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Geography 12 > The Water Cycle > Flashcards

The Water Cycle Flashcards

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1
Q

Hydrological Cycle

A

The continual movement of water between the rivers, oceans, atmosphere and land

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2
Q

How the water cycle works

A

1) evaporation
2) warm air rises
3) condensation
4) precipitation
5) interception
6) surface run off or through flow
7) percolates

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3
Q

Major stores of water

A

Ocean, ice caps, land and atmosphere

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4
Q

Transfers

A

Movement of water between stores

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5
Q

River or drainage basins

A

An area of land drained by a river and its tributaries

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6
Q

Edges of drainage basin

A

Watershed

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7
Q

Where the river meets the sea

A

Mouth of the river

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8
Q

Types of erosion

A

Abrasion
Attrition
Hydraulic Action
Corrosion/solution

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9
Q

Abrasion

A

Material carried by the river wears away the bed and banks

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10
Q

Hydraulic action

A

The power of the water forces air into gaps in the banks and weakens them so they eventually collapse

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11
Q

Attrition

A

The particles carried by the river are bashed against one another, making them smaller and rounder

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12
Q

Corrosion/solution

A

Particles are dissolved because of slightly acidic solution

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13
Q

Causes of vertical erosion

A

Swirling currents creating potholes in the river bed

Water falls creating plunge pools

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14
Q

Types of transportation

A

Traction
Saltation
Suspension
Solution

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15
Q

Traction

A

Rolling large stones along the bed of the river

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16
Q

Saltation

A

Bouncing smaller particles along the bed

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17
Q

Suspension

A

Sediment that floats within the river flow

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18
Q

Solution

A

Minerals dissolve in the water

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19
Q

Deposition

A

When the velocity of the river falls, it has less ability to carry its load. The river then starts to drop the material, starting with the largest particles. Loss of velocity can occur for many reasons

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20
Q

Reasons for the loss of velocity

A

River enters the sea or lake
There is less water entering the river
There is more sediment in the river

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21
Q

Competence

A

The maximum size of material the river is capable of carrying

22
Q

Capacity

A

The total actual load transported

23
Q

Levels of energy required to erode

A

Sands require the least energy as their particles do not coagulate
Silt/Clay requires a higher velocity as particles do coagulate
Pebbles are eroded at higher velocities
Boulders require the highest velocities to erode

24
Q

Upper course vs lower course

A

Upper course: Steep gradients lead to rapid-flowing rivers
Middle course: River meanders through gentle gradients
Lower course: River braids over flat land

25
Q

Upper course

A
  • Vertical erosion
  • Weathering
  • Headward erosion
  • Boulders create friction, slowing down the rate of flow
  • Steep gradient
26
Q

Characteristics commonly found in the upper course of rivers

A
  • V-shaped valleys
  • Potholes
  • Interlocking spurs
  • Waterfalls
  • Rapids
  • Gorges
  • Large boulders
27
Q

Middle course

A 
Lateral erosion
Transportation
Asymmetrical channel
Floodplain
Truncated spurs
Meanders
28
Q

Lower course

A

Transportation
Deposition
Friction is reduced, so greater velocity

29
Q

Characteristics commonly found in the lower course of rivers

A 
Wide smooth channel
Braiding
Oxbow lakes
Large floodplain
Terraces
Levees
Deltas
30
Q

V Shaped Valleys

A

Weathering breaks up material on slopes, which is then deposited into the river. Material is carried by riverbed through abrasion

31
Q

Waterfalls

A

Soft rock erodes more quickly, undercutting the hard rock
Hard rock is left overhanging, because it isn’t supported it eventually collapses. Plunge pool is created by the erosion of rocks. Process repeats and waterfall moves upstream, forming a steep sided gorge on either side

32
Q

Meanders

A

Meanders are formed by erosion and deposition. Centrifugal force causes the water to flow fastest around the outside of the river, creating erosion on the outside and deposition on the inside bend.

33
Q

Oxbow Lakes

A

When the bends of a meandering river become so large that the water takes a more direct path, often cutting through the land of the bend. This may change the course of the river as more water runs through the alternate route. The old bend of the river eventually gets cut off, leaving an oxbow lake.

34
Q

Braiding

A

River loses velocity, sediment is deposited and builds up to choke the main channel, causing the river to split in a braiding pattern.

35
Q

Formation of a delta

A
  • River carrying sediment reaches sea/lake
  • Loses energy and deposited material
  • Heaviest sediment first, more sediment is added
  • if tides are strong then sediment will be washed away, if not then delta will form
36
Q

Flocculation

A

When the fresh and salt water meet creating an electric charge causing the clay particles to coagulate

37
Q

Types of delta

A

Birds foot: Many distributaries
Cuspate: Sediment spread evenly on either side
Arcuate: Rounded and convex structure

38
Q

Physical causes of flooding

A
  • Heavy rainfall
  • Snowmelt
  • Steep slopes
  • Impermeable rock
  • Very saturated soils
  • Compacted or dry soils
39
Q

Human factors that cause flooding

A

Urbanisation

Deforestation, removing trees reduces the amount of water intercepted and increases runoff

40
Q

Storm Hydrographs

A

shows how rainfall events change the discharge of a river

41
Q

Factors influencing storm hydrographs

A 
Basin size
Precipitation type
Temperature
Land use/ Urbanization
Rock/Soil type
Drainage density
Tides/storm surges
42
Q

Drainage density formula

A

Total length of all streams and rivers in a drainage basin, divided by the total area of the drainage basin

43
Q

Factors affecting drainage density

A 
Geology
Land use
Time
Precipitation
Relief
44
Q

Bifurcation ratio meaning

A

a LOW bifurcation ratio means a HIGHER risk of flooding

45
Q

Bifurcation ratio

A

Number of streams of one order in relation to the number of streams in the next order (1st order / 2nd order) then finding the average of all the ratios

46
Q

Hydraulic radius

A

Ratio between the area of a cross section of a river channel, and the length of its wetted perimeter.

47
Q

Purpose of the hydraulic radius

A

Determines the efficiency of a river. …

48
Q

Drainage patterns

A

Trellised
Radial
Parallel
Dendritic

49
Q

Radial

A

Streams radiate outwards from a central high point

50
Q

Trellised

A

Tributaries enter the main river approximately 90 degree angles due to ridges of harder or impermeable rock, causing a trellis-like appearance of the drainage system

51
Q

Parallel

A

Rivers flow uniformly down steep sloping surfaces

52
Q

Dendritic

A

Streams join together to form tributaries into the main river. From overhead this makes a tree-like pattern with tributary “branches” and a river “trunk.”

Geography 12 (12 decks)

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