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A-level - Geography > Topic 5 - Water EQ1 > Flashcards

Topic 5 - Water EQ1 Flashcards

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1
Q

Define the global hydrological cycle?

A

closed system driven by solar and gravitational potential energy involves a series of processes,fluxes and stores - it is essential for maintaining life on earth

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2
Q

Explain what is meant by the global hydrological cycle being a closed system?

A

Does not have any external inputs or outputs, meaning that the water on earth is constant and finite

  • does have flows (eg streams/ground water) and transfers
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3
Q

What are fluxes, give an example?

A

forces or processes that move water to the different physical parts of the water cycle

  • eg precipitation which moves water from the atmosphere to the surface of the Earth
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4
Q

Explain the first stage of the water cycle - evaporation?

A

When heat is applied to water in lakes,oceans,plants and in soil it evaporates (evapotranspiration) causing the water molecules to rise into the air, forming clouds of water vapour

  • majority of evaporation takes place over oceans
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5
Q

Explain the second stage of the water cycle - condensation?

A

Water vapour has risen into the sky where it cools significantly when it comes into contact with cooler air at higher altitudes, vapour becomes a cloud which is pushed around the world by air currents and winds

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6
Q

Explain the third stage of the water cycle - precipitation?

A

Water vapour cools and condenses into water which start to fall and merges with others, forming large droplet which fall as rain - water infiltrates into the soil and will move in different directions to nearby streams or sink deeper into ‘groundwater storage’

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7
Q

Explain the fourth stage of the water cycle - runoff?

A

After soil has become saturated from water, the water follows gravity flowing down hills and mountains joining rivers or lakes - this eventually leads it back to the ocean where the cycle will repeat

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8
Q

Define residence time - give 2 examples?

A

The average time a water molecule will spend in a store or reservoir

  • oceans up to 3600 years
  • atmospheric moisture around 10 days
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9
Q

Explain the distribution of global water - include evidence?

A

Majority of worlds water is stored in oceans as salt water (96%) and the majority of the worlds freshwater is stored in glacial ice (68%) and groundwater stores (30%)

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10
Q

Define the different types of water?

A

Blue water - water that is stored in rivers,streams,lakes and groundwater - any visible water in liquid form
Green water - Water that is stored in soil and vegetation - invisible, you can’t see this water

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11
Q

Explain the ocean and atmosphere flux?

A

There is a greater flow of water from the ocean to the atmosphere (evaporation) then there is from atmosphere to the ocean (precipitation) - due to the fact water vapour is moved around then world by winds and air current’s

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12
Q

Explain the atmosphere and land flux?

A

There is a greater flux of water from the atmosphere to the land (precipitation) then there is from the land to the atmosphere (evaporation) this is because much of the water evaporated from the oceans is blown by wind over land where it rains

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13
Q

Define the global water balance?

A

The annual balance of water fluxes and the size of of the water stores - eg oceans,atmospheres and groundwater

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14
Q

Define fossil water - briefly hilight significance?

A

Water that has been contained in an undisturbed space, usually groundwater in an aquifer for a very long time

  • in arid regions the water is extracted from human purposes (agriculture,industry and consumption)
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15
Q

Define drainage basin?

A

An area of land that is drained by a river and its tributaries and separated from neighbouring drainage basins by a watershed (ridge of high land)

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16
Q

Explain the main input of a drainage basin?

A

Precipitation which falls in the catching area of the basin

  • precipitation includes all the ways moisture comes out of the atmosphere
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17
Q

Give five stores of drainage basins?

A
  • Vegetation storage
  • surface storage
  • groundwater storage
  • channel storage
  • interception
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18
Q

Explain what interception is and how it stores water?

A

When precipitation is intercepted before it reaches the ground, it’s temporary as the water evaporates - creates significant stores in wooded areas

Eg - by vegetation or structures

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19
Q

Explain what vegetation storage is and how it stores water?

A

Is water that has been taken up by plants, is all the water contained within plants at any one time

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20
Q

Explain what surface storage is and how it stores water?

A

Water stores in puddles, ponds and lakes on the surface

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21
Q

Explain what groundwater storage is and how it stores water?

A

Water stored in the ground within soil or rocks

Happens when water fills the spaces within the permeable or porous rock creasing groundwater storage and an aquifer

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22
Q

Explain what channel storage is and how it stores water?

A

Any water held in a river or stream channel

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23
Q

Give 5 example of flows and processes within a drainage basin?

A
  • surface run-off
  • infiltration
  • groundwater flow
  • percolation
  • through-flow
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24
Q

Define through flow - what factor increases this flow?

A

Water moving slowly downhill through the soil - is faster when flowing through cracks in the soil

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25
Q

Define infiltration - what factors affect the rate?

A

Water soaking into the soil, infiltration rates are influenced by soil type, soil structure and soil saturation

Infiltration capacity - maximum rate at which soil can absorb precipitation

26
Q

Define surface runoff?

A

water flowing over the surface can be in little channels, often common in arid ares where torrential rain falls on hard land

27
Q

Define percolation - what is the main factor that affects the rate?

A

water seeping down through soil into the water table, water fills spaces within permeable or porous rock

  • rate of percolation is dependent on permeability of the rock which links to the rocks porosity , greatest in coarse-grained rocks like sandstone
28
Q

Define groundwater flow - what increases the rate?

A

is water flowing slowly below the water table through permeable rock - rocks which are highly permeable from having lots of joints provide a faster water flow

  • rate of flow increases according to the angle of rock strata, steeper gradient allows gravity to operate more effectively
29
Q

Give 3 main outputs within a drainage basin?

A
  • evaporation
  • transpiration
  • channel flow
30
Q

Explain what saturated overland flow is?

A

Occurs when water accumulates in the soil until the water table reaches the surface, forcing further water to run-off the surface

  • common in areas with thin soil and moderate permeability
31
Q

Explain 3 physical factors which affect drainage basins?

A
  • steep gradient slopes - faster movement of water and shorter storage times
  • permeable soil and rocks - allow more infiltration and percolation - greater recharge of groundwater
  • dense vegetation - intercept more precipitation, increased evapotranspiration and water storage
32
Q

Explain 2 human factors which affect drainage basins?

A
  • urbanisation - increased concrete/tarmac and impermeable surfaces increase rapid surface run off, evaporation and interception
  • dams/reservoirs hold water creating new surface stores
33
Q

Explain how Convectional Rainfall occurs?

A
  • Common in tropical areas
  • happens when the land becomes hot and the air above it becomes warmer, causing it to expand and rise
  • as it rises, it cools and its ability to hold water vapour decreases causing condensation to occur and the formation of clouds, which rise further until rainfall occurs - cool air descends replacing warm air
34
Q

Explain how frontal (cyclonic) Rainfall occurs?

A
  • Occurs when lighter and less dense warm air (tropical air) is forced to rise over cold denser air (polar air masses)
  • as it rises the air cools and its ability to hold water vapour decreases
  • condensation occurs and clouds form, resulting in rain
35
Q

Explain how orographic Rainfall occurs?

A

Occurs when air if forced to rise over a barrier (eg a mountain) it then cools, condenses resulting in rain

dry area on the downside (leeward) of the mountain recieves little rainfall due to the mountain sheltering it from the rain producing weather system (rain shadow effect)

36
Q

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A
37
Q

Explain what infiltration-excess surface flow is?

A

occurs when the rainfall exceeds the infiltration capacity, causing excess water to flow over the ground surface which is quickly delivered into river channels which may increase flooding further down

38
Q

Explain 2 physical factors affecting interception?

A
  • precipitation - interception is greatest when precipitation is light and for a short duration this is because dry leaves and stems have the greatest water storage
  • vegetation type and density - more vegetation cover intercepts more rainfall - for example coniferous trees as the dense needles allow for greater accumulation of water
39
Q

Define potential evapotranspiration?

A

the amount of evapotranspiration that could take place given an unlimited supply of water in an environment

40
Q

Define evapotranspiration?

A

total amount of moisture removed from a drainage basin by processes of evaporation and transpiration

41
Q

Explain 4 factors affecting the rate of evapotranspiration?

A
  • temperature - rate of evaporation increases with temperature, so is affected by sunshine hours
  • Wind - will increase the rate of evaporation by reducing the humidity and preventing saturation of the air
  • Vegetation cover - transpiration increases with increased vegetation cover, which also results in an albedo as more solar radiation is absorbed by dark forests
  • Soil moisture content - will determine the amount of water available for transpiration, transpiration is dependent on soil and rock permeability
42
Q

Explain 3 physical factors affecting rate of infiltration?

A
  • soil texture and structure - soils with smaller pore size (clay) have lower infiltration capacity compared to sand
  • vegetation - roots extend in the soil causing cracks and fissures - faster infiltration, less chance of excessive runoff
  • slope angle - very steep slopes encourage run-off, shallower slopes promote more infiltration
43
Q

Explain the human action cloud seeding is and its affect on the drainage basin, give examples of its use?

A

Involves dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation nuclei - research suggests that it is a dependable and affordable water-supply practice for many regions - results in precipitation

  • used by china before the 2008 olympics to clear the air of pollution and used in California to improve snow cover
44
Q

Explain groundwater abstractions affect on the drainage basin, give examples of its use?

A

Groundwater is abstracted from aquifers faster than its replaced - causes reduced groundwater flow and a lower water table leading to droughts

  • used to irrigate more than 40 percent of chinas farmland - groundwater levels have dropped
45
Q

Explain dam construction affect on the drainage basin, give examples of its use?

A

Dams increase surface water stores and evaporation - reducing downstream river discharge

  • Lake Nasser behind Aswan dam has estimated evaporation losses of 10 to 16 billion cubic meters a year - 20 to 30% of the water volume of the river Nile
46
Q

Explain urbanisations affect on the drainage basin, give examples of its use?

A

Creates more impermeable surfaces like concrete which reduces infiltration and increases surface run-off

  • there has been an increase in flooding across UK towns
47
Q

Define field capacity?

A

point at which the soil if full of water and can hold no more

48
Q

Define actual evapotranspiration?

A

amount of water that is lost through transpiration and evaporation

49
Q

Define soil moisture utilisation?

A

when the soil moisture store is full and there is excess water available for plants,runoff and recharge

50
Q

define soil moisture recharge?

A

when moisture from precipitation infiltrates and pre-locates in the stores to repay the soil moisture utilisation - evapotranspiration is lower then precipitation

51
Q

Define soil moisture deficit - what does it result in?

A

there is not enough water left in the soil (due to high rates of evapotranspiration and low precipitation) to match potential, results in rivers running dry and droughts

52
Q

Define water budget - what’s the formular for it?

A

reflects the natural annual balance between inputs and outputs in a given river area - formula used is P = Q + E +/- store change

P - precipitation
Q - channel discharge
E - evapotranspiration

53
Q

Give 4 factors which affect river regimes?

A
  • amount,pattern and intensity of precipitation - regimes often reflect rainfall seasonal maxima
  • temperatures experienced - evaporation will be highest in summer (temps are highest)
  • human activities - dam building can regulate flow
  • amount and type of vegetation cover - wetlands hold and slowly release water into the system
54
Q

Give three physical factors which influence probability of flooding?

A
  • relief - high, steep slopes promote surface runoff
  • rock type - impermeable rocks such as granite restrict percolation and encourage rapid surface run off
  • soil type - low infiltration rate with low porosity soils like clay as the grain swell when they absorb water
55
Q

Give three human factors which influence probability of flooding?

A
  • deforestation - dense vegetation intercepts lots of precipitation and acts as a temporary storage
  • industrialisation - impermeable surfaces reduces infiltration
  • agriculture - uses lots of water which affects river water levels
56
Q

Explain how climate can increase chances of flooding?

A

Intense rainfall exceeds the infiltration capacity of the soil - causes flooding and more surface run-off

57
Q

What is the rising limb on a storm hydrograph - what does it signify?

A

Is the increase in discharge in response to surface runoff and through-flow from a rainfall event, until peak flow is reached

When a storm begins the rivers initial response is negligee as the precipitation takes time to reach the channel

58
Q

What is bankfull discharge on a storm hydrograph - what does it signify?

A

Occurs when a rivers water level reaches the top of its channel - any further increase will result in flooding of surrounding land

59
Q

What is the lag time on a storm hydrograph - what does it signify?

A

Is the difference in hours and minutes between the time of maximum precipitation and the time of peak discharge - rivers with a short lag time tend to experience a higher peak discharge and are more prone to flooding

60
Q

What is the falling limb on a storm hydrograph - what does it signify?

A

The decline in discharge that occurs after peak flow - usually less steep than the rising limb

61
Q

What are river regimes?

A

Describes the annual variation in the discharge of a river

A-level - Geography (21 decks)

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