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Water/Carbon Cycle > Water Cycle > Flashcards

Water Cycle Flashcards

1
Q

What’s is a drainage basin

A

An area of land drained by a river and its tributaries

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2
Q

What is interception

A

Precipitation is prevented from reaching the ground by vegetation

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3
Q

What is through fall

A

The water that drips off of vegetation toward the ground

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4
Q

What is stem-flow

A

The water that flows down the stems of plants and trunks of trees into the soil below

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5
Q

What is infiltration

A

The downward movement of water from the surface into the soil below

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6
Q

What is percolation

A

Downward movement of water through porous rock

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7
Q

What is groundwater flow

A

The slowest transfer of percolated water over permeable rock

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8
Q

What is overland flow

A

The movement of water of saturated or impermeable land

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9
Q

What is through flow

A

The downslope movement of water through soil

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10
Q

What is runoff

A

All the water that flows out of a drainage basin

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11
Q

What is groundwater store

A

Water that collects underground in the pore spaces of rock

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12
Q

What are the major stores of water

A

Hydrosphere

Biosphere

Atmosphere

Lithosphere

Cryosphere

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13
Q

What sphere stores the most water

A

Hydrosphere - 96.5% of all water

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14
Q

What is evaporation

A

The process of liquid chaining to a gas

Can happen on land a sea

70% ocean
30% land

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15
Q

What is transpiration

A

The transfer of water vapour from vegetation to the atmosphere

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16
Q

What is condensation

A

When a gas turns into a liquid

17
Q

What are the main processes in the water cycle

A

Evaporation

Transpiration

Evapotranspiration

Condensation

Precipitation

Infiltration

Percolation

Runoff

Groundwater flow

18
Q

What are the main flows in the water cycle

A

Precipitation

Evaporation

Transpiration

Evapotranspiration

Infiltration

Percolation

Overland flow

Through flow

Groundwater flow

19
Q

What are the inputs into the water cycle

A

Precipitation

20
Q

What are the outputs of the water cycle

A

Evaporation

Transpiration

21
Q

How do humans affect the water cycle

A

S - soil drainage - removes water so plants can no longer grow

A - abstraction of water - causes droughts

D - deforestation - less transpiration

Burning fossil fuels - increases evaporation

22
Q

What percentage of water is on earth

A

Fresh water - 3%
Saline water - 97%

23
Q

What percentage of water is in fresh water

A

Glaciers and ice caps - 69%
Groundwater - 30%
Surface water - 1%

24
Q

What percentage of water is in surface water

A

Ground ice and permafrost - 70%
Lakes - 20%
Soil moisture - 4%
Atmosphere - 3%
Other 3%

25
Q

What affects the rate of infiltration

A

Through fall - vegetation prevents water reaching the soil

Percolation - the less permeable a rock is, the harder it is for water to travel down through it

26
Q

What are the different types of floods

A

Flash flood

Single event flood

Multiple event flood

Seasonal flood

27
Q

What is a flash flood

A

Occurs due to an excess of water over a short period of time

28
Q

What is a single event flood

A

Occurs due to a single input of additional water

29
Q

What is a multiple event flood

A

Occurs due to many single event floods closely spaced together

30
Q

What is a seasonal flood

A

Occurs more in winter as snow melting meaning there is more water

31
Q

What are natural variations that affect the water cycle

A

Air temperature - hotter conditions mean more evaporation-less water

Wind - transports water

Storm events - some areas receive more water

32
Q

What is positive feedback in the water cycle

A

Burning fossil fuels

Increases global temps

Increases evaporation

Means more water vapour in the atmosphere

Increases global temps

33
Q

What is negative feedback in the water cycle

A

Precipitation

Increases plant growth

Increases transpiration, due to more plants

Less surface runoff

34
Q

What are the different types of rainfall

A

Frontal
Relief
Connectional

35
Q

What is frontal rainfall

A

Warm air meets cool air

Warmer less dense air rises

Warm air cools

The cooling in the air causes the water vapour to condense into droplets forming a cloud

When the water droplets becomes to heavy it falls as precipitation

36
Q

What is relief rainfall

A

Warm air meets with mountain

Warm air rises up the maintain

The air cools and condenses due to altitude, forming a cloud

When water droplets become to heavy they fall on the opposite side of the mountain

37
Q

What is conventional rainfall

A

Sun heats the ground

Causes rapidly rising pockets of warm air, know as convention currents

Air cools and condenses into water droplets forming a cloud

When the water droplets become too heavy they fall as heavy rainfall, often with thunderstorms

Water/Carbon Cycle (5 decks)

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