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Physical Geography: Water and Carbon > Water and Carbon > Flashcards

Water and Carbon Flashcards

1
Q

What percentage of total global water is oceans?

A

96.5%

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2
Q

What percentage of freshwater is groundwater?

A

30%

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3
Q

What percentage of freshwater is glaciers and ice caps?

A

68%

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4
Q

What percentage of surface water is lakes?

A

20%

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5
Q

What percentage of surface water is ice and snow?

A

73%

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6
Q

What type of system is the hydrological cycle?

A

Closed system

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7
Q

Define drainage basin.

A

The area of land drained by a river. Water collected here travels downstream.

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8
Q

Name 4 flows in the hydrological cycle.

A
  1. Interception: precipitation that does not reach the soil
  2. Infiltration: water on the ground soaking into the soils and pourous rock
  3. Throughflow: the flowing of water within the soil, moving towards the river.
  4. Percolation: the movement of water in rock being stored as ground water.
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9
Q

Name 4 outputs of the hydrological cycle.

A
  1. Evaporation
  2. Transpiration
  3. Channel flow
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10
Q

How do humans disrupt the drainage basin?

A

We accelerate the process by deforestation and changing land use. By digging deep wells there is a high risk of salinisation which can contaminate the water.
Urbanisation increases the proportion of impermeable surfaces which prevents infiltration meaning less groundwater is stored.

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11
Q

What does a water budget show?

A

Shows the annual balance between inputs and outputs and the impact on availability.

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12
Q

What does the shape of the storm hydrograph depend on?

A
  1. Shape of the basin (rapid drainage the shape will be circle)
  2. Size: smaller the basin, the less time it takes for the water to drain to the river so shorter lag time.
  3. Drainage density: the higher the density, the higher the risk of flooding.
  4. Rock type: impermeable rocks mean quicker runoff
  5. Relief: steeper the basin the quicker it drains
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13
Q

What is an anticyclone?

A

When air does not rise so condensation and cloud formation does not occur.

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14
Q

Name two ways in which humans add to drought risks.

A
  • over abstraction of surface water resources and ground water aquifers, reducing water supply.
  • deforestation reduces soils ability to sore water causing the land to dry out.
  • construction of dams can reduce water flow down stream and dry Land
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15
Q

Name 2 effects of a drought on the ecosystem

A
  1. Natural environment is unable to get the materials they require for growth.
  2. Drought can cause a loss of wetlands and Forrest stress
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16
Q

Name one impact of surplus within the hydrological cycle.

A
  • Can lead to flooding which can have huge impacts on people
  • can cause intense storms which lead to flash floods
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17
Q

How does climate change affect the hydrological cycle?

A
  • climate change effects the inputs and outputs by altering precipitation and evaporation rates.
  • climate change has an impact on stores, flows and size of snow and glacier mass, reservoir, lakes permafrost.
  • climate change impacts are uncertain which can cause concern over water supplies.
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18
Q

How much water is considered water insecurity?

A
  • 1700m3 per person
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19
Q

Name a physical cause of water insecurity?

A

Climate variability where salt encroachment at the coast affects saline percentage

20
Q

Name 3 ways humans exacerbate water insecurity

A
  • Over abstraction from rivers, lakes and groundwater. Over abstraction can cause salinisation as wells were dub too deep.
  • water contamination from agriculture: fertilisers
  • industrial water pollution: chemicals used in industry
21
Q

Name three consequences of water insecurity.

A
  • The price of water varies globally due to wealth. In densely populated areas water prices increase as supply cannot meet demand.
  • water supply is vital for economic development, needed for activities in industry, energy supply and agriculture.
  • water insecurity problems is likely to cause international conflicts.
22
Q

Name three ways of managing water supply sustainability.

A
  1. Hard engineering schemes, including water transfers, desalinisation and mega dams are effective but expensive.
  2. Water conservation such as rainwater catchment. Recycling water is environmentally friendly but some may reject the idea.
  3. Integrated management can involve international treaties but are difficult to run.
    .
23
Q

Where is most global carbon locked?

A

Terrestrial stores as part of the long term geological cycle.

24
Q

How do animals in the sea release carbon in the atmosphere?

A

Marine animals convert some of their carbnon in thier diet to calcium carbonate used to make shells. Overtime, these shells collect on the sea bed and form limestone whcih when exposed to air releases carbon into the atmosphere.

25
Q

How do geological processes release carbon in the atmosphere?

A

Through volcanic out gassing at ocean ridges and subduction zones as well as chemical weathering of rocks

26
Q

How do phytoplankton play a part in the biological carbon cycle?

A

Phytoplankton absorb atmospheric carbon during photosynthesis in surfaceocean waters.

27
Q

Name two biological processes in the carbon cycle?

A
  1. Terrestrial primary producers sequester carbon during photosynthesis which is then retruned through respiration of consumer organisms.
  2. Biological carbon is stored as dead organic matter in soils and returned through biological decomposition, forming the final component of the carbon cycle discussed above.
28
Q

How do humans affect the enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

fossil fuel combustion. the natural grenhoiuse effect is vital in regulating earths temperature and pricipitation.

29
Q

Name three primary energy sources

A

Name three primary energy sources

  1. coal
  2. oil
  3. gas
30
Q

what percentage of GLOBAL plant / animals species live in the amazon rainforest?

A

50%

31
Q

what percentage of the worlds oxygen is produced by the amazon?

A

20%

32
Q

how many km2 does the amazon rainforrest cover?

A

5.5 million km2

33
Q

Name 4 causes of deforestation?

A
  1. quarrying (2%)
  2. cattle ranching (70%)
  3. Logging (3%)
  4. agriculture (25%)
34
Q

Which tropic is the amazon rainforrest between?

A

between the tropic of cancer and capricorn

35
Q

How many milimetres of rainfall is there in the amazon rainforrest?

A

2677mm a year

36
Q

What is the temperature of the Amazon rainforrest?

A

26-27 degrees

37
Q

What is sublimation?

A

Where a solid goes straight to a gas

38
Q

What is deposition in terms of solid liquids and gases?

A

Where a gas turns straight to a solid

39
Q

What is the time that water stays in oceans?

A

3600 years

40
Q

what is the time that water in icecaps?

A

15000 years

41
Q

What is the time that water stays in groundwater?

A

up to 10,000 years

42
Q

What is the time that water stays in rivers?

A

2 weeks - 10 years

43
Q

What is the time that water stays in soil moisture?

A

2 - 50 weeks

44
Q

What is the time that water stays in atmospheric moisture?

A

10 days

45
Q

what percentage of the earths surface does the amazon rainforrest cover?

A

6%

Physical Geography: Water and Carbon (1 decks)

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