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geo > Water and Carbon cycle > Flashcards

Water and Carbon cycle Flashcards

1
Q

why is the water cycle a closed system?

A

because it powered by the sun and functions without human interference

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2
Q

what percentage of earth is covered by water?

A

72%

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3
Q

what is atmospheric water?

A

water found in the atmosphere; mainly water vapour with some liquid water and ice crystals

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4
Q

what is cryospheric water?

A

water locked up on the Earths surface as ice

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5
Q

what is oceanic water?

A

water contained in the earths oceans and seas but not including inland seas

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6
Q

what is terrestial water?

A

this consists of groundwater , soil, moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers

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7
Q

what is the average PH of oceans and what has happened to it?

A

8.14 and it has fallen from 8.25 due to increased atmospheric carbon

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8
Q

define an ice cap.

A

thick layers of ice on land that are smaller than 50,00km^2

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9
Q

define an ice sheet.

A

mass of glacial land ice that is more than 50,00km^2

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10
Q

define a glacier.

A

they are thick masses of ice found between deep valleys or in upland hollows.

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11
Q

define permafrost.

A

land that is at or below 0°C for at least 2 consecutive years.

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12
Q

what happens if permafrost melts?

A

it releases methane and co2.

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13
Q

what is a river and its function?

A

a stream of water within a defined channel they act as a store/transfer of water. They transfer water from the ground, soils and atmosphere to a store which could be oceans, lakes or wetlands

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14
Q

what is a lake?

A

a collection of fresh water found in hollows on the land surface.

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15
Q

what is the difference between a lake and a pond?

A

a lake is larger than 2 hectares in area whereas a pond is smaller than 2 hectares in area

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16
Q

what is a wetland?

A

an area where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year/periods during the year

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17
Q

why are wetlands important?

A

-water saturation determines how the soil develops and they types of plant/animal living in/ on the soil
-supports aquatic and terrestrial species

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18
Q

where is biological water stored?

A

in biomass such as trees and plants

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19
Q

what is the most common type of atmospheric water?

A

a gas; water vapour which is colourless, odourless and clear.

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20
Q

why is water vapour important?

A

it reflects , absorbs and scatters incoming solar radiation which keeps the atmosphere at a temperature in which it can maintain life

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21
Q

when does evaporation occur?

A

when energy from solar radiation hits the surface of water or land and causes liquid water to change state from liquid to a gas.

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22
Q

what does the rate of evaporation depend on?

A

-temperature of the air
-the amount of solar energy
-humidity of the air
-availability of water

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23
Q

what is condensation?

A

Condensation is the process where water vapor becomes liquid. It is the reverse of evaporation

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24
Q

what is hoar frost?

A

direct condensation of water vapour to ice at temperatures below freezing

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25
Q

what is a glacial period?

A

where large volumes of ice on land meant that sea level was approximately 120 m lower than present (water was frozen and there was a reduction in thermal expansion)

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26
Q

what is a interglacial period?

A

global ablation (melting) exceeded accumulation
and the hydrological cycle returned

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27
Q

which factors have driven a change in the magnitude of major stores of water?

A

evaporation
condensation
cyrospheric processes(accumulation/ablation)

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28
Q

what is a drainage basin?

A

an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries

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29
Q

what does the watershed mark?

A

the edge of the drainage basin

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30
Q

what is throughfall in the hydrological cycle?

A

canopy-surface rainwater storage exceeds its capacity

31
Q

what is stem flow in the hydrological cycle?

A

flowing down stems,stalks or tree boles

32
Q

what is interception storage in the hydrological cycle?

A

precipitation that falls on the canopy

33
Q

what is water table in the hydrological cycle?

A

boundary between saturated and unsaturated rock

34
Q

what is river discharge in the hydrological cycle?

A

the amount of water flowing through a river channel

35
Q

what is soil storage in the hydrological cycle?

A

the amount of water stored in soil

36
Q

define precipitation.

A

rain,snow,sleet.,or hail that falls to the ground.

37
Q

define condensation.

A

a process where water vapour changes to liquid water

38
Q

define evaporation.

A

the process where liquid water changes to a gas.This requires energy provided by the sun and aided by wind

39
Q

define transpiration.

A

the loss of water from vegetation through pores on their surfaces.

40
Q

define thorughflow.

A

the movement of water downslope through thr subsoil under the influence of gravity

41
Q

define snow melt.

A

surface run off produced by melting snow

42
Q

define throughfall.

A

the portion of the precipitation that reaches the ground directly through gaps in the vegetation canopy and drips from leaves.occurs when the canopy-surface rainwater storage exceeds its storage capacity.

43
Q

define groundwater flow.

A

the slow movement of water through underlying rocks

44
Q

define river channel flow.

A

the path through which a river flows

45
Q

define surface run off flow.

A

water flow horizontally across land surfaces when rainfall has exceeded infiltration capacity.

46
Q

define percolation.

A

the downward movement of water within rock under the soil surface.Rates depend on the nature of the rock.

47
Q

define interception storage.

A

precip that falls on the vegetation surfaces or human made cover and is temporarily stored on these surfaces

48
Q

why is infiltration capacity important?

A

because it varies according to the soil type to soil type and preceding conditions such as the level of saturation

49
Q

what are the water stores?

A

-groundwater aquifers
-fossil aquifers
-water on land
-water and plants
-water and plants-interception

50
Q

how is water stored in groundwater aquifers?

A

-about 30% of all freshwater is stored in aquifers which is porous body of rock underground

51
Q

how is water stored in fossil aquifers?

A

fossils in the deserts of Africa,middle east and Australia are called this.They were formed thousands of years ago when the climate in these regions were wetter

52
Q

how is water stored on land?

A

snow accumulation in winter adds to the mass of glaciers or ice sheets and in summer ice calves(breaks away)

53
Q

how is water stored in plants?

A

plants remove water from the soil and store it.They then lose the water back to the atmosphere via transpiration.The process is called evapotranspiration.

54
Q

how is water stored in plants (interception)

A

when rain falls water gets intercepted by leaves and branches and stored

55
Q

what are the factors that affect the water cycle at a local scale?

A

-urbanisation
-deforestation
-farming-ditches drain the land and encourages water to flow quickly to rivers
-seasonal changes and storms

56
Q

formula for river discharge.

A

cross section area x velocity

57
Q

formula for velocity.

A

distance/time

58
Q

what is a river regime?

A

the variability of a rivers discharge throughout the course of a year in response to precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration, and drainage basin characteristics

59
Q

what is discharge?

A

the volume of water flowing through a river channel measured at any given point given in cubic metres per second.

60
Q

what is peak flow on a flood hydrograph?

A

the point where river discharge is t its greatest.

61
Q

what is base flow on a flood hydrograph?

A

the amount of water in a river flowing past a particular point

62
Q

what is bankfull on a flood hydrograph?

A

the maximum discharge that a river channel is capable of carrying without flooding

63
Q

what is lag time on a flood hydrograph?

A

the time difference between peak rainfall and peak discharge

64
Q

human factors that affect discharge.

A

-urbanisation
-deforestation
-agriculture
-flood engineering e.g. channel widening

65
Q

summarise water abstraction in London.

A
  • peak in the 1960s and groundwater levels below central London had dropped 88m below sea level.

-20th century chalk basal sand aquifer in London was exploited due to industrialisation

-in West London groundwater levels are increasing due to limited abstraction–>limited abstraction poses a threat to the London Basin

66
Q

summarise water abstraction in southern Engalnd.

A
67
Q

summarise water abstraction in Europe

A

-10% of Europes total freshwater source is being abstracted anually
-water being abstracted more than its being replenished by rain

68
Q

summarise deforestation.

A

e.g. amazon
-evapotranspiration decreases
-overland flow increases
deforestation can lead to: climate change, desertification, soil erosion

69
Q

summarise soil drainage.

A

e.g. East midlands
-drainage that removes excess water through tubes called tiles
-water is removed when water table>tiles
-increases infiltration

70
Q

water flow processes

A

Throughflow
Inflitration
Percolation
Stemflow
Surface run off
Groundwater flow

71
Q

water stores in a drainage basin

A

Groundwater
Rivers/Lakes
Interception
Soil

72
Q

physical factors that affect discharge

A

-amount of precipitation
-relief(steep)
-soil type
-saturation
-drainage density(amount of rivers in an area)

73
Q

draw a flood hydrograph

A

geo (35 decks)

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