Miss McDonald EQ1 Flashcards

1
Q

Global hydrological cycle

A
  • Closed system=all water continually circulated+constant amount driven solar energy-evaporates +evapotranspiration from plants-when humid air rises condenses cooler temps forming clouds so precipitation returned land+oceans
  • also driven by gravitational potential energy as converted kinetic energy as moves thru system by plant interception, surface runoff, infiltration+ through flow or stored soil moisture/groundwater bedrock permeable/porous
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2
Q

Ocean storage and residence time

A

96.9%

3,600yrs

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3
Q

Cryosphere storage and residence time

A

1.9%

15,000yrs

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4
Q

Terrestrial storage and residence time

A

1.1101% (ground=1.1%, surface=0.01%, soil=0.01%, biosphere=0.0001%)
1week to 10,000yrs
(10,000yrs, 2-10yrs, 2w-50weeks, a week )

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5
Q

Atmosphere storage and residence time

A

0.01%

10years

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6
Q

Flows(fluxes) ocean-atmosphere

A

Ocean-atmosphere 400,000
Atmosphere-ocean 370,000
V fast but most returned quickly so ocean stays largest store

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7
Q

Flows(fluxes) atmosphere-land

A

Atmosphere-land 90,000
Land-atmosphere 60,000
Fast flux to land as atmosphere smallest store so land can benefit but most quickly comes back so it can be transported elsewhere with shortest residence time in atmosphere

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8
Q

Flows (fluxes) land-ocean

A

30,000
Important precipitation/evaporation budget as slow so constant transfer to largest water source doesn’t need be quick so it can benefit land so budget not too big+released slowly so doesnt’t get evaporated/ precipitated straight away

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9
Q

Global water budget

A

[global annual balance water flows+size water stores]
Constant circulation different speeds-considered renewable resource (altho imbalance across countries adding pressure to this cycle) but some stores not’renewed’ e.g. fossil water or cryosphere loss

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10
Q

Fossil water and cryosphere loss

A
  • Fossil water in Sahara where rain from better periods stored 10,000yrs on in groundwater aquifers not renewable water contained undisturbed place W/lil-no significant recharge
  • Warming climate-cryosphere melting(losses) means fresh water stores= lost+ not replenished from interglacial period
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11
Q

Lack of availability of fresh water to humans

A
  • Freshwater=only 2.5% total global water
  • 68.7% of it inaccessible in glaciers+30.1% groundwater can be inaccessible if v deep seated spends 10,000yrs in that store
  • Remaining 1.2% surface/ other freshwater= most 69% ground ice+ permafrost high can’t be extracted e.g. in Antarctica for 800,000yrs
  • 31% remaining only 1%rivers(main source ppl)+ 52%lakes most our accessible water isolated locations/difficult to extract
  • most total global water=saline in oceans 96.5% or other saline water 0.9%
  • pop rise-rise consumption water means more pressure+ demand lack availability fresh water to humans
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12
Q

Drainage basin=open system:

A

Their inputs not governed by outputs+ can loose more than they receive

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13
Q

Groundwater storage

A

Water held within permeable rocks (aquifer)

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14
Q

Infiltration

A

Water entering top soil, most common during slow or steady rainfall

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15
Q

Throughflow (inter-flow)

A

Water seeping laterally thru soil below surface, but above water table

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16
Q

Percolation

A

Downward seepage of water thru rock under gravity

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17
Q

Base flow(ground water flow)

A

Slow-moving water that seeps into a river channel

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18
Q

Channel-flow

A

Volume of water flowing within a river channel (discharge, runoff)

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19
Q

Transpiration

A

Water taken up by plants+ transpired onto leaf surface

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20
Q

Orographic (relief) [inputs in drainage basin]

A

When air forced rise over barrier e.g. mountain cools+ condenses forming rain. Leeward (downwind) slope received relatively lil rain, known rain shadow effect

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21
Q

Convectional rainfall

A

-earths hot surface heats air above it
-heated air rises expands+cools; condensation takes place
-further ascent causes more expansion+ more cooling: rain takes place
-cool air descends+replaced warm air
Common tropics +UK in summer

22
Q

Cyclonic rainfall (frontal)

A

Warm air rises over cold air as warm air=lighter+less dense

As rises air cools+its ability to hold water vapour decreases- condensation occurs as clouds form

23
Q

Factors how inputs affect drainage basin cycle

A
  • amount precipitation:higher amount less variability in patterns drainage discharge
  • type precipitation:can form snow as temp store+lrg fluxes water can be released into system after period rapid melting (from thaw)
  • seasonality some climates e.g. monsoon W/strong seasonal patterns rainfall/snowfall
  • intensity precipitation difficult rainfall infiltrate if v intense as soil capacity exceeded( impact on flows on or below surface)
  • secular variability=(long-term)e.g. climate change trends, periodic variability=annual, seasonal, monthly or daily, stochastic variability=random factors like localisation thunderstorm within basin
  • distribution precipitation=within a basin especially v lrg ones where tributaries start different climatic zones
24
Q

Factors affecting flows in drainage basin (interception)

A
  • Greatest when precipitation=light+short as dry leaves+stems =greatest water storage capacity
  • denser types veg coniferous forests intercept more rainfall than sparser deciduous forests(as greater interception) not in winter when temperate deciduous trees shed leaves
25
Q

Factors affecting flows in drainage basin (infiltration)

A
  • precipitation intensity antecedent conditions(intense rain) =saturated soil so can’t take water infiltration reduced
  • veg cover roots help break up soil increasing infiltration rate
  • rates infiltration increase as porosity+permeability increase+ deeper soil so doesn’t get full so quickly
  • water depth table as rises during prolonged rainfall so shorter become more saturated reducing infiltration
  • as gradient increases more water will flow over surface reducing infiltration
26
Q

Factors affecting flows in drainage basin (percolation+ groundwater flow)

A

Depends permeability of rock which linked to porosity as increases percolation+groundwater flow increases
Steeper gradient will allow gravity to operate more effectively

27
Q

Factors affecting outputs in drainage basin (evapotranspiration)

A
  • evaporation rate increase W/temp
  • wind increases rate evaporation by reducing relative humidity+ preventing saturation of air
  • transpiration increases W/increased veg cover but depends type+season (no leaves?)
  • veg W/low albedo(reflectivity) e.g. dark forests absorb more solar radiation increasing evaporation
  • soil moisture content determines amount water available for transpiration, bare soil=more surface runoff less evaporation, increased permeability increased evaporation
28
Q

Factors affecting outputs in drainage basin (channel flow)

A
  • more surface run-off increase discharge
  • more through flow greater discharge
  • more groundwater flow greater discharge
  • more precipitation especially directly into river greater discharge
29
Q

Humans disrupt drainage basin cycle by inputs and outputs

A
  • inputs (cloud seeding) disperses substances into air to serve as cloud condensation nuclei increasing precipitation
  • outputs(dams/reservoirs) increase surface water stores and evaporation but decreases river discharge downstream
30
Q

Human disrupt drainage basin cycle stores/transfers

A
  • urbanisation impermeable surfaces reduce infiltration + interception but increase surface run off+ through flow
  • artificial drains stream+river discharge rapidly increase
  • deforestation reduces evapotranspiration+ surface storage but increases surface run off and flooding risk
  • crop farming:ploughing increases infiltration by loosening+ aerating soil animal farming:soil compaction by trampling. Both reduce interception, evaporation+transpiration but increase soil compaction+surface run off
  • irrigation groundwater abstracted faster than replaced so reduces flow +lower water table
  • industrial decline increase groundwater storage+ risk flooding if water table reaches land surface
31
Q

Amazonia CS how humans disrupt drainage basin cycle

A
  • Totcantis river 25%increase river discharge 1960-9 W/increased deforestation as reduces EVT+ precipitation while increasing runoff+ river discharge
  • 20% forest destroyed last 50yrs by cattle ranching, agriculture, urbanisation+logging
  • 75%intercepted water returned by EVT auto atmosphere in forest when cleared reduces 25%
  • drier climate can lead desertification
  • increase risk flow as more water runs off+ leads aquifer depletion less water infiltrated to recharge, surface runoff increase amount soil erosing+ degradation as nutrients ‘washed away’
32
Q

Water budget

A

Reflects natural annual balance between inputs+ outputs in given river area + impact on soil water availability from supply and demand+ influenced by climate change

33
Q

Water budget formula

A

(P)recipitation =Channel discharge(Q)+(E)vapotranspiration+/- change in store
When P>ET= positive balance (flood risk)
P

34
Q

Soil moisture surplus:

A

Precipitation greater potential ET+ soil water store=full
So surplus soil moisture for plant use, runoff into streams+ recharging groundwater supplies (soil said to be at field capacity )
[Look at graph ]

35
Q

Soil moisture utilisation

A

Potential ET increases and exceeds precipitation so more water evaporating from ground surface+being transpired by plants than falling rain
Water also drawn up from soil by capillary action, water gradually used up

36
Q

Max annual temps:

A

High temps cause max ET, precipitation at min+ plants use up soil moisture store. River levels will fall+crops need irrigation

37
Q

Soil moisture deficiency :

A

Soil water store used up high rates ET+low precipitation. Plants can only survive if adapted periods of drought or irrigated

38
Q

Soil moisture recharge

A

Occurs when potential ET decreases so lower than precipitation soil moisture store starts fill up again

39
Q

Field capacity

A

Pt where soil=full of water+ can’t hold any more

40
Q

Compare water budgets Uk(temperate), Cairo (desert) + Alaska (polar)

A

-general shape UK similar Cairo altho much higher max ET+ a lot less mean precipitation, very short times soil moisture surplus+ recharge
-UK+Alaska longer periods soil moisture surplus+recharge but barely has period soil moisture deficit v low max ET
UK-balanced diagram mostly positive gd crops but not all as short time high annual temps
Cairo-huge negative mass balance extremely hard grow crops
Alaska-huge positive mass balance lots runoff saturated so hard agriculture, industry or houses

41
Q

River regimes

A

Annual variation of discharge of river

42
Q

River regime glacial melt

A

EU mountain rivers have high water period (July-August) when glaciers feeding them melt most rapidly
[look at graphs]

43
Q

River regimes snowmelt

A

Melting of snow cover either in mountainous areas during early summer or over Great Plains of N America in spring

44
Q

Reviver regimes tropical seasonal rainfall (monsoonal)

A

Tropical areas, ET tends to be stable (high) but Summer rains cause a peak

45
Q

Oceanic rainfall/ET

A

Many oceanic areas of EU rainfall evenly distributed but high ET in summer leads low run-off

46
Q

Factors affecting river’s regime

A
  • human activity (dam building can regulate flow)
  • temp evaporation maxed summer as Warmer
  • where measurements taken basin many lrg rivers complex regimes from varied catchments
  • precipitation(amount, pattern intensity) as reflect seasonal max or snow fields/glaciers melt (for snow peak spring for glaciers early summer)
  • permeability+ porosity (geology+soil) water stored groundwater permeable rocks gradually releases as base flow to regulate flow
  • veg amount+type wetlands can hold water+ release v slowly
47
Q

River Nile regime (climate+humans)

A
  • stretches across 35degrees latitude climate ranging high rainfall tropical grasslands-desert conditions features diverse:snow capped+forested mountains, extensive wetlands+ barren deserts
  • rainfall ranging 1,000-20mm per yr
  • significant rain lost evaporation+ surface run off every yr
  • before Aswan dam discharge 20,000bn cubic m in Sept
48
Q

Why flood hydrography vary due physical factors

A
  • Gaping Gill, Clapham Beck flows thru v permeable rock (limestone)=allows water percolate deep cave-v slow flow water compared surface run-off-lag time river increases+ reduced peak discharge
  • Gaping Gill, Austwick v lil planted woodland+ village=small amounts percolation+infiltration- lots surface run off so lag time river decreases+ increases peak discharge (impermeable surfaces)
49
Q

Hydrographs depend physical features and human factors

A
  • flashy thinner soils so lower infiltration
  • flashy no joints/cracks so impermeable increasing surface run off
  • flashy v lil veg so less interception+shorter lag time
  • flashy human activity more impermeable concrete+tarmac surfaces increasing surface run off+ deforestation reduces interception (urbanisation)
  • flashy=high steep slopes promote surface run off
  • flashy intense storms exceeds infiltration capacity of soil or rapid snow melt as temps suddenly rise above 0+ low evaporation due low temps
50
Q

Role of planners in managing land use

A
  • Can give boroughs more power e.g. turn down paving front gardens as 2/3 1.9m in Ldn more impermeable surfaces less infiltration more surface run off into drains massive pressure sewage+ drainage more 1m tonnes raw sewage overflowing 2x Thames from flash floods
  • come up W/ sustainable drainage systems scheme (SUD) improve drainage+reduce risk surface runoff+ improves water quality + increases biodiversity