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%