Part 1

Question 1

The Amazon, Brazil
What is its discharge?
What % does it contribute to global freshwater discharge?
What are precipitation level like at the equator? Why?
What processes are high and why?
Impact of high temperature and - content?
What is the soil like?
What have carbonate rocks allowed for?

Answer 1

Largest river by discharge volume of water - 209,000 cumecs
Largest drainage basin
Represents 20% of global freshwater discharge to ocean

Precipitation:
Extremely high at equator owing to convectional rainfall at ITCZ

Amazon Basin
- Interception of rainfall, and evapotranspiration levels in Amazon are extremely high due to dense canopy cover
- Self-perpetuating semi-closed system
- High precipitation means a lot of water still reaches ground, either directly or via stemflow
- High temperatures and moisture content have meant shield bedrock has been subject to significant chemical weathering
- Soil is extremely thin
- High levels of surface runoff due to Kaolinite Clay (low permeability)
- Some carbonate rocks have allowed for percolation and deep groundwater storage

Question 2

Cherrapunji, India
How much rain does it get per year?

Answer 2

Wettest place in the world
Monsoon climate + Orographic rainfall (mountain a/descension)
9-26,000 mm per year

Question 3

Iceberg Alley, Canada

Question 4

Nile, East Africa
how long?
How many countries does it go through?
Tributaries?
Impact on and impact by:
Vegetation?
Geology?
Topography?
Soils?
Human Vulnerabilities?

Answer 4

Longest River - 6,853km
Travels through 11 countries
2 major tributaries:
White Nile - Central Africa
Blue Nile - Ethiopian Highlands
Annual monsoonal rainfall over Highlands during floods May-Aug floods Nile in lower regions

Climate
Vegetation
- Provides Egypt with only vegetation
Geology
- Ethiopia: largely volcanic lavas
Topography
- Steep topography in Ethiopian Highlands
- High levels of mechanical weathering
Soils
- Blue Nile carries fertile volcanic silts during monsoon months
Human Vulnerabilities
- Egypt holds and controls most of the water
- Ethiopia building Grand Renaissance Dam
- Threatened water security for Egypt

Question 5

Rocky Mountains, USA
Features of:
- Confined aquifers
- Unconfined Aquifers

Answer 5

Types of aquifers:
Confined:
- Water in porous rock
- Surrounded by impermeable rock
- Water can’t flow away, but cannot be replenished

Unconfined:
- Water in porous rock
- Surrounded by permeable rock
Water can percolate in, and flow away

Question 6

Yukon, USA + Canada
What is river regime?
How is variation impacted and by what factors?
What is Yukon dependent on?
Impacts of permafrost?

Answer 6

River regimes:
- Defined as annual variation in the discharge of river at a particular point
- global patterns of precip and evapo-transip have bearing on these fluxes
- Water budget means rivers can have distinct annual flow rates depending on latitude and topography

Variation:
Climate:
- Amount of rainfall and timing
- Temperatures
- Freezing
Geology:
- porosity/ permeability
Soil:
- Deep soils store water- slow release -> steadier river regime

Yukon: Dependent on mountainous environment - glacial melt
- Discontinuous permafrost - impermeable

Question 7

Bare Peak Blud:
What is the water budget?
What is bankfull discharge?
What is the approach segment?

Answer 7

Water Budget:
- Annual balance between inputs and outputs within a system

Bankfull discharge:
When the river’s water level reaches the top of its channel

Approach segment:
Shows discharge of river before storm