Hydrological Systems Flashcards
What is a System?
A set of interrelated components that are connected together to form a working whole.
Components of a System
Inputs, Outputs, Stores, Fluxes, and Processes
What is an input?
Where matter or energy is added to a system
What is an output?
Where matter or energy leaves the system
What is a store?
Where matter or energy builds up in a system
What is a flux?
The rates of flow between stores
Open Systems
Have inputs and outputs of energy and matter from other open systems. E.G. a river
Closed Systems
Only energy can enter and leave the system (not matter).
No inputs or outputs. E.G. the suns energy onto Earth
Where is accessible surface freshwater found?
52% Lakes
38% Soil Moisture
8% Atmospheric Moisture
1% Living Organisms
1% Rivers
Where is freshwater found?
69% Cryosphere
30% Groundwater
1% Easily accessible surface water
How much water falls as precipitation each year?
0.035%
What is the term for the amount of water available for human use?
Global Water Budget
El Nino
2-7 years
Change in the global wind patterns
La Nina
Catchment Systems
The area of land where all the water drains into a specific river or river system.
What is leaf drip?
Water that drips from the canopy store to the surface store from the leaves of plants and trees.
What is stem flow?
Water that runs down from the canopy store to the surface store via stems and trunks
What is surface runoff?
Water that runs of the surface store directly into a channel (particularly when the soil can no longer absorb water or crossing and impermeable surface)
What is pipe through flow?
The movement of water from the soil store to the channel through natural cracks and paths in the rock.
What is infiltration?
The movement of water from the surface store to the soil store.
What is groundwater flow?
Movement of water from the Groundwater store to the channel store
What are the storage systems in a catchment system?
Canopy
Surface
Soil
Groundwater
Channel
