Hydrosphere Flashcards
What are the different reservoirs of water in the water cycle
- oceans
- lakes
- rivers
Define the term residence time
- how long water stays in a particular reservoir
Define the term transfer rate
- how much water moves over a period of time
How do you work out residence time
residence time = volume of H2O in a reservoir/mean transfer rate
What is evaporation
- water moves from the earths surface to the atmosphere
What is precipitation
- water moves from the atmosphere to the ground,ocean,lakes
What is transpiration
- water moves from plants to the atmosphere
What is runoff
- water moves from the land to the ocean
What is interception
- water moves from the atmosphere to the plant
What is infiltration
- water moves from the surface to the soil
What is percolation
- downward movement of water through the soil
What is ground water flow
- water moving slowly through rocks towards the sea
What is transport by the wind
- water moves over the ocean to over the land
What is surface flow
- water flows downhill towards stream channels which join rivers and eventually reach the oceans
Where does the energy come from that drives the water cycle
- the sun
Define the term abstraction
- taking water from a natural reservoir for human use
What effects does urbanization have on the process and reservoir
- reduces infiltration
- increase interception
What effect does abstraction of water have on the process and reservoir
- decrease water volume underground
What effect does agriculture have on the process and reservoir
- decrease infiltration
- increase transpiration
- can increase and decrease interception
What effect does deforestation have on the process and the reservoir
- decrease transpiration
- decrease interception
- decrease infiltration
What effect does afforestation have on the process and reservoir
- increase transpiration
- increase interception
- increase infiltration
What effect does industry have on the process and the reservoir
- slows evaporation
- more water is being abstracted out of natural reservoirs
What effect does combustion have on the process and reservoir
- increase evaporation
- increase precipitation
- increase transpiration
What are the 4 types of demand for water
- population size
- affluence
- agriculture
- industry
Define the term water footprint
- the volume of water needed for the production of goods and services consumed by a country’s inhabitants
What are the uses, impacts and threats of the river nile
uses
- agriculture
- fishing
threats
- pollution
- climate change
impacts
- consequences for biodiversity
- decrease resources
What is a reservoir and why do we build them
- an artificial lake where water is stored
- to store the rain water that falls and then use it for supply’s for hotter times of the year
What are some advantages of using reservoirs
- water store
- flood risk management
- for agriculture
- healthier source of water
What are some disadvantages of using reservoirs
- displacement of wildlife
- impacts on fish migration
- changes to downstream flow patterns
What is the ideal shape of land for a reservoir
- valley with steep sides
- river already there
What is the ideal geology for a reservoir
- base rocks to be impermeable