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Water Cycle > Unit 1 Notes > Flashcards

Unit 1 Notes Flashcards

1
Q

Why is water important?

A

Provides freshwater, flows through plants, sustains ecosystems, fisheries, essential for crops and livestock, regulates environment.

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2
Q

What % of water is stored in Oceans?

A

97.4%.

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3
Q

What % of water is stored in the land and the atmosphere?

A

Land - 2.6%. Atmosphere - 0.001%.

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4
Q

How much land flows through global water cycles each year?

A

1,033,000 km cubed.

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5
Q

What is water cycle mass balance made up of?

A

Inputs, Outputs, flows, and stores.

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6
Q

What are the examples of outputs?

A

Evaporation, Transpiration, channel flow, meltwater, sublimation, wind blown snow.

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7
Q

What are the examples of inputs?

A

Avalanche, De-sublimation, Precipitation.

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8
Q

What are the examples of flows?

A

Groundwater flow, basal sliding, percolation, interception, infiltration, direct runoff, internal deformation.

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9
Q

What are the examples of stores?

A

Oceans, freshwater, atmosphere.

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10
Q

What is an open system?

A

A system in which the quantity of water will vary over time.

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11
Q

What is a closed system?

A

A system in which the quantity of water is fixed.

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12
Q

Why is a drainage basin an open system?

A

Because it receives water from above and below the ground, and consists of inputs, storage, transfers, and outputs.

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13
Q

Why is the global water cycle a closed system?

A

Because new water is never added to the earth or the atmosphere, and water is never removed.

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14
Q

What is the size of each global water cycle store?

A

Oceans - 1,335,000 km. Crysosphere - 26,000 km. Groundwater - 15,000 km. Rivers - 178 km. Soil moisture - 122 km. Atmosphere - 13 km.

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15
Q

What is the main input of global water stores?

A

Precipitation.

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16
Q

What % of the water is unusable?

A

30%.

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17
Q

What % of water is permafrost?

A

69%.

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18
Q

What are the variations in Tundra areas?

A

Fog and rain during summer, as the temperature isn’t high enough for water to evaporate.

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19
Q

What are the variations in equatorial regions?

A

High amounts of water, higher rainfall, high evaporation, moist air.

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20
Q

What are the variations in glacial areas?

A

68.7% of water is stored in glaciers, so glacial water can’t be used as freshwater.

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21
Q

What are the variations in the tropics?

A

They have lots of groundwater, they’re used as safe drinking water.

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22
Q

What is sea ice in Europe like now, compared to the devensian?

A

There is no sea ice, large glaciers, or tundra regions in Europe.

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23
Q

What was the temperature increase in 2017, compared to pre-industrial levels?

A

1 degree celsius.

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24
Q

What was the temperature increase in glacial areas?

A

4 degrees celsius.

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25
Q

What does a light albedo mean?

A

Higher reflection, Lower melting rates, lower melting rates.

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26
Q

What has the sea level rise been since 1880?

A

19.5 cm.

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27
Q

What is the ocean rise predicted to be by 2100?

A

7cm, 60cm in total.

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28
Q

How many people live in areas less than 1m above sea level?

A

250 million people.

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29
Q

What are the reasons for the rising sea level?

A

Run off of meltwater, thermal expansion of seawater as it warms.

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30
Q

What was the mean sea level in 2018?

A

9cm above the 1993 average.

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31
Q

What % of sea level rise was due to meltwater, and thermal expansion?

A

2/3 was meltwater, 1/3 was thermal expansion.

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32
Q

What does the water budget affect?

A

How much water is stored in a terrestrial drainage system over a typical year.

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33
Q

What is the equation for precipitation?

A

Precipitation = Stream flow + Evapotranspiration.

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34
Q

What does it mean if P>Q+E?

A

Positive Balance.

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35
Q

What does it mean if P<Q+E?

A

Negative Balance.

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36
Q

What is a soil water surplus?

A

Excess water in the system, soil is saturated. Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration, excess isn’t being used by plants.

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37
Q

What months is there a soil water surplus in the UK?

A

January, February, March, April, May, November, December.

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38
Q

What is soil water utilisation?

A

A reduction in water available within the system, as evapotranspiration exceeds transpiration. Plant growth increases transpiration rates, increasing temperature increases evaporation.

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39
Q

What months is there soil water utilisation in the UK?

A

May, June, July, August, September.

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40
Q

What is soil water recharge?

A

Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration after a period if soil water deficiency. Increase of water in the soil.

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41
Q

What months do we have soil water recharge in the UK?

A

September, October, November.

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42
Q

What is field capacity?

A

Soil is at the maximum amount it can hold before becoming saturated, as precipitation.

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43
Q

What is the water budget in New York?

A

There is lower evapotranspiration, soil is always saturated.

44
Q

What is the water budget in Texas?

A

There is a positive water budget from November-March, allowing recharge. Soil water utilisation from March-May.

45
Q

What are the different types of precipitation?

A

Rain, Ice, Sleet, Snow, Hail, Dew, Fog, Mist.

46
Q

What is the effect of a prolonged period of intense rainfall on drainage basins?

A

Infiltration, soil becomes saturates, increased surface storage, surface runoff, increased throughflow, groundwater flow.

47
Q

What is the effect of a short period of light rain on drainage basins?

A

Interception, infiltration, most of precipitation is intercepted by vegetation, evaporation takes place, no effect on channel flow.

48
Q

What is the first surface that precipitation reaches?

A

Plants.

49
Q

How do levels of interception loss vary in deciduous woodland in winter and summer?

A

Winter - Deciduous trees lose their leaves, lower interception loss. Summer - Higher temperatures, more evaporation, high interception loss.

50
Q

What happens in a varied landscape?

A

There are low levels of interception where there is no high lying shrubs, high levels of interception.

51
Q

How is precipitation stored on the surface?

A

Water frozen as snow or ice, water accumulating in depressions, infiltration is slower than input of water.

52
Q

What is infiltration capacity affected by?

A

Permeability of soil.

53
Q

How does the texture of the soil control permeability?

A

Coarse textures soil causes high rates of infiltration. Fine textures soil causes low rates of infiltration.

54
Q

Which other factors affect permeability of soil?

A

The size of weathered rock particles, controlling the size of pore spaces within soil.

55
Q

Which other factors affect infiltration rates?

A

Soil compaction, types of vegetation.

56
Q

How does the amount of moisture vary?

A

Varies with time linked to individual precipitation events.

57
Q

What is Gravitational Water?

A

The amount of water in the soil that percolates under the influence of gravity, reaching the water table.

58
Q

What is Retained Water?

A

Water held in pores small enough to hold water against gravity, not tightly enough so roots can’t absorb.

59
Q

What is hygroscopic water?

A

Tightly held water on soil particle surfaces as a result of adhesion.

60
Q

When will soil be in wilting point?

A

In august and summer months, and months of outputs>inputs.

61
Q

What do trees affect levels of?

A

Gravitational water, retained water.

62
Q

How do trees affect gravitational water?

A

Water moves by sticking together when in trees, and is dragged to the leaf.

63
Q

How do trees affect retained water?

A

Forests retain excess rainwater, moderate runoff patterns, and prevent extreme runoff.

64
Q

How do trees reduce flood risk in an area?

A

Slowing down rainwater, reducing erosion, making it more likely to infiltrate and percolate.

65
Q

How does gravitational water create ground water?

A

It percolates downward to create a saturated zone in rock.

66
Q

What must bedrock be, for groundwater to flow?

A

Permeable, contain pore spaces, contain joints/cracks.

67
Q

What is an aquifier?

A

Rock that is capable of storing and transmitting water.

68
Q

What is an aquiclude?

A

Rock that isn’t capable of storing and transmitting water.

69
Q

What are the impermeable rocks?

A

Granite, Clay.

70
Q

What are the permeable rocks?

A

Sandstone, Chalk, Limestone.

71
Q

Which rock is pervious?

A

Limestone.

72
Q

Which rocks are porous?

A

Sandstone, chalk.

73
Q

What type of weather leads to high evaporation?

A

High temperatures, low humidity, high wind speeds.

74
Q

Which factors control the rate of transpiration?

A

Temperature, high light intensity, humidity, wind speed, pressure, availability of water.

75
Q

What is the most important output of a drainage basin?

A

Evapotranspiration - 100% of output in arid regions. 75% of output in humid areas.

76
Q

What is the largest output from a drainage basin?

A

Water flowing through a river.

77
Q

What is a river regime?

A

Discharge flowing through a river over a year has a predictable pattern.

78
Q

What is a simple regime?

A

A clear seasonal difference between periods of high water levels and low water levels.

79
Q

What is a complex regime?

A

Pattern of discharge has multiple peaks and more variable flow.

80
Q

How is discharge measured?

A

Cubic metres per second.

81
Q

Which natural factors affect the pattern of a river regime?

A

Shape of surrounding area, rainfall, amount of vegetation, patterns of precipitation, evapotranspiration, rock type.

82
Q

Which human factors affect the pattern of a river regime?

A

Amount of vegetation, land use, building infrastructure, flood defences, extracting water from rivers.

83
Q

What is the River Severn like in winter?

A

Discharge peaks at 125 cumecs, because temperatures are at their lowest at this time of year, reducing rates of evapotranspiration. Trees have less leaves.

84
Q

What is the River Severn like in Spring?

A

Discharge peaks at 60 cumecs because temperatures start to increase, so rates of evapotranspiration increase. Trees gain leaves, rates of infiltration increase.

85
Q

What is the River Severn like in Autumn?

A

Discharge increases because temperatures start to decrease, causing soil water recharge. Temp goes from 20 in summer to 10 in autumn. Rates of evapotranspiration decrease.

86
Q

What is the River Severn like in Summer?

A

Discharge is at its’ lowest of 20 cumecs, temperature is at its’ highest, rates of evapotranspiration are high. Trees have all their leaves, infiltration is at its’ highest.

87
Q

What is River Severn rainfall distribution similar to?

A

Rainfall is evenly distributed, high evapotranspiration in summer leads to low runoff.

88
Q

What is glacier melt?

A

European mountain rivers have a high water period, when glaciers feeding melt most rapidly.

89
Q

What is tropical seasonal rainfall?

A

In tropical areas, evapotranspiration tends to be stable, but summer rain causes a peak.

90
Q

When does the river Po peak and trough?

A

Peaks in May and November, troughs in January and August.

91
Q

What happens to the River Po in January-May?

A

Ablation of glaciers, melting of snow in the alps.

92
Q

What happens to the River Po in May-August?

A

Warmer temperatures, increased plant growth, snow has disappeared, more evapotranspiration.

93
Q

What happens to the River Po in August-November?

A

Temperatures start to drop, more water in river channel.

94
Q

What happens to the River Po in December?

A

Precipitation falls as snow, doesn’t enter river. Water is stored, doesn’t runoff.

95
Q

What is the background of the Colorado river?

A

It flows through an arid region - peak rainfall is in August, due to intense rainfall storms.

96
Q

What was the hoover dam designed to do, and when was it built?

A

A source of power generation, flood control, water storage. Built in 1936.

97
Q

What happened before the construction of the dam?

A

River ranged from 5 to 80 cubic metres per second.

98
Q

What was the impact of the dam?

A

River ranged from 10 to 20 cubic metres per second.

99
Q

What are the characteristics of flashy hydrographs?

A

Short lag times, steep rising and falling limb, high peak discharge.

100
Q

What are the characteristics of non-flashy hydrographs?

A

Long lag times, shallow rising and falling limbs, low peak discharge.

101
Q

What are the conditions of flashy hydrographs?

A

High drainage density, granite, field capacity, rapid thaw, short torrential downpour, steep sided valley, round shaped drainage basin, urban area.

102
Q

What are the conditions of non-flashy hydrographs?

A

Steady rain, gently sloping valley, low drainage density, elongated drainage basin, rural area, chalk, soil below field capacity, gradual thaw.

103
Q

Which other factors affect hydrographs?

A

Catchment shape, drainage density, slope gradient.

104
Q

How does catchment shape affect hydrographs?

A

Elongated drainage basins have lower peak discharge at head of basin, circular drainage basins take less time to reach the river.

105
Q

How does drainage density affect hydrographs?

A

The total length of streams per unit area of land. High drainage density has a short lag time, steep falling limb, water drains out quickly.

Water Cycle (6 decks)

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