Water cycle Flashcards
What are systems composed of?
Inputs
Outputs
Stores
Flows
Boundaries
What are inputs?
Where matter or energy is added to the system
What are Outputs?
Where matter or energy leaves the system
What are stores?
Where matter or energy builds up in the system
What are flows?
Where matter or energy moves in the system
What are boundaries?
Limits to the system
What are open systems
When energy or matter can be transferred within and out a system
What is a closed system
When neither matter of energy can be transferred in or out of the system
What are the inputs within the water cycle
Precipitation, in forms such as rain, hail or snow.
What is convectional rainfall?
Due to heating by the sun, warm air rises, condenses at higher altitudes and falls as rain
What is relief rainfall
Warm air is forced upward by a barrier such as mountains, causing it to condense at higher altitudes and fall as rain
What is frontal rainfall
Warm air rises over cool air when two bodies meat because the warm air is less dense and lighter. It condenses at higher altitudes and falls as rain
What are the outputs within the water cycle
Evapotranspiration
transpiration
Streamflow
What is evapotranspiration
Evaporation occurs when water is heated by the sun, causing it to become a gas and rise into the atmosphere
What is transpiration
Plants respire through their leaves, releasing water they absorbed through their roots, which then evaporate due to heating by the sun
What is streamflow
All water that enters a drainage basin wall either leave through the atmosphere or through streams which drain the basin
What are the flows within the water cycle
Infiltration
Percolation
Throughflow
Surface runoff
Groundwater flow
what is infiltration
The process of water moving from above ground into the soil
What is percolation
Water moves from the ground or soil and into porous rock or rock fractures
What is throughflow
water moves through the soil and into streams and rivers
What is surface runoff
Water flows above the ground as sheetflow
What is groundwater flow
Water moves through the rocks
What are the stores within the water cycle
Soil water
groundwater
Interception
Surface storage
What is soil water
Water stored in the soil
What is Groundwater
Water stored in the pore spaces of rock
What is interception
Water intercepted by plants on their branches and leaves
What is surface storage
Water stored in puddles, ponds, lakes
What is the water balance
Used to express the process of water storage and transfer in a drainage system
What is the water balance equation
Precipitation = evapotranspiration +/- storage
Explain the role of cryospheric change in the water cycle
Cryosphere is a major store of water
Plays a regulatory role in sea levels
In a period of cooling the cryosphere will grow in size, because the water cycle is slowed down as ice restricts the return of water to the sea and ocean
Outline the flows within the water cycle operating on a hill slope
Surface runoff occurs when water runs directly over the ground. this may occur if the soil is saturated
Ground flow is the movement of water through permeable rock under the force of gravity, this is the slowest flow of water on a hill slope
Outline the process of decomposition in the carbon cycle
Decomposition is the breaking down of organic matter by bacteria or fungi, known as decomposers
Carbon dioxide is released due to decomposition
Most of the carbon released into the atmosphere is as a result of decomposition
Outline the relationship between the water cycle and the carbon cycle in the atmosphere.
Increasing concentration of carbon in the atmosphere has a warming effect on the planet and leads to increasing evaporation. this can increase rates of precipitation.
Volcanoes release both water vapour and carbon into the atmosphere
Photosynthesis requires both precipitation and carbon dioxide
Explain the concept of negative feedback within the carbon cycle
Feedbacks are an important aspect of systems and are important towards dynamic equilibrium
Negative feedback nullifies a system towards equilibrium and counteracts the impact of earlier changes
For example, increased atmospheric CO2 leads to both warmer temperatures and availability of CO2 for uptake by plants
Explain the concept of dynamic equilibrium in relation to the water cycle
Dynamic equilibrium is when there is a balance between the inputs and the outputs
The cycle is a closed system as no water enters or leaves the
system; it is simply recycled around the system
The dynamic equilibrium is easily upset by extreme events
such as storms or droughts
Human activity can also cause disruption to the dynamic
equilibrium, eg by modifying the drainage basin
Define the water cycle
The cycle of water
the movement of water and its transformation between the gaseous, liquid and solid forms
Define relief
The difference in elevation between the highest and lowest parts of an area
What is a drainage basin?
The area from which a single stream or river and its tributaries drains all of the water.
What is permafrost?
Permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground.
2 impacts of carbon cycle on land
- formation of soil
- source of energy e.g fossil fuels
2 impacts of carbon cycle on ocean
calcium carbonate
- phytoplankton consuming carbon
2 impacts of carbon cycle on atmosphere
- greenhouse gas effect enhanced
- storage in vegetation directly effecting atmosphere
Define respiration
Is a chemical reaction that happens in all living cells, including plant cells and animal cells. It is the way that energy is released from glucose so that all the other chemical processes needed for life can happen.
Define decomposition
Carbon is released as CO2 when living organisms dies and are decomposed by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria. Temperature impacts rate.
Define carbon sequestration
Term used to describe the transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to plants, soil, oceans and rock formation
Define carbon capture
Term used to describe the use of technology capturing carbon emitted from power stations.
What are the 6 elements of a river?
Start of river [source]
Contributing to main river flow [tributary]
Main conduct flow [river channel]
Place where 2 rivers meet [confluence]
Boundary dividing [watershed]
Where river flows into sea [mouth]
What is the carbon budget and how is it measured ?
Uses data to describe the amount of carbon that is stored and transferred within the carbon cycle, its measured in units of mass called petagrams.
What is the water table?
The upper limit of saturated rock , this can go up with rainfall and down with more evaporation.
What is the water budget?
a model that balances the inputs, outputs, and storage of water in a system
Name 3 impacts of warm conditions on the earth
1.permafrost melts, releases carbon, increases climate change
- increased rate of decomposition ,increased rate of carbon transfer to the soil by decomposer
3.risk of wildfires, contribute a large amount of gas into atmosphere.
Name 3 impacts of cold conditions on the earth
- water can hold more CO2
- when soil is frozen, transfer of carbon is stopped
- respiration and photosynthesis are affected.
What 5 factors affect the water cycle on a local scale and how do they do so?
- Deforestation = less interception, no roots acting as binders so soil water storage decreases, reduction in transpiration
- Storm events = ground saturated to capacity, surface runoff increases, less effective at recharging water stores than a period of prolonged rainfall
- Seasonal changes
- Agriculture = livestock tramples the ground, ploughing increases infiltration rates which decreases surface runoff, irrigation leads to groundwater depletion
- Urbanisation = higher number of impermeable surfaces, green roofs and sustainable urban drainage systems used to tackle flooding problems
What is the soil water budget and what is it dependant on?
- shows the annual balance between inputs and outputs in the water cycle and their impact on soil water storage/availability
- dependent on type, depth and permeability of the soil and bedrock
What does the soil water budget look like across each season?
AUTUMN = greater input from precipitation than their is output from evapotranspiration - soil moisture levels increase and water surplus occurs
WINTER = evapotranspiration from plants reaches a minimum, precipitation continues to refill the water table
SPRING = plants begin to grow again and rate of evapotranspiration increases with temperature and increased photosynthesis, still a water surplus
SUMMER = evapotranspiration peaks and rainfall reached it’s minimum, output becomes larger than the input depleting soil water stores, water deficit may occur
Where can water be stored?
- Hydrosphere
- Lithosphere
- Cryosphere
- Atmosphere
How do humans impact the global water cycle?
- FARMING = ploughing, arable farming, pastoral farming and irrigation
- LAND USE CHANGE = deforestation and construction
- WATER ABSTRACTION = reduces volume in stores, increases dry seasons, aquifer overexploitation
What is a flood hydrograph used to represent?
The rainfall for the drainage basin of a river and the discharge of the same river on a graph.
Define: discharge, rising limb, falling limb, lag time, baseflow, stormflow and bankfull discharge
- DISCHARGE = the volume of water passing through a cross-sectional point of a river at any one point in time, measured in CUMECS
- RISING LIMB = the line that represents discharge increasing
- FALLING LIMB = the line that represents discharge decreasing
- LAG TIME = the time between peak rainfall and peak discharge
- BASEFLOW = the level of groundwater flow
- STORMFLOW = comprised of overland flow and throughflow
- BANKFULL DISCHARGE = the maximum capacity of a river before its banks burst and flooding occurs
What is a flashy hydrograph and what are it’s features?
- SHORT LAG TIME
- STEEP RISING AND FALLING LIMB
- HIGHER FLOOD RISK
- HIGH PEAK DISCHARGE
What is a subdued hydrograph and what are it’s features?
- LONG LAG TIME
- GRADUALLY RISING AND FALLING LIMB
- LOWER FLOOD RISK
- LOW PEAK DISCHARGE
What are natural factors that contribute to a flashy hydrograph?
- High rainfall intensity
- Impermeable underlying geology
- High drainage density
- Small basin size
- Circular basin size
- Low temperatures
- Precipitation type
- Vegetation cover
What are human factors that contribute to a flashy hydrograph?
- Urbanisation
- Pastoral farming
- Deforestation
What are the 8 main transfers in the local carbon cycle?
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- Combustion
- Decomposition
- Diffusion (oceans absorb CO2)
- Weathering and erosion
- Burial and compaction (forms fossil fuel deposits)
- Carbon sequestration (natural and artificial)
What is a sere?
A stage of vegetation succession
What are the 4 types of sere?
- LITHOSERE = bare rock
- HALOSERE = salty environment
- PSAMMOSERE = sand coastal environment
- HYDROSERE = fresh water environment
What is a carbon sink?
Any store of carbon which takes in more than it emits
What is a carbon source?
Any store of carbon that emits more carbon than it stores
What are the 6 main carbon stores and how much carbon do they hold at any one time?
- MARINE SEDIMENTS AND SEDIMENTARY ROCKS = 66,000 - 100,000 million billion metric tons of carbon
- OCEANS = 38,000 billion metric tone of carbon
- FOSSIL FUEL DEPOSITS = 4,000 billion metric tons of carbon
- SOIL ORGANIC MATTER = 1,500 billion metric tons of carbon
- ATMOSPHERE = 750 billion metric tons of carbon
- TERRESTRIAL PLANTS = 560 billion metric tons of carbon
How has the carbon cycle changed over time as a result of natural processes?
- WILDFIRES = transfer carbon from biosphere to atmosphere, burning can encourage growth in the long term
- VOLCANIC ACTIVITY = carbon stored in the earth released into the atmosphere, can produce sulphur dioxide which blocks uv and causes global cooling, reduces photosynthesis rates and alters the water cycle
How does the carbon cycle impact tropical rainforests and oceans?
TROPICAL RAINFORESTS
- high rates of photosynthesis and respiration means a greater humidity, cloud cover and precipitation
- deforestation reduces photosynthesis and respiration, reducing these factors
OCEANS
- warmer oceans = more plankton growth and the chemicals they produce form clouds
- warmer oceans store less CO2, which reduces the chances of oceans being a sink and become a source
How do peatlands impact the water and carbon cycles?
Have been drained for farmland or plantations meaning that they are no longer submerged
- The water table is lowered affecting flows in the water cycle
- The dry peat and vegetation that is preserved in the wetland environment breaks down, releasing its high carbon content
- As the table is lowered, air is able to aid decomposition of the peat = CARBON DIOXIDE RELEASED
