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Physical Geography > Water and Carbon > Flashcards

Water and Carbon Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a system?

A

A set of interrelated events or components working together, that forms a unified whole and also describes the transfer of energy.

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2
Q

What are stores?

A

individual elements or parts of the system

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3
Q

What are flows/transfers?

A

Links between components

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4
Q

What is an open system?

A

Transfers both matter and energy to the surrounding environment as well as within the system.

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5
Q

What is a closed system?

A

Transfers energy to the surrounding environment but not mater.

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6
Q

What is an isolated system?

A

These have no interaction with anything outside the system, there is no input or output of energy or matter.

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7
Q

Whats an example of an open system?

A

Drainage basins

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8
Q

Whats an example of an closed system?

A

Earth’s water cycle

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9
Q

What is dynamic equilibrium?

A

The balance between inputs and outputs in a system.

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10
Q

What is negative feedback?

A

Effects of an action are nullified by subsequent knock on effects.

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11
Q

What is positive feedback?

A

When the action is multiplied/amplified by subsequent knock on effects

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12
Q

What is an example of a positive feedback system?

A

Ice sheets have high albedo, reflect solar radiation, temperature cools, more ice, increased albedo, increased cooling.

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13
Q

What is an example of a negative feedback system?

A

Temperature increases, more snow falls at high altitude, glaciers increase in size, increased albedo, temperature cools.

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14
Q

What is terrestrial water?

A

Water on the land as:
-Ground water = Water that collects underground in the pore spaces of rocks.
-Soil water = Stored in pore spaces in upper layers of unsaturated soil, key in controlling the exchange of water between land surface and atmosphere through evapotranspiration.
-Surface water = Free flowing water of rivers, wetlands, lakes.
Biological water = Water stored in all biomasses.

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15
Q

What is atmospheric water?

A

Water found in the atmosphere - mainly as vapour (GHG), some as liquid and ice crystals.

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16
Q

What is Ocean water?

A

Water stored in the oceans and seas but doesn’t include inland seas. Alkaline and contains dissolved salts which allow it to stay liquid below 0 degrees.

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17
Q

Describe the composition of the Earth’s water

A

Largest proportion of the Earth’s water (95.6%) is stored in the oceans.
Other large stores are ground ice and permafrost (69%), and glaciers ice caps (68.7%).
Only 2.5% of the Earth’s water is freshwater.

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18
Q

Describe the hydrosphere

A

A discontinuous layer of water on the Earth’s surface. It includes all liquids on the Earth’s surface including river’s lakes, seas, and oceans.

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19
Q

Describe the cryosphere

A

The cryosphere describes water in solid form on the Earth’s surface e.g. glaciers and ice sheets.

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20
Q

Describe some cryospheric water stores

A

-Ice caps e.g. the Iceland ice cap = Thick layers of ice on land, usually found in mountainous area.
-Permafrost e.g. North Alaska slope = Ground material that remains below 0 degrees for at least 2yrs. Formed during glacial periods.
-Alpine glaciers e.g. Mer de Glace , France = Thick masses of ice in deep valleys, fed by ice from ice caps

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21
Q

Describe the Earth’s ice sheets (cryosphere)

A

An ice sheet is a mass of glacial land ice extending more than 50,000 km2.
The two major ice sheets cover most of Greenland Antarctica.

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22
Q

Explain the role of cryosphere change in the water cycle:

A

-The cryosphere refers to water stored as ice on Earth’s surface.
-In periods of cooling, the cryosphere will grow, so water cycle is slowed considerably as ice restricts return of water.
-Winter months - snowfall + frozen ground interrupts water transfers e.g. infiltration, affects magnitude of stores.

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23
Q

Describe the lithosphere

A

The outermost layer of the Earth, it includes the crust and the upper parts of the mantle plus any rocks and soil.

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24
Q

Describe the atmosphere

A

Water held in the atmosphere as water vapour. Including clouds, rain and ice crystals.

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25
Q

Explain how water is stored in the atmosphere

A

Most common store is gas
Stored in clouds
Amount of vapour depends on temperature

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26
Q

What is latent heat?

A

The heat required to convert a solid to a liquid or vapour, or a liquid into a vapour, without change of temperature.

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27
Q

What are factors driving change?

A

The processes which cause water to change state and are what are responsible for driving change in the size of water stores.

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28
Q

What are the 3 main changes that are impacting the magnitude of stores in the water cycle?

A

-Climate change
-cloud formation and changes in precipitation
-cryospheric processes

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29
Q

Explain how climate change impacts the magnitude of stores in the water cycle

A

-At the peak of the last ice age, about 1/3 of the Earth’s surface was covered in glaciers and ice sheets. So sea levels fell by over 100m compared to today.
-During warmer periods (3 mill yrs ago), ocean levels were 50m higher than today as ice has melted.

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30
Q

Explain how cloud formation and changes in precipitation impacts the magnitude of stores in the water cycle

A

-The global atmospheric circulation model is the driving force for cloud formation and precipitation being unevenly distributed.
-Equator = high temps = high evaporation. Warm air rises, cools and condenses forming clouds (low pressure) in the ITCZ.
-In mid latitudes, cloud formation is driven by the convergence of warm air from the tropics and cold from the arctic = low pressure.

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31
Q

What are the factors affecting evaporation?

A

-Temperature of the air
-Amount of solar energy
-Availability of water
-Humidity of the air

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32
Q

What is dew point temperature?

A

As air cools its able to hold less water vapour. This means that if it is cooled sufficiently then it will get to a temperature at which it becomes saturated.

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33
Q

What are condensation nuclei?

A

Tiny particles that are below dew point temperature that water molecules condense on e.g. smoke, dust.

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34
Q

What is sublimation?

A

Water vapour turning to a solid

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35
Q

What are the 5 major glacial periods?

A

Huronian, Cryogenian, Andean-saharan, Karoo ice age and quarternary glaciation.

36
Q

What is the quarternary period?

A

The most recent glacial period that started 2.58 mill years ago and continues today.

37
Q

When do glacial periods occur?

A

When due to the volume of ice on land, sea levels are much lower than present.

38
Q

What is Ablation?

A

Where mass is lost rather than gained in the lower parts of the glaciers.

39
Q

What is Accumulation?

A

Where more mass is gained in the upper parts of the glacier than is lost.

40
Q

When do interglacial periods occur?

A

When global ablation exceeds accumulation and the hydrological cycle as we know it today returns.

41
Q

What is an Aquifer?

A

A permeable or porous rock which stores water that formed slowly over a long period of time.

42
Q

What is a fossil aquifer?

A

An aquifer which is formed during wetter climatic periods, that may last for 10,000 years.

43
Q

Describe the distribution of ground water aquifers?

A

The majority of Aquifer systems are found throughout South America, Africa and Europe. Some are also found in Indonesia and Australia.

44
Q

What is a drainage basin/catchment area?

A

The area of land drained by a particular river and its tributaries. Can vary in size from a few sqkm to millions of sqkm.

45
Q

What is the watershed?

A

-The physical boundary/ the edge of a drainage basin.
-Marked by higher land than the surrounding area.
-Water in the watershed is then drained into rivers via their tributaries.

46
Q

Why are drainage basins open systems?

A

Energy in the form of solar energy enters the system. Matter in the form of precipitation enters the system, and can leave via evapotranspiration.

47
Q

What are the inputs and outputs of a drainage system?

A

Inputs = precipitation
Outputs = Transpiration, evaporation, river discharge.

48
Q

What are the flows of a drainage?basin?

A

Stemflow, throughflow, groundwater flow, through fall, infiltration, percolation, river/channel flow.

49
Q

What are the stores of a drainage?basin?

A

Vegetation storage, soil storage, interception storage, surface storage, groundwater storage.

50
Q

How would storms affect the drainage basin?

A

Storms mean that more water is entering the drainage basin, this saturates the soil and increases the risk of flooding.

51
Q

How would urbanisation affect the drainage basin?

A

Building on drainage basins means less water can infiltrate into the ground, increasing the risk of flooding.

52
Q

How would farming affect the drainage basin?

A

Farming uses water from the basin, and practices such as ploughing can compact the soil, reducing the amount of water that can infiltrate into the ground.

53
Q

How is the hill slope water cycle affected by natural factors?

A

-Storms = Intense rainfall increases the amount of rainfall reaching the ground and increases the magnitude of stores.
-Seasonal changes = Winter snowfalls and frozen ground interrupt the water transfers and affect the magnitude of stores.

54
Q

How is the hill slope water cycle affected by human factors?

A

-Farming = Ditches drain land and water flows quickly at rivers. Irrigation increases water on the land.
-Deforestation = Removal of trees reduces interception and infiltration. Overland flow increases.

55
Q

Define precipitation

A

The movement of water from the atmosphere to the ground surface. It can take several forms including rain, snow, sleet, hail and fog.D

56
Q

Define interception

A

Precipitation that falls on the vegetation surfaces or human made cover that is temporarily stored on these surfaces.

57
Q

Define throughflow

A

The portion of precipitation that reaches the ground through gaps in vegetation, occurs when the canopy surface rainwater storage exceeds storage capacity.

58
Q

Define stemflow

A

The portion of precipitation intercepted by the canopy that reaches the ground by flowing dow stems, stalks or trunks.

59
Q

Define infiltration

A

The downward movement of water from the surface into the soil

60
Q

Define soil storage

A

The amount of water stored in the soil, in pore spaces.

61
Q

Define vegetation sotrage

A

When plants remove water from the soil and store it in their structure in order to survive.

62
Q

Define transpiration

A

The loss of water from vegetation through stomata in the leaves and returns back to the atmosphere.

63
Q

Define surface storage

A

When the soil is saturated, water builds on the surface as surface storage, usually in the form of puddles.

64
Q

Define evapotranspiration

A

The total output of water via evaporation plus transpiration from the cycle

65
Q

Define overland flow

A

Water flowing over the ground surface, may be due to saturated soil.

66
Q

Define infiltration capacity

A

Water moving through the subsoil at a very slow rate under the influence of gravity.

67
Q

Define percolation

A

The downward movement of water within the rock under the soil surface.

68
Q

Define groundwater

A

Water held within the pore spaces in rocks after it has percolated through the rocks above.

69
Q

Define groundwater flow

A

The slow movement of water vertically and horizontally through underlying rocks.

70
Q

Define channel flow

A

Water held in the channel as it moves through the drainage basin, also acts as a temporary store.

71
Q

Define run-off

A

All of the water that enters a river channel and eventually flows out of the drainage basin.

72
Q

Define discharge

A

Volume of water passing a measuring point or gauging station in a river in a given time. Its usually measured in cubic metres per second.

73
Q

Define simple river regime

A

The regime of a river represents the annual average discharge of a river.

74
Q

How many river systems are there in the UK?

A

1500

75
Q

Describe rainfall patterns in the UK

A

Mountains in the North can drain areas receiving 5m a year, compared to the SE which has much lower rainfall.
Rainfall is evenly distributed in the UK. The west can get more.

76
Q

Define water balance/budget

A

Within a drainage basin, the balance between inputs and outputs.

77
Q

What is the equation used to show the water balance

A

Precipitation (P) = total runoff (streamflow) (O) + evapotranspiration (E) +/- changes in storage (S).

-The 2 most important parts are precipitation and evapotranspiration.
-evapotranspiration is closely related to prevailing temperature.

78
Q

Define potential evapotranspiration

A

The amount of water that could be evapotranspirated from an area.

79
Q

On a water balance graph, what is soil moisture re-charge?

A

When soil moisture store is filled again as precipitation is greater than evapotranspiration.

80
Q

On a water balance graph, what is soil moisture utilisation?

A

When the water is used up by plants as potential evapotranspiration is greater than precipitation.

81
Q

On a water balance graph, what is soil moisture defecit?

A

There isn’t enough water for plants so they either wilt or adapt to survive dry conditions. Potential evapotranspiration is greater than precipitation.

82
Q

On a water balance graph, what is soil moisture surplus?

A

All space in soil is filled, surplus in precipitation, overland flow can occur. Excess hasn’t been used. Evapotranspiration is less than precipitation.

83
Q

Define field capacity

A

The maximum amount of water soil can hold before it becomes saturated. A surplus can result in wet soil, high river levels and run-off.

84
Q

Define water defecit

A

Evapotranspiration is in excess of precipitation and other moisture has been used.

85
Q

How do the wet seasons change the water balance?

A

-Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration
-Creates a water surplus
-Creates soil moisture surplus, and re-charges soil.

86
Q

How do the dry seasons change the water balance?

A

-Precipitation lower than evapotranspiration
-Creates soil moisture defecit, excess is used by plants.

87
Q
A

Physical Geography (3 decks)

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