Unit 4: Freshwater Systems Flashcards
State the Percentage of Fresh Water present on Earth
2.5%
What are the Storages of Water?
- Oceans
- Surface water bodies (streams, lakes, rivers)
- Ice caps + glaciers
- Soil moisture
- Water vapor + clouds
- Groundwater in aquifers
- Organisms (plants and animals)
Give 2 Examples of Transformation in the Water Cycle
1) Evaporation
2) Transpiration
Give 2 Examples of Transfer in the Water Cycle
1) Advection
2) Precipitation
What is Evapotranspiration?
Process through which water evaporates from plants in form of water vapor back into the air.
What is Sublimination?
The conversion between the solid and the gaseous phases of matter, with no intermediate liquid stage. Used to describe the process of snow and ice changing into water vapor in the air without melting into water.
What is Condensation?
The process of changing water from gas to liquid: as water vapour rises, it becomes cooler and changes back into water droplets forming clouds.
What Human Activities Impact the Water Cycle?
- Agriculture (infiltration + irrigation)
- Deforestation (reduced interception)
- Urbanization (impermeable)
- Fertilizer (toxic runoff)
What is the Global Conveyor Belt dependent on?
Temperature (colder = denser) and salinity (higher = denser).
How does the Global Conveyor Belt affect Temperature?
As warm water moves towards the poles, it transfers heat to the environment increasing the temperature. Conversely, as cold water moves towards the equator, the water absorbs heat from its surroundings, lowering the temperature and affecting the weather.
What Effect could Global Warming have on the Global Conveyor Belt?
Higher temperatures will lead to melting of glaciers in the Polar Regions, this increases warm water which could prevent formation of the water density gradient leading to collapse of the global conveyor belt.
What is the El Niño Phenomenon?
A climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the Pacific Ocean + can cause higher precipitation than usual in Central and South America.
Define Water Scarcity
Lack of sufficient water, or not having access to safe water supplies. It relates to water availability to water demand.
Why are Desert Areas not Water Scarce?
Because of the lack of people in deserts – there is little demand for water and therefore no water scarcity.
What is Economic Water Scarcity?
When water is available locally but not accessible for human, institutional or financial reasons.
