(R) Flows and stores of water (floods)

Question 1

water table

Answer 1

current upper layer of saturated rock/soil where no more water can be absorbed

Question 2

What effect do steep slopes/narrow valleys have have on river floods?

Answer 2

a steeper gradient leads to faster surface run off

narrow valleys have steep sides and less space for water to collect in, making it more likely to flood

Question 3

How does drainage density (amount of tributaries that feed a river) affect river flood risk?

Answer 3

more tributaries increases the amount of water that reaches the river

it takes less time for a higher volume of water to reach the river, so risk of flooding increases

the water has a more direct route to the river

less tributaries means that less water reaches the river

Question 4

What effect does extreme heat/drought have on water flows and stores/floods?

Answer 4

• less water flowing
• ground is baked
• less soil moisture
• any water will run over ground (surface run off)
• less infiltration
• water stores decrease
• evaporation

Question 5

What effect does soft rock have on water flows and stores/floods?

Answer 5

• water flows through rock (permeable)
• water flows through rock (groundwater flow, percolation)

-rocks become waterlogged/saturated, leads to underground water stores (aquifers, groundwater, reservoirs)

Question 6

What effect does industrial land use have on water flows and stores/floods?

Answer 6

• increased surface run-off
• ground is impermeable
• less water flowing in rivers as it is used for cooling
• less water in storage
• no water stored on surface or in vegetation
• water taken from rivers for cooling

Question 7

What effect does deforestation/commercial farming have on water flows and stores/floods?

Answer 7

• water reaches the ground quicker due to lack of trees
• more overland and through flow
• trees don’t extract/store water from soil
• more water in the soil/on the surface
• less storage, more flow

Question 8

Which things slow down the flow of water to the river?

Answer 8

• soft rock/permeable rock
• more vegetation
• extreme heat/drought

Question 9

Which things speed up the flow of water to the river?

Answer 9

• heavy rainfall
• extreme cold (less water stored)
• hard rock/impermeable rock
• industrial land use/urbanisation
• deforestation/less vegetation

Question 10

discharge

Answer 10

the amount of water in a river

Question 11

relief

Answer 11

the slope of the land/steep or flat

the gradient of the land

Question 12

What effect does heavy rainfall/saturated soil have on water flows and stores/floods?

Answer 12

• more water flowing
• increased flows (infiltration, surface run-off, percolation etc.)
• soil can’t hold any more water, as it is waterlogged
• more surface run off
• water stores increase
• more water flows into them
• possible flooding

Question 13

What effect does extreme cold have on water flows and stores/floods?

Answer 13

• ground is frozen
• increased surface run-off
• decreased infiltration
• water in stores freezes
• water is stored as a solid rather than a liquid

Question 14

What effect does hard rock have on water flows and stores/floods?

Answer 14

• water flows over hard rock because it is impermeable
• increased surface run-off/through flow
• overground rivers and lakes form
• rocks become waterlogged/saturated because they are impermeable

Question 15

What effect does urbanisation have on water flows and stores/floods?

Answer 15

• increased surface run-off
• impermeable ground
• drains increase the amount of flow
• water reaches rivers quicker and more efficiently
• drains take water away from the surface to rivers
• less water in storage
• no surface storage/soil moisture/ water stored in vegetation