TERM 3 Flashcards
What are environmental resources?
Environmental resources are natural resources that have originated directly from the biophysical environment, such as water.
Why is water classified as renewable?
The operation of water cycle processes enables the replenishment of ground, surface and stored water sources.
What are the 2 types of water that make up Earth’s water?
Saline (ocean), fresh water
What percentage does saline make up?
97%
What percentage does fresh water make up?
3%
From the fresh water, what types of water are there? (4)
Groundwater, glaciers, surface water, other
What percentage does groundwater make up?
30.1%
What percentage do glaciers make up?
68.7%
What percentage does surface water make up?
0.3%
What percentage does other make up?
0.9%
From the surface water, what types of water are there? (3)
Lakes, rivers, swamps
What percentage do rivers make up?
2%
What percentage do swamps make up?
11%
What percentage do lakes make up?
87%
What are the 4 main water types in Australia?
- Surface water
- Groundwater
- Desalinated seawater
- Recycled water
What is the definition of surface water?
Water on the Earth’s surface
What are 2 examples of surface water?
Rivers
Lakes
What percentage of freshwater used is surface water?
80% of the freshwater that we use on Earth is surface water.
What are 3 positives about surface water?
- It gets replenished when it rains
- It’s cheaper than desalination
- It is usually easier to get to than groundwater
What are 2 negatives about using surface water?
- It usually needs to be treated before we can use it
- When a dam is built to hold the water in one place, it can cause floods and dry conditions
What is the definition of groundwater?
Water under the Earth’s surface
What are 3 positives about using groundwater?
- It is cheap and easy to get to some of it
- They can be dug close to where it is needed
- It is generally cleaner than surface water
What are 2 negatives about using groundwater?
- If something is contaminating the surface, it can sink into the groundwater
- Groundwater takes a long time to replenish
What is the definition of desalinated seawater?
To desalinate water means to take the salt out of it.
What are 2 positives about using desalinated seawater?
- Large amount of seawater
- Might be our only option
What are 2 negatives about using desalinated seawater?
- Very expensive
- Over salted seawater might wreck the oceans
What is the definition of recycled water?
Recycled water is just wastewater that has been cleaned so we can reuse it.
What are 2 positives about using recycled water?
- It is renewable
- It’s heaps better than not having water
What are 2 negatives about using recycled water?
- The idea makes people feel sick
- If the government messes up people will end up very sick.
What is the definition of spatial distribution patterns of water resources?
The location and arrangement of activities across the surface of the Earth
What is an aquifer?
An aquifer is a body of rock and/or sediment that holds groundwater.
What are 6 reasons there is spatial distribution of water? (L,P,R,D,P,DB)
- Some countries are landlocked
- No permeable surface
- No river systems
- Some parts are deserts
- Lack of precipitation
- No rainwater flowing into drainage basin
What is the definition of the water cycle?
The physical changes to water that change its state and geographical location
What is evaporation?
As water is heated by the sun, it changes form from liquid to a gas.
What is transpiration?
This is when water evaporates from plants, mainly through their leaves.
What is condensation?
This is where gas changes back to a liquid.
What is precipitation?
When so much water has condensed that the air can no longer hold it, it falls downwards. (rain)
What is infiltration?
This is where water fills the porous spaces (cavities) in the soil, but continues to flow or slowly move.
What is percolation?
This is where groundwater moves into the soil below the earth’s surface.
What are the 3 steps of the water cycle?
- Input
- Transfer and Storage
- Output
What is input?
Precipitation (rain, hail or snow) enters the river drainage basin.
What is transfer and storage steps? (3)
- Surface runoff will go into rivers, lakes, dams and reservoirs
- The remaining water will perform infiltration
- It then sinks deep underground through the soil and rocks through percolation.
What is output?
The water can flow out to sea
What are the 5 parts of the river? (MTWSC)
- Mouth
- Tributary
- Watershed
- Source
- Confluence
What is the mouth?
Where the river flows into the sea
What is the tributary?
A river which joins a larger river at some point
What is the watershed? (2)
- The boundary that separates one drainage basin from another
- A ridge of high land.
What is the source?
The area where the water first starts collecting
What is the confluence?
The point at which two rivers join.
What are the 3 catchment types?
- Steep catchment
- Flat catchment
- Closed basin
What is a steep catchment? (4)
- Rapid runoff
- Rapid groundwater flow
- Very little water retained in the catchment so groundwater recharge is minimal
- Deep water table
What is flat catchment? (4)
- Slow runoff
- Slow groundwater flow
- Surface water retained in soils turning into groundwater
- Shallow water table
What is the closed basin? (3)
- More salt as water evaporates
- Groundwater discharge
- Causes water table to rise
What is a catchment?
A catchment is an area where water is collected by the natural landscape.
What are the 3 steps of water catchment?
- The outside edge of a catchment is always the highest point.
- Gravity causes all rain and runoff in the catchment to run downhill where it naturally collects in creeks, rivers, lakes or oceans.
- Some water doesn’t get caught in a catchment and turns into groundwater
Why are catchments important?
- It is the standard functioning unit of the landscape
- Healthy catchments are important for human survival
What are the 5 factors influencing water flow? (LATLC)
Latitude
Altitude
Topography
Location
Climate change
How does latitude influence water flow?
Generally the closer to the equator the warmer the climate will be which means that the amount of water will change.
How does altitude influence water flow?
Generally, as altitude increases, the amount of precipitation increases. So the higher you go, the more rainfall you get.
How does topography influence water flow?
It changes the amount of evaporation that occurs as the shape of the land, or topography, influences the availability of water.
How does location influence water flow?
If your country is landlocked, then you won’t have access to beaches as other countries are surrounding you and less precipitation will occur.
How does climate change influence water flow?
La Niña and El Niño - a complex mix of sea-surface temperatures, air pressure and winds. El Niño brings drought conditions. La Niña brings above-average rainfall.
What does BOLTSS stand for?
BORDER
ORIENTATION
LEGEND
TITLE
SCALE
SOURCE
What is another name for legend?
Key
What does a border do?
Stand out and define a map
What does the orientation do?
Show the direction (north)
What does the title of the map show?
Very specific information about that map and contains place name and description of what is found on the map.
What does the scale do?
A scale allows people to determine the actual distance between places on a map.
What does the source do?
Holds the information used to create the map
What are horizontal lines called?
Horizontal lines are called northings
What are vertical lines called?
Vertical lines are called eastings.
Area reference number?
4
Grid reference number?
6
What is the order of eastings and northings?
Eastings are ALWAYS given before northings.
What does 1:25,000 mean?
1cm is equal to 25,000cm
What are contour lines?
Lines on a map that join places of the same height
What does relief mean?
The differences in height from place to place on the land’s surface.
How is relief calculated?
Relief is calculated by finding the difference in height between two points in an area, or the highest minus the lowest point.
What is contour interval?
The elevation difference is represented by each contour line on a topographic map.
What method should I use?
PQE
What does P stand for?
Pattern
What do you do for P?
Look for patterns and things that stand out
What does Q stand for?
Quantify
What do you do for Q?
Add accurate and specific information
What does E stand for?
Exceptions
What do you do for E?
Identify everything that doesn’t fit into your pattern
How do you know when an area is in a drought?
The rainfall as been in the bottom 10%.
When was the Millenium drought?
Early 2000’s
Where did the Milleniu drought occur?
Eastern Australia
What were 5 effects of the millenium drought?
- Bad soil + bad crops
- Emotional/financial toll
- Dams dried up
- Dust storms
- Water use limited
What are 5 ways farmers took action?
- Worked long hours
- Planed ways to reduce costs
- Not buying new equipment
- Getting a second job
- Getting massive loans
How much money did the goverment offer for the farmers to “walk off their land”?
160 000
What are 4 things climate change will lead to?
- Longer stretches of time with no rain
- Less rain in Autumn and Winter
- Hotter average temperatures in the world
- More days where the temperature gets to 40°+
