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Physical Geography- Water and Carbon > Water and carbon Glossery > Flashcards

Water and carbon Glossery Flashcards

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1
Q

Aquifer

A

A vast underground reservoir most commonly formed in rocks such as chalk and sandstone

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2
Q

Atmosphere

A

The air that surrounds the earth

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3
Q

Burial and compaction

A

Where organic matter becomes buried and is then compressed by the overlaying sediment

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4
Q

Carbon budget

A

A way of using data to describe the amount of carbon that is stored and transferred within the carbon cycle

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5
Q

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

A

The technology ‘capturing’ of carbon emitted from power stations

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6
Q

Carbon farming

A

Where one type of crop is replaced by another that has greater productivity and can absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

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7
Q

Carbon sequestration

A

An umbrella term used to describe the long-term storage of carbon in plants, soils, rock formations and oceans

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8
Q

Carbon sink

A

Anything that absorbs more carbon than it realeases

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9
Q

Carbon source

A

Anything that releases more carbon than it absorbs

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10
Q

Closed system

A

A system with no inputs or outputs

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11
Q

Combustion

A

The process where carbon is burned in the presence of oxygen and converted to energy, carbon dioxide and water

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12
Q

Components

A

The individual elements or parts of a system (also known as stores)

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13
Q

Condensation

A

Transfer of water from a gaseous state to a liquid state, for example, the formation of clouds

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14
Q

Cryosphere

A

Frozen parts of the earth’s surface including Ica caps, frozen oceans, glaciers and snow cover

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15
Q

Decomposition

A

The process where carbon from the bodies of dead organisms is returned to the air as carbon dioxide

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16
Q

Deforestation

A

The removal of trees, leading to surface runoff and soil erosion and reducing soil water stores

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17
Q

Desertification

A

Turning marginal land into a desert by destroying its biological potential

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18
Q

Discharge

A

A measurement of runoff at a moment in time, it is measured in cumecs and worked out by multiplying the cross-sectional area by velocity

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19
Q

Drainage basin

A

The area of land that is drained by a river and its tributaries

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20
Q

Dynamic equilibrium

A

A state of balance where inputs equal outputs in a system that’s constantly changing

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21
Q

Evaporation

A

Water from liquid to gas. Majority occurs from oceans to the atmosphere

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22
Q

Evapotranspiration

A

When evaporation is combined with transpiration (water loss from plants)

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23
Q

Flood (storm) hydrograph

A

A graph showing the discharge of a river following a particular storm event

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24
Q

Flows

A

The process of moving water or carbon from one store to another (also known as transfers)

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25
Q

Gauging station

A

A site used o monitor and collect data about streams, rivers and other land-based bodies of water

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26
Q

Groundwater flow

A

Transfer of water very slowly through rocks

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27
Q

Halosere

A

Vegetation succession that originates in an area of saline water

28
Q

Hillslope system

A

The way in which water moves down a typical hillslope towards a river, involving stores and transfers

29
Q

Hydrocarbons

A

Compounds of carbon and hydrogen which are the basis of fossil fuels such as oil and gas

30
Q

Hydrosphere

A

All of the water on or surrounding the earth, including oceans, seas, lakes, rivers and the water in the atmosphere

31
Q

Impermeable

A

Doesn’t allow water to pass through

32
Q

Infiltration

A

Transfer of water from the ground surface into soil where it may then percolate into underlying rocks

33
Q

Input

A

An input into the system from outside, such as precipitation into a drainage basin

34
Q

Interception

A

Water intercepted and stored on the leaves of plants

35
Q

Irrigation

A

The supply of water to the land by means of channels, streams and sprinklers in order to permit the growth of crops

36
Q

Lithosere

A

A vegetation succession that originates on a bare rocky surface

37
Q

Lithosphere

A

The outermost solid layer of the Earth, approx 100km thick, comprising the crust and upper mantle

38
Q

Negative feedback

A

A cyclical sequence of events that clamps down or neutralises the effects of a system. Caused by the equilibrium becoming upset and unbalanced

39
Q

Open system

A

A system with inputs from and outputs to other systems

40
Q

Output

A

An output from the system to the outside, such as runoff

41
Q

Overland flow

A

Transfer of water over the land surface

42
Q

Percolation

A

Water soaking into rocks

43
Q

Permeable

A

Allows water to pass through

44
Q

Photosynthesis

A

The process whereby plants use the light energy from the sun to produce carbohydrates in the form of glucose

45
Q

Positive feedback

A

A cyclical sequence of events that amplifies or increases change. Caused by the equilibrium becoming upset and unbalanced

46
Q

Precipitation

A

Transfer of water from the atmosphere to the ground. It can take forms such as rain, hail and dew

47
Q

Psammosere

A

Vegetation succession that originates in a coastal sand dune area

48
Q

Recharge

A

Additional water flowing into rock

49
Q

Respiration

A

A chemical process that happens in all cells, which converts glucose into energy

50
Q

River regime

A

The pattern of discharge over the course of a year

51
Q

Runoff

A

A type of flow that transfers both water and sediment from one store to another

52
Q

Seral stage

A

A stage within a sere

53
Q

Sere

A

A complete vegetation succession

54
Q

Soil moisture (water) budget

A

Describes the changes in the soil water store during the course of a year

55
Q

Store

A

An accumulation or quantity of water or carbon

56
Q

Sublimation

A

Transfer from a solid to a gas and vice versa

57
Q

Throughflow

A

Water flowing through soil towards a river channel

58
Q

Transfers

A

The process of moving water or carbon from one store to another (also known as flows)

59
Q

Urbanisation

A

The increasing proportion of people living in towns and cities as opposed to the countryside, leading to the replacement of vegetated ground with impermeable concrete and tarmac

60
Q

Vegetation succession

A

The sequence of changes that take place as plant life colonises bare rock, sand, water or salty areas

61
Q

Water abstraction

A

The extraction of water from rivers or groundwater aquifers

62
Q

Water balance

A

An equation used to express the relationship between the main water stores- the lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and atmosphere

63
Q

Water table

A

The upper level of saturated rock

64
Q

Watershed

A

The edge of a river basin

65
Q

Weathering

A

The breakdown or decay of rocks in their original place at, or close to, the surface. Chemical weathering involves the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

66
Q

System

A

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

Physical Geography- Water and Carbon (16 decks)

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