Water and Carbon cycles 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

Flow / Transfer

A

A form of linkage between one store/component and another that involves movement of energy or mass

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2
Q

Input

A

The addition of matter and/or energy into a system

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3
Q

Store / Component

A

A part of the system where energy/mass is stored or transformed

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4
Q

System

A

A set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process

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5
Q

Elements

A

The things that make up the system of interest

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6
Q

Attributes

A

The perceived characteristics of the elements

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7
Q

Relationships

A

Descriptions of how the various elements (and their attributes) work together to carry out some kind of process

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8
Q

Isolated systems

A

These have no interactions with anything outside system boundary. There is no input or output of energy or matter

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8
Q

Isolated systems

A

These have no interactions with anything outside system boundary. There is no input or output of energy or matter

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9
Q

Closed systems

A

These have transfers of energy both into and beyond the system boundary but not transfer of matter

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10
Q

Open systems

A

These are where matter and energy can be transferred from the system across the boundary into the surrounding environment. Most ecosystems are examples of open systems

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11
Q

Dynamic equilibrium

A

When there is a balance between the inputs and outputs. This means that the stores stay the same.

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12
Q

Positive feedback

A

Where the effects of an action are amplified or multiplied by subsequent knock-on or secondary effects

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13
Q

Negative feedback

A

Where the effects of an action are nullified by its subsequent knock-on effect

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14
Q

Atmospheric water

A

Water found in the atmosphere; mainly water vapour with some liquid water (cloud and rain droplets) and ice crystals

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15
Q

Cryospheric water

A

The water locked up on the Earth’s surface as ice

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16
Q

Hydrosphere

A

A discountinuous layer of water at or near the Earth’s surface. It includes all liquid and frozen surface waters, groundwater geld in soil and rick and atmospheric water vapour

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17
Q

Oceanic water

A

The water contained in the Earth’s oceans and seas but not including such inland seas as the Caspian Sea.

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18
Q

Terrestrial water

A

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

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19
Q

Sea Ice

A

When water in the oceans is cooled to temperatures below freezing.

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20
Q

Ice Sheets

A

Mass of glacial land ice extending more than 50,000km2

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21
Q

Ice caps

A

Thick layers of ice on land that are smaller than 50,000km2

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22
Q

Alpine glaciers

A

Thick masses of ice found in deep valleys or in upland hollows

23
Q

Permafrost

A

Ground that remains at or below 0oc for at least 2 consecutive years

24
Q

Rivers

A

Act as both a store and a transfer of water. Streams of water within a defined channel

25
Q

Lakes

A

Collections of fresh water found in hollows on the land surface. Larger than 2 hectares in area

26
Q

Wetlands

A

An area of marsh, fen, peatland or water, weather natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing where there is a dominance by vegetation.

27
Q

Groundwater

A

Water that collects underground in the pore spaces of rock.

28
Q

Groundwater

A

Water that collects underground in the pore spaces of rock.

29
Q

Soil water

A

Held together with air in unsaturated upper weathered layers of the Earth

30
Q

Biological water

A

Constitutes the water stored in all the biomass

31
Q

Atmospheric water

A

Water that is found in the atmosphere, most commonly as a gas, such as water vapour

32
Q

Evaporation

A

Occurs when solar radiation hits the surface of water or land and causes liquid water to change state from a liquid to a gas (water vapour)

33
Q

Condensation

A

Air cools and holds less water vapour. This means that if it cools sufficiently then it will get to a temperature at which it becomes saturated (dew point temperature). Excess water in the air will then be converted to liquid water.

34
Q

Interception storage

A

The precipitation that falls on the vegetation surfaces (canopy) or human-made cover and is temporarily stored on these surfaces. This type of water can be evaporated directly to the atmosphere, absorbed by the canopy surfaces or ultimately transmitted to the ground surfaces

35
Q

Overland flow

A

The tendency of water to flow horizontally across land surfaces when rainfall has exceeded the infiltration capacity of the soil and all surface stores are full to overflowing

36
Q

Percolation

A

The downward movement of water within the rock under the soil surface. Rater vary depending on the nature of the rock.

37
Q

Run-off

A

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

38
Q

Saturated

A

This applies to any water store that has reached its maximum capacity

39
Q

Stemflow

A

The portion of precipitation intercepted by the canopy that reaches the ground by flowing down stems, stalks or tree bole.

40
Q

Transpiration

A

The loss of water from vegetation through pores (stomata) on their surfaces

41
Q

Storm & rainfall event

A

An individual storm is defined as a rainfall period separated by dry intervals of at least 24 hours and an individual rainfall event is defined as a rainfall period separated by dry intervals of at least 4 hours

42
Q

Water balance

A

The balance between inputs (precipitation) and outputs (run-off, evapotranspiration, soil and groundwater storage) in a drainage basin

43
Q

Throughfall

A

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

44
Q

Through flow

A

The movement of water down-slope through the subsoil under the influence of gravity. It is particularly effective when underlying permeable rock prevents further downward movement

45
Q

Evapotranspiration

A

The total output of water from the drainage basin directly back into the atmosphere

46
Q

Groundwater flow

A

The slow movement of water through underlying rocks

47
Q

Infiltration

A

The downward movement of water from the surface into soil

48
Q

Cryospheric processes

A

The processes that affect the total mass of ice at any scale from local patched of frozen ground to global ice amounts. They include accumulation (the build up of ice mass) and ablation (the loss of ice mass)

49
Q

Drainage basin

A

This is an are of land drained by a river and its tributaries. It includes water found on the surface, in the soil and in near-surface geology

50
Q

Bankfull

A

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

51
Q

Base flow

A

This represents the normal day-to-day discharge of the river and is the consequence of slow moving soil thoughflow and groundwater seeping into the river channel

52
Q

Discharge

A

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

53
Q

Lag time

A

The time between the peak rainfall and peak discharge

54
Q

Peak discharge

A

The point on the flood hydrograph when river discharge is greatest

55
Q

Storm flow

A

Discharge resulting from storm precipitation involving both overland flow, through flow and groundwater flow

56
Q

Storm hydrograph

A

A graph of discharge of a river over the time period when the normal flow of the river is affected by a storm event