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Urban BK 3 Flashcards

1
Q

what is urban climate

A

how urban environments can influence aspects of local climate like temperature, wind speed, humidity etc

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2
Q

what are five different climate variables

A

temperature (urban heat island)
precipitation
fogs and thunderstorms
wind
air quality

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3
Q

what’s the basics of the urban heat island effect

A

the fact that temperatures are highest in more built up city centres and decrease towards the suburbs and countryside

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4
Q

in urban environments how much warmer are daytime temperatures than rural areas

A

0.6 degrees

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5
Q

why are nighttime temperatures 3/4 degrees higher than rural areas at night

A

the buildings give off radiation built up during the day

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6
Q

how much more can summer temperatures be in urban areas compared to rural

A

5 degrees

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7
Q

how much more as a percentage is hail likely to happen in urban than rural areas

A

400% more likely

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8
Q

how many days greater does it go without rain in urban areas compared to rural

A

5-15 days more

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9
Q

how much as a percentage do high urban temperatures limit snow by

A

15%

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10
Q

how much as a percentage do high temperatures increase the likelihood of thunder in urban areas

A

25%

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11
Q

what is albedo

A

the reflectivity of a surface, light surfaces reflect more than dark surfaces so have a greater albedo

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12
Q

define photochemical pollution

A

a form of air pollution that occurs mainly in cities and can be dangerous to health,

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13
Q

what’s 3 reasons urban areas tend to be warmer than rural areas

A

1)surfaces in the city tend to be much less reflective
2)air pollution from industries and vehicles increase cloud cover and creates a ‘pollution dome’
3)heat comes from industries, buildings and vehicles which all burn fuel

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14
Q

what are 4 reasons why the urban heat island effect is a concern

A

-conditions can become uncomfortable in buildings and transport systems, heat stroke, asthma and death increases
-produces higher air pollution levels
-pressure on the supply of energy for cooling and air con
-lead to increased water consumption by residents and businesses, could lead to water use restrictions

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15
Q

what’s 3 strategies to manage the urban heat island effect

A

- cool surfaces
-green roofs
-urban greening

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16
Q

describe what cool surfaces are

A

cool roofs built from materials with high solar reflection or albedo absorb, store less solar energy during the day so don’t emit lots of heat at night

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17
Q

how much can green roofs reduce rooftop temperatures by on a sunny day

A

20-40 degrees

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18
Q

what’s urban greening

A

planting trees and vegetation provides shade and can have a natural cooling effect

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19
Q

what’s one reason why precipitation can be higher over urban areas than rural

A

higher urban temperatures encourage the development of lower pressure over cities, convection rainfall happens more

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20
Q

when is a thunderstorm most likely to occur in an urban area

A

late afternoon and evening

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21
Q

how are thunderstorms produced

A

1) conventional uplift occurs
2)cumulonimbus clouds form up to the height of the tropopause, where stability increases
3)rapid cooling and condensation happens whihc leads to the formation of water droplets
4)during condensation latent heat is released which fuels conventional uplift, a positive electrical charge builds up in the cloud which ends up producing lightning
5)rapid expansion of air sheikh develops a shock wave which is heard as thunder

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22
Q

how do buildings impact wind

A

they excert a powerful frictional drag on air moving over and around them which creates turbulence giving rapid and abrupt changes in both wind direction and speed

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23
Q

how much lower is the annual wind velocity in urban areas compared to rural

A

30% lower in urban areas

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24
Q

how much more dust particles are there in a city compared to rural

A

3-7 times more

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25
how much more CO2 in urban compared to rural areas
2 times
26
what mixture produced smog
fog and smoke
27
i’m december 1952 how many deaths was smog in london responsible for
4000 deaths
28
why is urban drainage a thing
built up urban areas need drainage to remove surface water run off
29
what’s the traditional and more modern versions of drainage
traditional- underground pipe systems modern- sustainable urban drainage systems SUDS
30
define groundwater flow
when water that collects underground is transfers slowly through rock
31
define transpiration
the process by which water is lost from a plant through the stomata in its leaves
32
define river run off
all water that comes into a river water system, from sources like rain or groundwater
33
define through flow
water that moves downslope through subsoil horizontally, permeability of soil affects this
34
define vegetation storage
the water taken up by vegetation
35
define evaporation
the process where liquid water transforms into water vapour
36
define interception
the process by which raindrops are prevented from falling directly onto soil surface by the presence of vegetation
37
define groundwater storage
constant percolation where water reaches underlying soil or rock
38
define through fall
the water which drops off the leaves of trees during a rainstorm
39
define surface run off
where excess water flows away from the surface
40
define surface storage
where water lies on the surface
41
define channel storage
the volume of water that temporarily stored in an river channel or it’s floodplain whilst it flows towards an outlet or estuary
42
define percolation
as water reaches the underlying soil or rock layers that tend to be compact
43
define channel flow
the run off of surface water within a well defined channel like a river
44
define soil water storage.
the water storage capacity of the soil
45
define infiltration
the passage of water into soil
46
what are the 6 main points of a storm hydrograph
peak precipitation rising/falling limb discharge backfill discharge lag time baseflow/groundwater flow
47
define peak precipitation
the highest amount of rainfall fallen in a storm event
48
define the rising and falling limb
rising limb is how fast the water is getting to a river falling limb is how fast river levels are falling to normal steepness
49
define discharge and what it’s measured in
the amount of water originally as precipitation which reaches the channel by surface run off, throughflow and base flow measured in cumecs
50
define bank full discharge
the maximum point a river reaches before it floods in a given amount of time
51
define lag time
the period between maximum precipitation and peak discharge is lag time
52
define base flow/groundwater flow
when water that collects underground is transferred slowly through rock
53
would the rising limb be higher in an urban or rural area
higher in an urban area, more flashy and peaky because transfers are faster
54
what is a SUDS
approach to manage rainfall by using natural processes in the landscape to reduce flooding, control flooding and provide amenity for the community
55
what should SUDS do
reduce damage from flooding improve water quality protect and improve the environment protect health and safety ensure stability and durability of drainage
56
what five reasons mean SUDS are sustainable drainage methods
1)manage runoff volumes and flow rates which reduces flooding 2)protect or enhance water quality 3)are sympathetic to the environment and needs of the community 4)provide a habitat for wildlife alongside urban watercourses 5)encourage natural groundwater recharge
57
what are 4 examples of SUDS
rain harden regional wetland swale green roof
58
what is a rain garden
relatively small depressions in the ground that can act as infiltration points for roof water and other 'clean' surface water, they catch water before they enter a piped network
59
what’s a green roof
Green roofs, also known as living roofs, vegetated roofs or eco-roofs, consist of live vegetation established on top of buildings. The plants and growing medium (soil or other material) rests on top of a synthetic waterproof membrane protecting the building from penetration of water, water vapour and roots.
60
what’s a regional wetland
distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently or seasonally.
61
what’s a swale
a shallow drainage channel with gentle side slopes in the ground where water running off a site can collect and soak away. Swales can be used to channel run-off from roads, yards and car parks where it collects into pools before soaking away.
62
what’s a local example of SUDS
Yarm, 15 miles southeast from Darlington in a residential estate called Tall Trees
63
what are the 6 main aims of SUDS
enhanced biodiversity improved water quality improved air quality recreation opportunities flood risk management drought management

Geog Urban (7 decks)

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