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AQA A-Level Physical Geography > P1 Section A (Water Cycle) > Flashcards

P1 Section A (Water Cycle) Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the forms of carbon on Earth

A

The forms of carbon on Earth include hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, calcium carbonate (limestone), methane and biomolecules.

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2
Q

What is an inorganic form of carbon

A

An inorganic form of carbon are fossil fuels.

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3
Q

What is an organic form of carbon

A

An organic form of carbon is biomass.

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4
Q

What are the origins of carbon on Earth

A

The origins of carbon on Earth include the Earth’s mantle, plate boundaries, sedimentary rocks, atmosphere and stores such as biomass and the oceans

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5
Q

What are the 4 major stores of carbon on Earth

A

The 4 major stores of carbon are the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere.

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6
Q

How is carbon stored in the hydrosphere (living, dissolved)

A

Carbon is stored in the hydrosphere by plants, living organic matter, and dissolved CO2 in oceans.

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7
Q

What are examples of global water stores

A

examples of global water stores are oceans, lakes, aquifers and the cryosphere

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8
Q

What are local stores of water

A

local stores of water are soil moisture, groundwater storage and vegetation storage (like interception) and puddles

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9
Q

What are water flows

A

Water flows are how water moves from store to store, for example, infiltration, percolation and throughflow

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10
Q

What are water processes

A

Water processes are how flows are powered by precipitation, evaporation and condensation

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11
Q

How much of the earths water is in oceans and seas

A

96.5% of the earths water is in oceans and seas

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12
Q

How much of the earths water is freshwater

A

2.5% earths water is freshwater

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13
Q

How much of earths surface water is in ground ice and permafrost (cryosphere)

A

69% of the earths surface water is in ground ice and permafrost (cryosphere)

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14
Q

What type of system is the global hydrological system

A

the global hydrological system is a closed system

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15
Q

What type of system is a drainage basin

A

a drainage basin is an open system

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16
Q

What are outputs of a drainage system

A

outputs of a drainage system are channel flow, evaporation and transpiration

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17
Q

What are inputs of a drainage basin

A

inputs of a drainage basin are precipitation

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18
Q

What are examples of flows of a drainage basin

A

Examples of flows of a drainage basin are infiltration, direct runoff and throughflow

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19
Q

How does relief impact the drainage basin cycle (slopes)

A

Relief impacts the drainage basin cycle as steeper slopes increases surface runoff and reduce time for water storage

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20
Q

How does soil type impact drainage basin cycle (impermeable, saturation, runoff, permeable, infiltration, groundwater)

A

Soil type impacts drainage basin cycle as impermeable soils can stop infiltration and lead to surface saturation which leads to increased runoff but in permeable soil type, infiltration can occur causing groundwater to recharge

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21
Q

How does reservoirs impact the drainage basin cycle (delay, evaporation, vegetation, salinity)

A

Reservoirs impact the drainage basin cycle as they delay water flow, increase water loss by evaporation, they reduce water flow downstream and so vegetation can’t grow and also vegetation growth on reservoirs will increase evapotranspiration and in turn increases water salinity

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22
Q

What is and how does over abstraction impact drainage basin cycle (removal, dry)

A

Overabstration is removal of water from underground store which impacts the drainage basin cycle as rivers may dry up during periods of low rainfall.

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23
Q

How does deforestation impact drainage basin cycle

A

deforestation impacts drainage basin cycle as interception decreases and rainfall strikes surface directly which causes soil compaction which isn’t porous

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24
Q

What do hydrographs show (changes,concordance)

A

Hydrographs show how river discharge changes over time in concordance with rainfall levels

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25
Q

What impact does increased runoff have on hydrograph

A

Increased runoff will reduce lag time and increase discharge making a steep hydrograph as water gets into the channels quicker

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26
Q

What is river discharge

A

River discharge is the volume of water flowing in a river each second and is measured in cumecs (m3/s).

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27
Q

What is peak discharge (maximum)

A

Peak discharge is the maximum discharge in the period of time.

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28
Q

What is peak rainfall

A

Peak rainfall: maximum rainfall in the period of time

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29
Q

What is lag time

A

Lag time is the interval between peak rainfall and discharge.

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30
Q

What is a rising limb

A

a Rising limb is when the discharge is rising.

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31
Q

What is falling limb

A

Falling limb: when the discharge is falling.

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32
Q

What affect does permeable rock type and soil have on a hydrograph

A

Permeable rock (like limestone) and soil will cause precipitation to infiltrate percolate which will lengthen the lag time and reduce peak discharge

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33
Q

What affect does impermeable rock type and soil have on a hydrograph

A

impermeable rock type (like clay) and soils causes infiltration to decrease so surface runoff increases and lag time is reduced and peak discharge increases

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34
Q

What affect does steep river basin catchment have on hydrograph

A

Steep river basin catchment will increase peak discharge and reduce lag time as water moves more quickly

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35
Q

What affect does high levels of vegetation have on a hydrograph

A

High levels of vegetation will see high interception and evapotranspiration but also tree roots will promote infiltration and so peak discharge will reduce

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36
Q

What affect will large catchment area of river basin have on hydrograph

A

A large catchment area of river basin will increase peak discharge but shorten lag time.

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37
Q

What affect does circular catchment area of river basin have on hydrograph

A

Circular catchment area of river basin will shorten lag time, steepen rising limb and increase peak discharge - creating a flashy graph

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38
Q

What affect does dense drainage network have on hydrograph

A

Dense drainage network will be able to transport more water - increasing peak discharge

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39
Q

What affect does urbanisation have on hydrograph

A

Urbanisation reduces lag time and increase peak discharge as runoff increases by impermeable surfaces

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40
Q

What affect does agricultural or ploughed land have on hydrograph

A

Agricultural or ploughed land will increase lag time and decrease peak discharge as surface runoff decreases

41
Q

How is water management used to control hydrograph (dams and abstraction)

A

Water management like dams and reservoirs can regulate water flow by storing it and choosing to release it downstream and abstraction of aquifers will lower groundwater levels and increase percolation and infiltration when there is rainfall.

42
Q

What is drought

A

Drought is when an area suffers from water deficit often due to a lack of rainfall

43
Q

What is the El Niño cycle (weak and reverse, South Pacific, South America, pressure)

A

The El Niño cycle is when every 3-5 years wind weakens and reverses direction across the South Pacific Ocean, causing warm air to move to South America and make it low pressure (so more rain) and Australasia is subject to high pressure and low rainfall

44
Q

What is the La Niña cycle

A

The La Niña cycle is years when low pressure descends over Australasia causing increased rainfall and South America receives high pressure and low rainfall

45
Q

What is short term precipitation deficit

A

Short term precipitation deficit is when typical low pressure systems experience high pressure and the cool sinking air in high pressure systems cannot form clouds or produce precipitation

46
Q

How did Brazilian farmers and domestic users cause river to run low in 2014/15

A

Brazilian farmers and domestic users increasingly used groundwater causing rivers to run low in 2014/15

47
Q

How did low level rivers in Brazil affect poor and rural communities

A

Low level rivers in Brazil affected poor and rural communities by only having access to groundwater since rivers didn’t have enough water

48
Q

How did Brazil counter over-abstraction of groundwater

A

Brazil countered over abstraction of groundwater with a fine of up to $100,000 for drilling into wells.

49
Q

Why was Brazil’s over abstraction fine bad

A

Brazil’s over abstraction fine led people to illegally drill into wells as they couldn’t afford the fine and so the drilling wasn’t monitored

50
Q

How much of the well drilling in Brazil was illegal in 2014/2015

A

it was estimated around 70% of the well drillings in Brazil were illegal.

51
Q

How does agriculture affect flooding

A

agriculture affects flooding by increasing surface runoff and soil exposure - leading to soil erosion which is then transported to the river where it reduces its stream competence (capacity) - therefore increasing chance it will burst its banks

52
Q

How has river management such as channelisation and river straightening affected flooding in Mississippi

A

river management such as channelisation and river straightening has affected flooding on the river Mississippi as the river became restricted and burst its banks

53
Q

How does floodplain drainage affect flooding

A

Floodplain drainage affects flooding by drying out wetlands causing the area to shrink and lower - increasing flood risk, floodplain drainage is done to make room for agricultural land and also emits methane

54
Q

How does urbanisation affect flooding

A

urbanisation affects flooding by resulting in an increase in surface runoff due to lack of infiltration. The runoff enters the drainage system quickly and promotes a high peak discharge

55
Q

How do flash floods occur (low, storms)

A

Flash floods occur due to low air pressure systems creating tropical storms and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall

56
Q

How is prolonged and heavy rainfall caused

A

prolonged and heavy rainfall is caused by mid-latitude depressions bringing cold and hot air to meet causing the hot air to be pushed up and cool forming rain

57
Q

What are depressions

A

Depressions are low air pressure systems that produce a lot of rain

58
Q

How does snowmelt cause flooding

A

Snowmelt causes flooding as water increases surface runoff and causes flash floods

59
Q

How does La Niña cause floods

A

La Niña causes floods by exaggerating normal weather patterns bringing warm water and low air pressure to Australasia so rainfall in increases

60
Q

What is water scarcity

A

Water scarcity is when water supply is limited or where demand is above the supply

61
Q

How does increasing population effect water supply

A

An increasing population effects water supply as it causes a higher demand and in developed nations demand is often higher than the supply

62
Q

How is water consumption changing

A

Water consumption is changing as develop nations use more water-consuming devices like washing machines and water fountains and swimming pools or unnecessarily used

63
Q

Where is most water used

A

Most water is used in agriculture as it is the main industry for income but some of the water can be wasteful i.e. rice paddies

64
Q

How is water consumed ineffectively in Tanzania (pay, feel obliged)

A

Water is consumed ineffectively in Tanzania as farmers pay a one-off annual fee to access a water source and so feel obliged to use unnecessary amounts of water since they have already payed for it

65
Q

How is water used inefficiently in industry - Rajasthan, India

A

Water is used inefficiently in industry - Rajasthan, India as they use the equivalent of four bottles of water to make a single bottle of Coca-cola in a Coca-cola bottling factory.

66
Q

Which countries are physically least at risk of water stress

A

Countries least at risk of water stress are ones near the equator (as they are in low pressure systems where there is a lot of rainfall) such as Brazil and countries with large ice sheets as they contain large amounts of freshwater such as Greenland

67
Q

Which countries are physically most at risk of water stress

A

Countries most at risk of water stress are those found in Northern Africa and the Middle East as there is high pressure systems with minimal rainfall and a lot of desert land such as Morocco

68
Q

Which countries are humanly least at risk of water stress

A

Countries least at risk of water stress are those with a low population in contrast to landmass such as Russia

69
Q

Which countries are humanly most at risk of water stress

A

Countries most at risk of water stress are ones with high living standards and industry such as the USA (which is the largest consumer per capita of water in the world) and places with high populations and increasing middle classes using water consuming devices such as India and China

70
Q

How does climate variability cause water insecurity

A

climate variability causes water insecurity as some areas have high rainfall and others are arid

71
Q

How does salt water encroachment cause water insecurity (and rise, erosion)

A

salt water encroachment causes water insecurity as seawater contaminates groundwater and sea level rise and coastal erosion increases risk of saltwater intrusion

72
Q

How has Tuvalu experienced saltwater encroachment (imported, crops)

A

Tuvalu has experienced saltwater encroachment as it is experiencing sea level rise of up to 3mma year so all groundwater has been contaminated and so bottled water is required to be imported. Also in Tuvalu, the saltwater has entered soils damaging crops therefore limiting food resources

73
Q

How does industrial water pollution cause water insecurity

A

industrial water pollution causes water insecurity as waste products and metals from mining enter the water systems and also untreated sewage which leads to harmful bacteria to grow in water

74
Q

How does over-abstraction of aquifers and rivers cause water insecurity

A

over-abstraction of aquifers and rivers causes water insecurity as the water table drops

75
Q

How has over-abstraction occurred in Rajasthan, India (coca-cola, drop 15)

A

Over-abstraction has occured in Rajasthan, India as they required to abstract a lot of water for Coca-Cola bottle production, this then caused the water table to drop 15 metres in 10 years leading farmers to drill holes into wells as their own ran dry

76
Q

How does agricultural water contamination cause water insecurity

A

agricultural water contamination causes water insecurity as excess fertilisers and pesticides wash away into water systems by rainfall.

77
Q

How much of the worlds water is used for agriculture

A

70% of the worlds water is used for agriculture, rising to around 90% in developing countries

78
Q

What happened in Rajasthan as a result of Coca-Cola water abstraction.

A

Many protests occurred in Rajasthan as a result of Coco-Cola water abstraction.

79
Q

how does antecedent rainfall affect hydrograph

A

Antecedent rainfall affects hydrograph as ground is already saturated so run-off will increase and lag time is reduced as water will reach channel more quickly

80
Q

what is throughfall

A

throughfall is the water which isn’t intercepted and directly reaches ground

81
Q

how do storm events affect local hydrological system

A

storm events affect local hydrological system as they saturate ground until soil capacity, so no more infiltration can occur and so therefore they’re less effective at recharging water stores

82
Q

how does cold weather affect local hydrological system

A

cold weather affects local hydrological system as there is less vegetation so less interception, frozen grounds are impermeable so run-off increases but also snow takes time to melt so discourages run-off

83
Q

how does cold weather affect soil water budget

A

cold weather affects soil water budget as evapotranspiration will be low, precipitation will be held in soil water stores and infiltration and percolation will recharge water table

84
Q

how does hot weather affect soil water budget

A

hot weather affects soil water budget as rate of evapotranspiration will be higher than precipitation so soil water stores will deplete and water deficit may occur

85
Q

what is flashy hydrograph

A

flashy hydrograph is where lag time is short, peak discharge is high, steep rising and falling limb and higher flood risk

86
Q

what is subdued hydrograph

A

subdued hydrograph is where lag time is long, low peak discharge, gradual rising and falling limb and lower flood risk

87
Q

what is stemflow

A

stemflow is water reaching the ground by draining down the trunks of trees

88
Q

what is baseflow

A

baseflow is water running into rivers by river banks and beds

89
Q

location of river tees

A

river tees flows from North Pennines 85 miles to North Sea through Redcar and Hartlepool

90
Q

size of River Tees catchment area

A

size of River Tees catchment area is 1834km2

91
Q

what is the land like at the upper course of river tees

A

at the upper course of river tees land is mostly peatland which holds water and causes the surrounding area to be saturated

92
Q

what is the land like at the middle/lower course of river tees

A

at the middle/lower course of river tees land is made mainly of limestone and mudstone till and banks around the river are steep which all create more run-off and there is also high force waterfall which is hard igneous rock

93
Q

why has peatland restoration occurred around River Tees

A

restoration has occurred around River Tees so drainage channels called grips have been blocked so sheep can graze without the previous dissolved organic carbon

94
Q

how is River Tees less susceptible to flooding

A

River Tees is less susceptible to flooding as peatlands hold water and so reduce flow directly into river channel which is helped by blocking grips so water remains

95
Q

how is River Tees a sustainable water supply

A

River Tees is a sustainable water supply as Tees Water Colour Project was set up 2005 to prevent leaching of dissolved organic carbon into water (therefore improving water quality) and also the Cow Green Reservoir

96
Q

how does Cow Green reservoir help sustainability in River Tees

A

Cow Green reservoir helps sustainability in River Tees as in dry months water can be released for industry and domestic use and also in wet months it can be shut off to reduce chance of flood

97
Q

scale of water stores

A

scale of water stores is that 96.5% water is in hydrosphere, 1.1% in lithosphere and 1.9% cryosphere and less than 0.1% in atmosphere

98
Q

How has research shown drought is caused by climate change

A

research has shown drought is caused by climate change by finding human-caused climate change made surface drought at least five times more likely, and agricultural drought at least 20 times more likely.

AQA A-Level Physical Geography (6 decks)

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