characteristics affect a storm hydrograph (3)?

A
  1. size
  2. shape
  3. relief
28
Q

How does soil type affect a storm hydrograph?

A

thin soils become saturated quickly while thick soils allow more inflitration

29
Q

How does rock type affect a storm hydrograph?

A

with impermeable rock, water cannot percolate, increasing surface runoff

30
Q

How does drainage density affect a storm hydrograph?

A

High drainage density means a large number of surface streams per km^2 meaning the storm water will reach main channel quickly

31
Q

How does natural vegetation affect a storm hydrograph?

A

Forest and woodland mean high rates of evapotranspiration and more infiltration so less water reaches the channel and more slowly

32
Q

How does land use affect a storm hydrograph?

A

Urban areas will have more hard surfaces and drains which carry water quickly and directly to river

33
Q

How does precipitation intensity affect a storm hydrograph?

A

high intensity precipitation means surface runoff occurs and transports water rapidly to the channel

34
Q

How does precipitation duration affect a storm hydrograph?

A

Prolonged rainfall means the water table rises and soil becomes saturated, causing runoff, which travels quickly to channel

35
Q

How does snowfall affect a storm hydrograph?

A

Fast snowmelt means meltwater cannot infiltrate into frozen ground so flows to channel rapidly

36
Q

How does evapotranspiration affect a strom hydrograph?

A

Low rates results in fewer losses from the drainage basin which increases discharge into the river channel