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Physical Geography > Water & Carbon: EGC All Class Quizlet > Flashcards

Water & Carbon: EGC All Class Quizlet Flashcards

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1
Q

Evaporation

A

The vapourisation of a liquid into a gas

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2
Q

Condensation

A

The change from a gas to a liquid

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3
Q

Precipitation

A

The process of water falling from the sky

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4
Q

Groundwater flow

A

The flow of water below the water table through permeable rock.

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5
Q

Groundwater storage

A

The storage of water underground, held within the rocks below the earth

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6
Q

Vegetation storage

A

Water taken up by plants and contained in plants

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7
Q

Surface storage

A

Includes water in puddles, ponds, and lakes

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8
Q

Throughfall

A

Water dripping from one leaf to another

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9
Q

Baseflow

A

The groundwater flow that feeds into rivers through river banks and river beds

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10
Q

Interflow

A

Water flowing downhill through permeable rock above the water table

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11
Q

Through flow

A

Water flowing horizontally through the soil above the water table

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12
Q

Surface run off (overland flow)

A

Water flowing across the surface from rainwater, snowmelt

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13
Q

Infiltration

A

The process of water entering the soil, in the unsaturated zone with airspace

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14
Q

Percolation

A

Water moving downwards through bedrock and soil below the water table

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15
Q

Interception

A

Water being blocked from reaching the ground by trees and plants

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16
Q

Stemflow

A

Water running down a plant stem or tree trunk

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17
Q

Transpiration

A

The movement of moisture through plants, water evaporates from within leaves

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18
Q

Water table

A

The level where water has saturated the ground; The upper level of saturated rock

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19
Q

Channel storage

A

The storage of water in the river channel. As water is being transported to the sea it is a store of water

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20
Q

Channel flow

A

The movement of water in the river channel moving towards the sea.

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21
Q

River discharge

A

The output of water from a river channel out to sea.

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22
Q

Energy

A

Energy drives change/movement between components. For example, within the Water Cycle, energy from the sun transfers water into water vapor through evaporation.

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23
Q

Offset

A

Counteract (something) by having an opposing force or effect. Carbon offsetting is where companies invest in green solutions to make up for/offset their Carbon footprint.

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24
Q

Process

A

A series of natural or human actions that take place within a system.

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25
Q

Model

A

Idealised representation of reality

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26
Q

System

A

A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements or parts that function together as a whole.

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27
Q

Open system

A

A system with inputs and outputs of both energy and matter

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28
Q

Closed system

A

A system with only inputs and outputs of energy

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29
Q

Dynamic equilibrium

A

A state of balance where inputs equal outputs in a system that is constantly changing.

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30
Q

Inputs

A

Additions to a system. These include energy from the sun and precipitation.

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31
Q

Outputs

A

Removal of energy or matter from a system. These include evaporation and river discharge.

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32
Q

Stores

A

An accumulation of matter - eg a lake

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33
Q

Transfers or flows

A

Movement of matter (eg water and carbon) between stores

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34
Q

Positive feedback

A

When a change in the system causes other changes that have a similar effect so that the initial change is amplified and the system moved further away from dynamic equilibrium

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35
Q

Negative feedback

A

When a change in the system causes other changes that have the opposite effect. This nullifies the initial change and restores balance in a system back to dynamic equilibrium

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36
Q

Atmosphere

A

The air that surrounds the Earth

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37
Q

Hydrosphere

A

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

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38
Q

Lithosphere

A

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

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39
Q

Biosphere

A

All living things on Earth

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40
Q

Cryosphere

A

The frozen parts of the Earth’s surface including ice caps, frozen oceans, glaciers, and snow cover

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41
Q

Aquifer

A

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

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42
Q

Impermeable surface

A

Does not allow water to pass through

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43
Q

Permeable surface

A

Allows water to pass through

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44
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

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45
Q

Deforestation

A

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

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46
Q

Drainage basin

A

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

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47
Q

Source

A

The point where the river begins. The river is both narrow and shallow here, discharge is low.

48
Q

Mouth

A

The point where the river meets the sea. The river is wide and deep here, and discharge is high.

49
Q

Tributary

A

Smaller rivers that feed into the main channel

50
Q

Watershed

A

The edge of a drainage basin

51
Q

Confluence

A

The point where two rivers meet

52
Q

Flood hydrograph

A

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

53
Q

Lag time

A

Time between peak rainfall and peak discharge

54
Q

Soil moisture budget

A

Describes the changes in the soil water store during the course of a year. It is determined by precipitation and evapotranspiration.

55
Q

Soil moisture utilisation

A

The extraction of soil moisture by plants for their needs

56
Q

Soil moisture deficit

A

The point at which soil moisture falls below field capacity - caused by a lack of precipitation and large amounts of evapotranspiration

57
Q

Soil moisture recharge

A

Following soil moisture deficit, precipitation is greater than potential evapotranspiration, moisture will be added to the soil.

58
Q

Field capacity

A

The point at which soil becomes saturated.

59
Q

Soil moisture surplus

A

The period when soil is saturated and water cannot enter, and so flows over the surface - caused by low levels of evapotranspiration and high levels of precipitation

60
Q

Soil porosity

A

Pores or spaces in the soil. The greater pores or spaces, the greater the water holding ability.

61
Q

The Water Balance

A

An equation used to express the amount of water in the main water stores (the spheres)

62
Q

Hillslope system

A

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

63
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

64
Q

Water abstraction

A

The extraction of water from rivers or groundwater aquifers

65
Q

Salt water intrusion

A

The movement of saltwater into an aquifer, which may cause contamination. Often caused by over abstraction of groundwater from an aquifer.

66
Q

Relief/Orographic rainfall

A

Rainfall formed due to warm moist air being forced to rise by the relief of the land. Once risen, the air cools and condenses forming rain.

67
Q

Frontal rainfall

A

Rainfall formed when warm air meets cold air. Warm air is less dense and therefore rises above the cold air, cooling, condensing, and forming rain.

68
Q

Convectional rainfall

A

Rainfall formed when heat from the sun heats the ground. The warm ground heats the air above causing it to rise, cool, condense, and form rain.

69
Q

Ablation

A

Outputs from a glacial system due to melting (size of glacier decreases)

70
Q

Accumulation

A

Inputs to a glacial system due to snowfall (builds a glacier)

71
Q

Carbon budget

A

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

72
Q

Mitigation

A

Any method used to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse gases

73
Q

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

A

The technological ‘capturing’ of carbon emitted from power stations. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is compressed into a liquid and is then pumped and stored several kilometres into the ground.

74
Q

Renewable energy

A

Energy generated from sources that can be renewed and used multiple times, eg hydroelectric power.

75
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

76
Q

Lithosere

A

A vegetation succession that originates on a bare rocky surface. Bare rock will be colonised by lichens, followed by mosses and grass. Eventually, soil builds up allowing shrubs and trees to grow until climatic climax is reached.

77
Q

Seral stage

A

A stage within a sere

78
Q

Sere

A

A complete vegetation succession

79
Q

Vegetation succession

A

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

80
Q

Climatic climax

A

The final stage of seral succession. Vegetation remains relatively unchanged unless destroyed by an event such as fire or human interference.

81
Q

Humus

A

The organic component of soil, formed by the decomposition of leaves and other plant material by soil microorganisms.

82
Q

Milankovitch cycles

A

Changes in the shape of Earth’s orbit and tilt that cause glacial periods and interglacial periods. This is a long-term natural cause of climate change on Earth, causing changes to the carbon cycle as cooler oceans absorb more carbon and colder temperatures slow vegetation growth and decomposition.

83
Q

Enhanced greenhouse effect

A

Rising global temperatures due to greenhouse gases being put into the atmosphere because of human activities

84
Q

Hydrocarbons

A

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

85
Q

Photosynthesis

A

The process whereby plants use the light energy from the sun to produce carbohydrates in the form of glucose. This removes carbon from the atmosphere and allows vegetation to grow.

86
Q

Respiration

A

A chemical process that happens in all cells, which converts glucose into energy. Carbon is released back to the atmosphere but less than is absorbed for photosynthesis meaning that vegetation is naturally a carbon sink.

87
Q

Decomposition

A

The process where carbon from the bodies of dead organisms is returned to the air as carbon dioxide. Eg microorganisms decompose leaf litter and the carbon is returned to the atmosphere

88
Q

Combustion

A

The process where carbon is burned in the presence of oxygen and converted to energy, carbon dioxide and water eg wildfires or burning fossil fuels

89
Q

Sequestration

A

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

90
Q

Diffusion

A

The movement of carbon between the ocean and the atmosphere. Cold water can hold more carbon so during glacials there is more diffusion into the ocean.

91
Q

Weathering

A

The breakdown or decay of rocks in their original place at, or close to, the surface (In situ).

92
Q

Burial and compaction

A

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

93
Q

Carbon sink

A

Anything that absorbs more carbon than it releases eg the ocean

94
Q

Carbon source

A

Anything that releases more carbon than it absorbs

95
Q

Emergent

A

The tallest layer of the rainforest. Can reach over 40m high.

96
Q

Upper Canopy

A

The Second tallest layer of the rainforest, reaches around 30-40m high. This is the densest layer of the rainforest and contains the most species. 75% of rainfall is intercepted in this canopy layer

97
Q

Under Canopy

A

The second layer of the rainforest, reaches around 20m high.

98
Q

Shrub layer/forest floor

A

The smallest layer of the rainforest, around 10m high.

99
Q

Cattle Ranching

A

The practise of raising a herd of cattle on an area of land. Deforestation often occurs to provide the field space. Cattle ranching is responsible for 80% of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest.

100
Q

Logging

A

Cutting down trees for sale as timber or pulp.

The timber is used to build homes, furniture, etc. and the pulp is used to make paper and paper products. Logging can be either selective or clear cutting.

101
Q

Clear Cutting

A

Loggers are interested in all types of wood and therefore cut all the trees down, thus clearing the forest. This is not sustainable.

102
Q

Selective Logging

A

The practise of cutting down selected trees whilst leaving the rest unharmed. Often, more expensive hardwoods such as mahogany are felled, leaving fast growing softwoods to continue growing. This is a more sustainable method of deforestation.

103
Q

Vegetation Breezing

A

When land is cleared the air warms faster, rises and creates an area of low pressure. Rainclouds form above the cleared area and rainfall occurs at expense of the forested area. This rainfall can lead to desertification of the cleared area, preventing any future regrowth.

104
Q

National Parks & Reserves

A

A park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments/An area of forest set aside and preserved by the government. This area is protected from deforestation.

105
Q

Afforestation

A

The processes of replanting an area with trees. Also called reforestation.

106
Q

National & International Agreements

A

Agreements made between countries to reduce the amount of deforestation taking place. This can involve higher income countries offering debt relief if the lower income countries reduce their rates of deforestation.

107
Q

Soy Moratorium

A

An agreement whereby traders cannot purchase soy from land that has been deforested since 2006.

108
Q

Indigenous land

A

Land where Indigenous people have the right to use the area for sustainable forest management and the exploitation of timber and non-timber forest resources. In practice, they have generally chosen to keep almost all of their lands as forest.

109
Q

Relief

A

The shape of the land and the height above sea level.

110
Q

Geology

A

The underlying rocks of the river/Drainage basin

111
Q

Land Use

A

The different uses of the land, for example farmland, grassland, pasture, moorland, urban area. Land use can alter river discharge.

112
Q

Cross-profile

A

Shows a cross-section of a river’s channel and valley at a certain point along the river’s course. Nearer the source the Cross profile will show a v shaped river channel, as erosion increases towards the mouth the cross profile becomes wider

113
Q

Topography

A

Describes the physical features of an area of land. These features typically include natural formations such as mountains, rivers, lakes, and valleys. Manmade features such as roads, dams, and cities may also be included.

114
Q

Peat Bog

A

Wet spongy ground of decomposing vegetation; has poorer drainage than a swamp; soil is unfit for agriculture but can be cut and dried and used for fuel. The presence of peat bogs reduces flooding as water from precipitation is stored in the bogs and released slowly in the river channel, increasing lag time.

115
Q

Drainage Ditch

A

A narrow channel that is dug into peatland to encourage water to flow into rivers. They were built in peatland areas due to a rise in demand for agriculture. Draining peatland removes excess soil moisture and the land can then be used for agriculture.

116
Q

Exmoor Mires

A

The project which sought to block the drainage ditches around the River Exe to allow the peat to become saturated again and reduce flooding.

Physical Geography (11 decks)

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