Summary WS Flashcards
What is a hydrograph?
Graphs showing river discharge over time, particularly during and after rainfall events.
Components of a hydrograph
- Rising limb (increase in discharge)
- Peak discharge
- Falling limb (decrease in discharge).
Uses of a hydrograph
Assessing flood risk, understanding river behavior.
Climate factors affecting the water cycle
Temperature, precipitation patterns, humidity influence evaporation and precipitation rates.
Major stores
Cryosphere
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
Water cycle & affect of ice age
- Milankovitch cycle
- Glaciation (every 100,000 years)
What is a water budget?
A model which balances the inputs, outputs, and storage of water in a system. Shows surplus and deficits of water stores and the variation between evapotranspiration and precipitation
Human activities affecting water cycle
Deforestation, urbanization, irrigation alter infiltration, runoff, and evapotranspiration rates.
Land use change examples
Agriculture, urban development impact surface runoff and infiltration rates.
What is a river regime?
Seasonal variation in discharge and velocity of a river.
Influencing factors of a river regime
Precipitation patterns, temperature, drainage basin characteristics.
Impacts on river regime
Floods, droughts, erosion, sediment transport.
Water balance equation
Inputs = Outputs ± Changes in Storage.
Factors affecting water balance
Precipitation patterns, temperature, land use changes, human activities (irrigation, deforestation).
River regime influencing factors
Precipitation patterns, temperature, drainage basin characteristics.
Impacts if river regime
Floods, droughts, erosion, sediment transport.
Inputs of a drainage basin
- Precipitation
- Groundwater flow
- Surface runoff
Outputs if a drainage basin
River discharge, evaporation, percolation, outflow to other drainage basins
Processes of a drainage basin
Precipitation, infiltration, surface runoff, evaporation, transpiration, groundwater flow.
Water cycle stores
Oceans, ice caps, groundwater, rivers/lakes, soil moisture, atmospheric moisture.
Water cycle resident times
Vary greatly from weeks to thousands of years, influencing the water cycle dynamics.
Oceanic water dominance
Covers 72% of Earth’s surface, containing dissolved salts making it alkaline.
Oceanic water attributes
Salinity, pH of 8.14, becoming more acidic due to increased atmospheric carbon.
Cryospheric water dominance
1.9%
Terrestrial Water
1.1%
Significance of terrestrial water
Crucial for various ecological, hydrological, and biological processes.
Terrestrial water categories
Surface water, groundwater, soil water, biological water.
Atmospheric water dominance
0.001%
Atmospheric water résidence time
10 days
Terrestrial water résidence time
10,000 years
Roles of atmospheric water
Absorbs, reflects, and scatters solar radiation; influences temperature and humidity.
Cryospheric water locations
Sea ice, ice caps, ice sheets, alpine glaciers, permafrost.
Cryospheric water attributes
Various forms of frozen water with different implications for sea level rise when melted.
Hill slope water cycle natural factors
Intense precipitation and seasonal variations impact water cycle dynamics.
Hillslipe water cycle influences
Deforestation, urbanization, and agricultural practices alter water movement.
Impacts of human & natural changes
Alterations in inputs, transfers, or stores—via deforestation or drought—affect water movement within the basin.
Cloud formation is controlled by
Amount of condensation nuclei present, temperature, high temperatures & global atmospheric circulation
Relief as a factor
Water reaches the river channels more quickly in a steep sided upland river basin compared to a gentle sloping river basin. So, surface runoff is increased.
Vegetation type/density
More vegetation = More interception, vegetation storage, stem flow, throughfall, transpiration and evaporation. With less surface runoff. Deciduous trees have more leaves in the summer but coniferous always have vegetation.
Geology
Permeable rocks like limestone allow water to infiltrate into the soil and percolates into rocks which reduces surface runoff as throughfall, and groundwater flow are relatively slow.
Impermeable rocks like granite have higher drainage densities meaning that precipitation will reach a river very quickly causing a rapid increase in discharge.
