Part 1: Water Flashcards
Water
Explain the interactions that are involved in environmental science?
Environmental science is the study of the interactions between the Hydrosphere (water) Atmosphere (air) Lithosphere (earth) Biosphere (life)
What disciplines in science does environmental science cover?
All disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, geography, Earth sciences, social sciences and technology
What vegetation is found in terrestrial environments where liquid water is abundant?
Forests specifically, tropical rainforests in wetter equatorial regions and deciduous forests at higher, more temperate latitudes.
What impact does reduced water availability have on the type of vegetation that can grow in an environment?
t changes it. Grasslands and tundra (a vegetation type composed of low-growing plants such as dwarf shrubs, grasses, mosses and lichens) replace forests as water availability is reduced.
Where does water exist predominantly as a solid?
Water exists predominantly as ice and snow in the polar regions (high latitudes) and at high altitudes such as mountain peaks.
What is a catchment?
A catchment is the area from which rainfall flows into a river. Any rain falling in this area that makes its way into rivers or streams is ultimately destined to flow out of the catchment at a single point – in the Teign catchment this is through the estuary into the sea. Rivers and streams do not cross the catchment boundary. It is the area of interest.
what is gradient?
Gradient is a numerical expression of steepness.
Gradient is a defined as:
gradient = height change ÷ horizontal distance.
What is the hydrosphere?
The hydrosphere includes the parts of the Earth that are mainly water, such as the oceans, ice caps, lakes and rivers
What is the water/hydrological cycle?
Water moves over, on and through the Earth in a continuous cycle driven by the Sun and gravity. This process known as the water cycle or the hydrological cycle involves water as liquid, solid (ice and snow) and gas (water vapour).
What is hydrology?
The study of water movement on and beneath the ground and the physics and chemistry of the water is called hydrology.
what are the two main types of water in the hydrological cycle?
meteoric and saline
What is meteoric water?
meteoric, which is fresh water derived by condensation from the atmosphere that accumulates as surface water (rivers and freshwater lakes) and underground water
What is saline water?
saline, which is the seawater of the oceans and many lakes.
What other type of water can be included in the hydrological cycle apart from the two main types?
Small amounts of magmatic water from the interior of the Earth are also added to the cycle by volcanic eruptions.
What is a reservoir?
All parts of the hydrosphere that store water temporarily.
what percentage of total water on earth does the ocean
as a reservoir make up?
96.5
what percentage of total water on earth do ice caps as a reservoir make up?
1.9
what percentage of total water on earth does underground water as a reservoir make up?
1.6
what percentage of total water on earth do lakes as a reservoir make up?
0.012
what percentage of total water on earth does soil moisture as a reservoir make up?
0.001
what percentage of total water on earth does the atmosphere as a reservoir make up?
0.001
what percentage of total water on earth does the rivers as a reservoir make up?
0.0001
What is the resident time of water in the ocean in the water cycle?
about 4000 years
What is the resident time of water in the ice caps in the water cycle?
about 8000 years