Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Physical Geography > Water Cycle > Flashcards

Water Cycle Flashcards

1
Q

what is a drought

A

water deficit in a particular place over a period of time compared to the average rainfall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

types of droughts - meteorological

A

the degree of dryness compared to normal precipitation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

types of droughts - agricultureal

A

insufficient water for crops so that they will wilt without irrigation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

types of droughts - hydrological

A

where drainage basins suffer shortfalls

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

why is the rainfall in brazil predictable, explain the reason

A

moist air moves in west - south Atlantic across the amazon basin.
moist air encounters high andes mountain range to flow west of continent, forced to turn southwards - maintaining flow of mixture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what happened in 2014-2015 in Brazil

A

high pressure system diverted rain-bearing winds further north further away from Amazon, also prevented them going south

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

where did the heavy rains occur and not occur

A

Bolivia and Panama heavy rains, Brazil no heavy rain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

impacts of Brazil drought

A

water rationing for 4 million people - water supplies cutoff for 3 days in towns
halting of HEP production - led to power cuts
increased groundwater abstraction - which led aquifers to became dangerously low
reduced crop arabica coffee beans (Brazil world largest producer.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

tipping point

A

system changes from one state to another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

resilience

A

ability of a system to bounce back and survive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

impacts of droughts on the amazon

A

amazon rainforest capacity to absorb carbon will decline
regional water cycles will change and soil temperatures will increase
- amazon rainforest replaced with Savannah - grasslands
- world lose major carbon sink and source of mixture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

impacts of droughts on rainforest ecosystem

A

prolonged drought causes forest stress and sets up chain reaction
younger trees die - reduces canopy cover - this reduces humdiity
water vapour decreases and therefore rainfall decreases

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

impacts of drought on wetland

A

drought increased tree mortality - reduces habitats for wild animals - as well as cattle ranching and ecotourism
wildfires became major threat - caused by cattle ranchers setting fire to grass left by the cattle (which their normally do), however during drought - fires spread out of control

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

key concepts - casualty

A

varying cause of flooding

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

key concepts - systems

A

how weather systems are linked to causes flooding

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

key concepts - resilience

A

ability to places to respond to floods and their impacts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

other causes of flooding - monsoon

A

monsoon rainfall - occurs south and Southeast Asia in may July September. leads to landslides and evacuations in village in the Philippines 2016

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

other causes of flooding - snowmelt

A

snow melts and resulting water cannot infiltrate the soil or ground surface

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

river restoration - what happaned Kissimee

A

Sever flooding on river 1940s meant the river was channelized to stop and ease navigation
1962-1971 river replaced by 90km
water entering basin controlled by storage lakes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

impacts of river Kissimmee restoration

A

less recharge in miamis groundwater aquifers
-92% in bird
less water flow - from 0.42m per second to 0.05
salinisation of water supplies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

river restoration - what happened

A

1975 Kissimmee river saying work started in 1999 -2012
11000 hectares restored
levees removed meanders restored
parts of canal remain to protect settlement

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what is desalination

A

removal of excess salt and other minerals from water. produces fresh water suitable for human consumption and irrigation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

causes of meterlogical drought

A

complex interactions between oceans, atmosphere, biosphere, crysophere and land which produces the climate of the globe

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

normal conditons in the pacfic ocean - ENSO

A

trade winds blow from east to west along the equator
air pushes warm water west
thermocline upwelling
rain clouds forms by warm, moist air rising cools and condenses
hot and wet in Australia
cold and dry in South America

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

conditions during el nino

A

air circulation is reversed
trade wind pattern is disrupted may even slacken which can affect the ocean currents
south coast of america is worm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

when does el nino happen

A

every 3-7 years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

el nino around the world

A

warm water replaces the cool water around Peru

cooler water then replaces the warm water at Austrailia and Indonesia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

what conditions to el nino trigger with example

A

dry conditoons around the world

Monsoon rain in India and South East Asia fail

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

when may La Nina event happen

A

sometimes after an el nino event

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

explain La Nina

A

the build up of cooler than usual sub surface water in the tropical part of the Pacific
more extreme than normal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

conditions of La Nina event

A

severe drought conditions, western coast of South America
hot and wet in Australia
cold and dry South America

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

effects of La Nina

A

strong air circulation

warm water moving east to west

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

causes of natarual desertification

A

rainfall patterns change, rainfall becoming less reliablem seasonally and annualy, droughts get common
vegetations gets stressed and dies leaving soil
soil eroded by wind and occasional intense shower
when rain falls it is rare and short, making it hard for the soil to recapture the rain and store it

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

what is desertification

A

process by which once productive land gradualluy changes to desert like landscape

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

where could desertfication take place

A

semi arid landscape on edges of existing deserts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

how human enhance the impacts of droughts

deforestation

A

trees cut down for fuel, fencing and housing, roots no lonher bind soil and erosion occurs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

how human enhance the impacts of droughts

population

A

rapid population growth puts pressure on food supplies, migrants moving from one disaster help create another one

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

how human enhance the impacts of droughts

overgrazing

A

too many goats, cows, and sheep and cattle destroy the vegetation cover

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Northern Sahel region stats

A

30%-40% annual depature from normal rainfall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Droughts in Austrialia

A

30% affected by serious rainfall deficiency

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

how have Australia not followed the Sahel region in being desertification

A

careful management of scare water, sorting out the competing demands or irrigation and urban dwellers
large scale recyclign grey water
constructing desalination plants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

what important functions do wetlands perfrom

A

temporary water storage
recharging of water aquifiers
trapping pollutants
providing nursureies for fish and feeding sities for birds

43
Q

wetlands and the earth

A

cover 10% earths land surface

44
Q

what is challanging wetlands survival

A

droughts pose a threat, main threat is artficial damage

45
Q

what are forests responsible for

A

interception, which means reduced infiltration and overland flow

46
Q

what is threatening forest

A

droughts, but mainly humans with deforestation

47
Q

what is droughts causing for forests

A

physiological damage
increasing the susceptibility of pines and firs to fungal diseases.
tree mortality on the rise

48
Q

drought and tropical rainforest

A

increased mortaliity due to droughts and appears to have a greater impact on larger trees

49
Q

causes of meteological flooding

A

prolonged periods of heavy rain - asain monsoon and deep depressions across UK
intense storms lead to flash flooding common in mountanious areas
rapid snowmelt during warm springs - Siberia plains

50
Q

why is Bangledesh common to floods

A

land of floodplains and deltas built up by Ganges, Padma and Meghna

51
Q

what is tidal flooding a result of

A

storm surges or when high river flows meet meet high spring tides in estuaries

52
Q

what is a storm surge

A

low pressure which rasies height of the high tide at the sea strong onshore winds drive the high tide to the coast, breaking coastal defences and flooding areas

53
Q

The likelikhood of flooding is also increased by other physical circumstances:

A

where volcanic activity generates meltwater beneath ice sheets that is suddenly released (jökulhlaups)
when ice dams suddenly melt and the waters in glacial lakes are release
where earthquakes cause the failure of dams or landslides that block rivers

54
Q

what has combination of economic and population growth meant

A

floodplains built upon natural landscapes to be modified for agriculture, industrial and urban purpose

55
Q

Urbanisation and Flood risk

A

Woodlands intercept rain and transpire moisture; roots give good soil structure. Deforestation destroys this.
Dams built to supply towns with water
Sewers feed water into channel

56
Q

river mismanagement - Dams

A

block the flow of sediment down a river, so the reservoir gradually fills up with silt; downstream there is increased river bed erosion

57
Q

river mismanagement - embankments

A

designed to protect from floods of a given magnitude. can fail when a flood exceeds their capacity when this happens, the scale of flooding is that much greater.

58
Q

river mismanagement - channelisation

A

effective way of improving river discharge and reducing the flood risk. however it displaces the river downstream. other locations may well be overwhelmed by the increased discharge

59
Q

soft engnerring examples for lower flood risk

A

making use of floodplains - for storing water and using them for natural conservation , agriculture and recreation

60
Q

socioeconomic impacts of flooding

A

death
injuries
trauma
water borne diseases spread
destruction of crops and loss of supplies
interuoption to water and energy supplies

61
Q

enviromental impacts of flooding

A

recharged groundwater stores
connectivity between aquatic habitats
soil replenishments
migration, breeding dispersal for many species

62
Q

how have negative impacts on the environment made worst by humans

A

removal of soil and sediment by floodwaters can lead to the eutrophication of water bodies, same flood water can leach polluatnts intot the water which causes diaster effects for the wildlife and can weaken and kill trees

63
Q

causes of the UK floods

A

prolonged heavy rainfall

64
Q

most devasting uk floods

A

summer of 2007

winter of 2015-2016

65
Q

2016 UK Flood

A

large areas of uk recieved x2 than normal rainfall

Carlise Cumbria worst hit

66
Q

what was too blame for the UK floods

A

global warming
budget cuts in amount of money being spent on flood protection
poor land management - blocked ditches

67
Q

Evaporation - Inputs and Outputs

A

increasing over lage areas of Asia and North America

68
Q

Transpiration

A

linked to vegetation changes, links to soil moisture and precipitation

69
Q

Precipitation

A

precipitation increases in tropics and high latitudes
precipiation decrease areas 10 degrees and 30 degress north and south of equator
length and frequency of heatwaves increasing in some locations is resulting in the increased occurrence of drought
With climate warming, more precipitation in northern regions is falling as rain rather than snow

70
Q

Surface Run off and stream flow - Stores

A

More low flows (droughts) and high flows (floods)

Increased runoff and reduced infiltration

71
Q

Stores Groundwater flow

A

uncertain because of absraction from humans

72
Q

Resorivor, Lakes, and wetland storage - Flows

A

Changes in wetland storage cannot be conclusively linked to climate change
It appears that storage is decreasing as temperatures increase

73
Q

Soil Moisture - Flows

A

soil moisure increase as precipiation increase

little change as high precipiation and evaporation cancelling out

74
Q

Permafrost - Flows

A

Deepening of the active layer is releasing more groundwater

Methane released from thawed lakes may be accelerating change

75
Q

Snow - Flows

A

sprint melt starting earlier
decreasig temporary store
decreasing length of snow season

76
Q

what effects stores and flows

A

climate change

77
Q

Glacier Ice

A

decreasing store
evidence of glacier retreat and thining since 1970
Less accumulation because more precipitation is falling as rain

78
Q

Oceans

A

rising sea level
strorage capacity increasing due to meltwater
ocean warming = evaporation more
ocean warming leads to generations of more cyclones

79
Q

factors that lead to diminshing water supply and increased uncertainity

A

More frequent cyclone and monsoon events threaten water supplies intermittently
global warming = less rainfall in areas
Depleted aquifers lead to problems with groundwater
Impact of oscillations ENSO, is leading to increasingly unreliable patterns of rainfall less predictable monsoons

80
Q

problems with this forecasting of possible changes to the hydrological cycle

A

the difference between long term climate change and short term oscillations associated with El Niño events.

81
Q

why is uncertantiy rising

A

scientists reserach is unable to make confident forecasts about future availability of water

82
Q

Nile Length

A

6700km

83
Q

how many countries compete for the Nile

A

11 countries

84
Q

how many people live within the Nile

A

2017 -300 million

85
Q

what is the nile expected to generate

A

HEP

86
Q

flashpoints at the nile

A

dams and barrages bult in Sudan and Ethopia that depreive downstream Egypt of its far share of Nile wateer

87
Q

how does irrigation cause droughts

A

too much water usage overwatering crops

88
Q

where was water privatised

A

Bolivia

89
Q

why was water being privatised thought to be a good idea

A

people should pay for their water for what it costs to capture, treat it and provide it.

90
Q

what did the world bank and the IMF do with the privateism

A

developed a structural adjustment programme which claimed it would help developing countries to overcome debt issues

91
Q

what were the impacts of privatisation

A

riots
important people dying
can’t afford water
can’t collect rainwater

92
Q

Where was the conflict in a country

A

Colorado River

93
Q

why was their conflict about Collard River

A

Upper basin states such as New Mexico, Wyoming

as they grow their crops

94
Q

what did the law of the river suggest

A

divided the river into Upper base states who had responsiblily to supply the lower states

95
Q

what has happened over the time

A

new treaties have been singned, include New Mexico

96
Q

what has changed the treaties

A

population, industry and climate

97
Q

where does there river nile flow

A

south to north

98
Q

what countries are in the nile

A

Egypt, eritrea, Dr,Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya

99
Q

why is their conflict on the nile - north countries

A

countries in the north part of the river want more due to tourism and population and developed more

100
Q

why do southern countries want more water in the nile

A

to be able to actually live and keep it

101
Q

what does the collard river separate

A

Mojave and the Sonoran in Arziona

102
Q

why may conflict occur on the colardo river

A

one state getting more than the other, disputes between states

103
Q

why may conflict occur

A

If countries in the south put a dam restricting water flow, Egypt would go to war to destroy the dam and get their water

104
Q

Arizona and California dispute

A

Arizona felt the need to protect its right against upstream greed
califrona was growing fast and in need of water to supply its cities and intensive agriculture

Physical Geography (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions