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Geography - Water Cycle > Unit 1 > Flashcards

Unit 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What are the global water cycle stores?

A

Atmosphere
Land
Oceans

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2
Q

What are the global water cycle flows?

A

precipitation
evaporation
precipitation
run off/groundwater flow
evapotranspiration

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3
Q

What % of global water is stored in the Oceans?

A

97%

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4
Q

What is the total amount of water in km cubed that flows through in the global water cycle each year?

A

1033km cubed

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5
Q

Draw a diagram to show the inputs, outputs, flows and stores?

A

In Desk (to check its correct)

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6
Q

What is an open system?

A

a system in which the quantity of matter will vary overtime

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7
Q

What is a closed system?

A

a system in which the quantity of matter is fixed

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8
Q

Why is a drainage basin an open system?

A

because the quantity of water will fluctuate over time due to variations in the quantity of inputs and outputs

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9
Q

Why is the global water cycle a closed system?

A

because the quantity of water is fixed as no water leaves or is created (finite resources)

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10
Q

Where are the world’s freshwater supplies?

A

2.5% of all water and over 2/3 is located in glaciers

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11
Q

How have water stores changed over time?

A

There has been an increase in the cryosphere store (freshwater)

There has been a reduction in the ocean store (saltwater)

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12
Q

What is Arctic Amplification?

A

In Arctic areas the average figure is 2 degrees (intense warming in the arctic)

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13
Q

How does the ice albedo feedback mechanism work?

A
  • increase in temperature
  • ice melts
  • darker surfaces revealed
  • albedo reduced
  • increased absorption of solar radiation
  • back to the start
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14
Q

What was the total change in sea level rise (cm) between 1880 and 2008?

A

17.5 cm

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15
Q

What is the case study for arctic amplification?

A

Greenland Ice Sheet = temperatures rise in the past decade
= losing ice faster than it was in the 1990’s

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16
Q

What is the water balance/budget?

A

affects how much water is stored in a terrestrial drainage basin system over a year

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17
Q

What is the water balance equation?

A

Precipitation (P) = Stream/river flow (Q) + Evapotranspiration (E)

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18
Q

What type of water balance does P>Q+E?

A

a positive water balance

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19
Q

What type of water balance does P<Q+E?

A

a negative water balance

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20
Q

What is soil water storage?

A

the level of water stored on land, in the soil and can vary throughout the year

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21
Q

What is evapotranspiration?

A

The process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces like plants

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22
Q

Draw out the soil moisture storage graph?

A

Check booklet

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23
Q

What does A, B, Cand D stand for o the soil moisture storage graph?

A

A = soil water surplus
B = soil water utilitation
C = soil water recharge
D = precipitation exceeds evaporation

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24
Q

What is meant by soil water surplus?

A

there is excess water available to the system and the soil is saturated
Precipitation > evapotranspiration for prolonged period, excess is not being used by plants

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25
What is meant by soil water utilisation?
there is a reduction of water available within the system evapotranspiration > precipitation plant growth increases transpiration rates and increasing temps lead to increasing evaporation
26
What is meant by soil water recharge?
after a period of soil water deficiency, precipitation > evapotranspiration, increasing the water in the soil
27
What is meant by field capacity?
the maximum amount of water that soil can hold before it becomes fully saturated
28
What is the drainage basin?
the catchment area drained by a single river and its tributaries
29
What separates one drainage basin from a neighbouring drainage basin?
the watershed
30
Why does a drainage basin operate as an open system?
has both inputs and outputs
31
What is the definition of throughflow?
horizontal movement of water down the slope through the soil
32
What is the term for when water is temporarily stored on the surface of vegetation?
interception
33
What is the definition of percolation?
vertical downward movement of water through the soil to the groundwater
34
What is the term for the movement of water from the ground surface into the soil?
infiltration
35
What is the term for the flow of water over the ground surface?
surface runoff (overland flow)
36
What is the term for rain, snow, sleet or hail?
precipitation
37
What is meant by throughfall?
water dripping off vegetation to the ground surface
38
What is meant by baseflow?
water flowing into the river from the groundwater store
39
What is meant by surface storage?
water held in puddles, lakes and reservoirs
40
What is meant by transpiration?
water lost from vegetation through the stomata cells
41
What is meant by the water table?
the upper level of the ground water store
42
What is the term for water flowing within a river?
channel flow
43
What is meant by groundwater store?
water stored in soil and/or rock below the water table
44
What is the term for water held within a river?
channel store
45
What is meant by stem flow?
water flowing over leaves, stems and branches
46
What two factors that will impact the drainage basin system?
the intensity and duration of precipitation
47
What is meant by interception loss?
this is the proportion of precipitation that does not reach the ground due to interception
48
What are the two main types of surface runoff/overland flow?
1. Saturation-excess 2. Infiltration-excess
49
How does saturation excess overland flow work?
when the soil is fully saturated, then any other precipitation will runoff the surface
50
How does infiltration excess overland flow work?
process operates on dry soil, when the rate of precipitation is greater than the rate of infiltration, excess water accumulates on the surface and will begin overland flow
51
What type of rainfall can cause infiltration excess overland flow?
Intense rainfall, Boscastle floods
52
What 3 factors affect the permeability of the soil?
infiltration capacity rate of through flow texture of the soil
53
What factors control the rates on infiltration and through flow?
- gravity - amount of soil - levels of vegetation - levels of the rainfall
54
What is meant by permanent wilting point?
refers to the minimal amount of soil moisture a plant requires to not wilt or die
55
What is meant by gravitational water?
after soil saturation, this water is temporarily stored in the large macro pores which will quicky drain under the force of gravity
56
What is meant by retained/capillary water?
once the gravitational water has drained the soil, the pores fill with water and cannot drained away capillary water is used by plants
57
What is meant by hygroscopic water?
Once the capillary water has been used by the plants, the water left over in the soil is hygroscopic, doesn't leave the soil too small
58
How do trees affect the levels of gravitational water?
lower levels due to the plant roots
59
What affect will trees have on the flood risk in an area?
forests retain excess rainwater and help moderate run off patterns, which reduce the damage from flooding
60
What is the difference between an aquifer and an aquiclude?
aquifer = permeable rock e.g. limestone Aquiclude = impermeable rocks e.g. clay, granite
61
What are pervious rocks (a type of aquifer)?
water is stored or passes through cracks within the rock
62
What are porous rocks ( a type of aquifer)?
water is stored or passes through the pores between the rock particles
63
What is meant by river regime?
annual flow or discharge pattern
64
What is meant by a simple regime?
is one in which there is a clear seasonal difference between a period of both high and low water levels = seasonal changes
65
What is meant by a complex regime?
one in which the pattern of discharge has multiple peaks and more variable flow = larger continental rivers
66
What is an example of a river with a simple regime?
River Severn at Bewdley
67
What are some of the natural factors that may affect a river regime?
- climate - seasonal changes - weather/temperature - geology - levels of precipitation
68
What are some of the human factors that may affect a river regime?
- developments of dam/reservoirs - concrete or impermeable surfaces - irrigation
69
What type of river regime does River Po, Italy have and why?
a complex regime, as it has 2 peaks during a year (one in may and one in November) and two troughs (one in January and another in August)
70
Which river demonstrates how human influences can impact on a river regime?
Colorado River, Arizona, USA (flows through an arid region)
71
When does peak rainfall in the Colorado river occur and why?
In August, due to intense storms from convectional rainfall, which can lead to flash flooding, due to infiltration excess overland flow
72
When was the Hoover Dam built and where?
in 1936, on the Colorado river
73
What impact did the Hoover Dam have on the Colorado river?
the mean monthly flow stopped becoming as varied and more constant
74
What was the peak flow of the Colorado river before the dam was built vs. after?
before = reached 100 (thousands of cubic feet per second - cfs) after = 30 cfs
75
What is meant by lag time?
period between maximum precipitation and peak discharge
76
What is meant by the rising limb?
when levels of discharge is increasing
77
What is meant by peak flow/discharge?
when the river reaches its highest level
78
What is meant by bankfull discharge?
when the level of discharge is at channel capacity, any further discharge = flooding
79
What is meant by falling limb/recession?
when discharge is decreasing and level of river is falling
80
What is the term given to profiles with a short lag time, steep rising and falling limbs, and high peak discharge?
'flashy'
81
What is the term given to profiles with long lag times, shallow rising and falling limbs, and low peak discharge?
'non-flashy'
82
How does catchment shape of a river affect the hydrograph of the river?
- elongated drainage basins have lower peak discharge, takes longer for water to travel from the head to the mouth - circular drainage basin water takes less time so higher peak discharge
83
How does drainage density of a river affect its hydrograph?
basins with lots of streams and rivers, have high drainage density = short lag time and a fairly steep falling limb because water will drain out quickly
84
How does the slope gradient of a river affect its hydrograph?
basins with steep slopes will have high peak discharge and a short lag time because the water can travel faster downhill
85
What is the definition of drainage density?
refers to the total length of stream/river per unit area of land

Geography - Water Cycle (4 decks)

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