Processes Driving Change In The Magnitude Of These Stores Over Time And Space Inc Flows And Transfers

Question 1

Processes Driving Change In The Magnitude Of These Stores Over Time And Space Inc Flows And Transfers

Evaporation

Answer 1

Solar energy leads to surface water (river or lake) being evaporated —> gas —> warm air rises —> contains water vapour —> soil moisture decreases

This happens in the hydrosphere and lithosphere and then to the atmosphere (as once the process occurs)

It is in the atmosphere - FLOWS

It changes stores as it reduces water moisture in soil as surface water and increases water moisture in the atmosphere

Timescale: seconds, mins, hours

Question 2

Processes Driving Change In The Magnitude Of These Stores Over Time And Space Inc Flows And Transfer

Transpiration

Answer 2

Solar energy

Water list through plants stomata

Changes to gas (water vapour) = transpiration

This happens from vegetation to atmosphere —> FLOWS

It changes stores as it reduces water/moisture in vegetation and increases it in atmosphere

TIMESCALE: seconds, minutes, and or hours

Question 3

Processes Driving Change In The Magnitude Of These Stores Over Time And Space Inc Flows And Transfers

Evapotranspiration - factors affecting process

Answer 3

Temp - inc - evapotranspiration

Wind —> more windy= moves air and creates room for moisture and inc evapotrans

Humidity —> amount of moisture in air -> high humidity = less evapo, trans

Climatic variation —> summer - more evapotranspiration.

Amount of water —> less water, less evapotranspiration

Question 4

Cryospheric process: a process changing size of stores at all scales

Global scale

Answer 4

Ice sheets, sea ice. Eg Greenland

Inputs: precip[snow] —> accumulation of snow

Outputs: evaporation, sublimation and ablation

Stores changed from these processes:

Increase in snow= increase in ice sheets

Ice sheets calving into sea and sea warmer then ice

Melting sea ice/ ice sheets = inc in sea levels and inc in water in hydrosphere

Timescale - year’s -> thousands of years

Growing/Dec due to -> climate change [warmer = melts, colder = growth]

Permafrost melting on larger scale = sea level rise and carbon released that was frozen

Question 5

Cryospheric process: a process changing size of stores at all scales

Drainage basin

Answer 5

Ice caps, glaciers eg French glacier

Growing- summer/winter

Stores changed: cryosphere dec (ice caps, glaciers) if melted in winter inc on snow.
Soil water and river storage changes.
If melt - more in river, if frozen= opp

Timescale: months, weeks, seasons

Question 6

Cryospheric process: a process changing size of stores at all scales

Hillslope : stores changes

Answer 6

Soil water storage- frozen, no more snow in river

Timescale: days/hours

If permafrost on hillslope —> in summer —> soil creep - mudflow, solifuction

Question 7

Cryospheric process

Feedback cycle

Answer 7

Temp rise

Sea levels rise

More ice covered by sea - warmer

More ice melts

More calving (inc in end of glacier falling in sea)

Sea level rises

Question 8

Process driving change at hillslope scale

Answer 8

Stores: soil, groundwater, vegetation, trees and ride

Seasons, deforestation, urbanisation (timescale days), weather (hours/mins), farming (inc overgrazing. Time for farming = hours)

All affects size of stores at hillslope

Eg Indonesian rainforest: deforestation occurred due to logging (much is illegal), plantation owners burning forests to plant commercial crops, farmers burning forest to clear land for grazing and growing

Question 9

Cloud formation

Answer 9

Condensation

Cloud formation

Precipitation

Air rises due to evap (gas),

air cools and water condenses,

condensation nuclei = dust pollution

Condensed water forms around it= water droplet, Cloud formation —> the droplet collide and inc in size

Rains when particles big enough to overcome up draught

This happens in atmosphere - FLOW

Changes store in clouds - reduces water and moisture in lithosphere and hydrosphere and inc it in atmosphere

Then it reduces it in the atmosphere and inc in lithosphere and hydrosphere

TIMESCALE: hours: days

Question 10

Conventional rainfall

Answer 10

Surface earth heated by sub

Hot air rises
Cools
Condensed

Continuation of this causes large condensation and then rain is formed. Convection tends to product towering cumuli-nimbus clouds, which produce heavy rain and loss thunder and lightening

Scale- local- hillslope, drainage basin, and global (water cycle)

Question 11

Oragraphic relief

Answer 11

Prevailing wind picks up moisture from sea as travel across- makes air moist

Moist air reaches the coast and is forced to rise over mountains and hills

Forces air to cool and condense forming clouds

Air continues to be forced over mountains and so drops its moisture as relief rain

Once over top of mountain, air will usually drop down other side, warming as it does so

This means it has greater ability to carry water moisture and so there is little rain on far side of mountain

The area is called the rain shadow

Question 12

Frontal rainfall

Answer 12

2 air masses meet, one a warm air mass and one a cold air mass

The lighter less dense warm air is forced to rise over denser cold air

This causes warm air to cool and begin to condense

As warm air is forced to rise, further condensation occurs and rain is formed

Frontal rain produces a variety of clouds, which bring moderate to heavy rainfall

Question 13

Cloud patterns

Global atmospheric circulation

Answer 13

Cloud pattern-
Timescale: 100,000 yrs
Frontal

Climatic change alters level of store as warmer= more rain on equator.

Reasons for formation of clouds and precipitation= Evap on heat on equator warm air rises, condensed, water droplet collide- rains

Stores change after rain = clouds (less water) lakes and rivers (inc in precip) and soil

Hadley cell—> ferrel cell—> polar cell

Question 14

How long does water remain in groundwater shallow and why

Answer 14

100-200 yrs—>

Water trapped so moves slowly

Precipitation and evaporation not direct

Can get out without wells

Question 15

How long does water remain in groundwater deep and why

Answer 15

10,000 years

Trapped

Least susceptible to precip and evap, store and difficult to extract - borehole

Question 16

How long does water remain in river and why

Answer 16

2-6 months

On the way to ocean

Can lose water through evap, more rainfall, humans build dams etc

Question 17

How long does water remain in soil water and why

Answer 17

1-2 months

Short as flow and evap - can soak in soil and be transpired by plants
Transferred to river or evap

More precip depending on seasons

Question 18

How long does water remain in glaciers and why

Answer 18

20-100 years

Frozen water is a store

Surface melting

Climate change effects this

Question 19

How long does water remain in lake and why

Answer 19

50-100 years

Lakes don’t flow 
Precipitation 
Evaporation 
Overlandflow 
Interception 
Human

Question 20

How long does water remain in seasonal snow cover and why

Answer 20

2-6 months

Eg Greenland

Susceptible to evap and hot temp

If winter colder- longer

Climate change

Question 21

How do seasons affect precipitation

Elaborate

Answer 21

Summer - 
rainfall low but more storms 
Groundwater, soil water and river store deplete w out constant rain 
Storm- more overland and river flow 
Pos feedback 

Winter
Inc rain with likelihood of snow
Groundwater, river stores inc
Positive feedback

Question 22

How do seasons affect vegetation

Elaborate

Answer 22

Summer-
veg grows rapidly in interception and trans
-veg stores in soul water and groundwater and river channel flow dec due to veg taking in quality of water
Deciduous trees grow in summer

Winter- veg dies both reducing interception and trans
Veg storage dec and soil water, groundwater and river channel flow inc due to veg not taking quantity of water

Question 23

How do seasons affect soil water

Elaborate

Answer 23

Summer -
dry if rain - more infil and throughflow.
But GENERALLY less throughflow - less percolation
Soil moisture utilisation - veg using water present in soil, later in dry seasons lead to soil water deficit

Winter
Soil saturated possibly- more overland, more infil, soil moisture store, throughflow, leading to more percolation. Soil moisture recharge and surplus

Question 24

How do seasons affect river channel flow

Elaborate

Answer 24

Summer - low flow conditions likely

Winter - high flow conditions more likely, possibly flooding

Question 25

How does water abstraction affects stores and flows

Answer 25

Water abstracted faster then replenished - unsustainable - lead to groundwater depleating

Occuring in Middle East - irrigation

London - aquifer depletes —> contaminated by inflowing salt water (table falls below sea level and salinisation occurs)

Water abstraction leads to - less water in groundwater, river channel, soil, possibly surface storage and their flows

Less water in river = inc evaporation - harm local ecosystems. Neg feedback

PERMANENT CHANGE

Reduce abstraction to prevent this

Question 26

How does farming practices affect water stores

Answer 26

Irrigation- in soil and groundwater so plants have more to absorb

Arable farming - different crops will alter veg stores and interception rates
Timescale: seasonal

If plants cover land, more infiltration so soil water is higher, less overland flow so less in river.
More interception via stemflow and throughflow, more storage

Land drainage: digging ditches in fields to allow overland flow to collect and flow to river eg river exe Devon - remove water from soil, less throughflow, surface storage, percolation, and groundwater. More water is pumped in river- inc river channel flow

Question 27

How does grazing affect water stores

Answer 27

Compact soil - less infiltration, less soil water so more overland flow, water to river quicker so more flooding

No percolation

Question 28

How does land use change affect water stores

Answer 28

Urbanisation - more impermeable - drains - more water to river. Less in soil etc. More likely to flood. Permanent etc etc etc

Deforestation- less throughflow, groundwater flow, through flow, percolation, infiltration and interxeption. Inc river discharge- less surface and interception.
Timescale: hillslope (m) drainage basin (hrs)

Negative feedback-
Flooding
Afforestation
More infiltration, interception, stem flow, through fall, trees take water —> more storage soil and groundwater X flood

Deforestation semi permanent - can replant but takes time

Question 29

How do storm events affect water stores and flows

Answer 29

If intense rainfall (too fast for infiltration rates), more surface, more overland flow, more water in river channel, some infiltration and throughflow esp groundwater flow and store

If rainfall= less intense - high infiltration and throughflow, groundwater store and flow rates will be high too.
Timescale : hourly

Dry - positive feedback 
Dry soil 
lil rain, some infiltration, 
Soil dries out again 
Soil moisture deficit 

Wet- positive feedback 
Wet saturated soil 
Precipitation 
Low rates infil 
More overland flow 
Soil saturated again 
Soil moisture surplus 

Brought
Less precip
Less water in all stores