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Proper Geography > Water Cycle > Flashcards

Water Cycle Flashcards

1
Q

Systems approach

A

Systems approaches study hydrological phenomena by looking at the balance of inputs and outputs, and how water is moved between stores and flows

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2
Q

Stores

A

Reservoirs where water is held, such as the oceans

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3
Q

Fluxes

A

The rate of flow between the stores

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4
Q

Processes

A

The physical mechanisms that drive the fluxes of water between the stores

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5
Q

Cryosphere

A

Areas of the Earth where water is frozen into snow or ice

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6
Q

Blue water

A

Water stored in rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater in liquid form (visible part of the hydrological cycle)

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7
Q

Green water

A

Water stored in the soil and vegetation (the invisible part of the hydrological cycle)

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8
Q

Precipitation

A

The movement of water in any form from the atmosphere to the ground

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9
Q

Evaporation

A

The change in state of water from a liquid to a gas

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10
Q

Residence time

A

The average times a water molecule will spend in a reservoir or store

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11
Q

Fossil water

A

Ancient, deep groundwater from former pluvial (wetter) periods

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12
Q

Transpiration

A

The diffusion of water from vegetation into the atmosphere, involving a change from a gas to a liquid

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13
Q

Groundwater flow

A

The slow transfer of percolated water underground through pervious or porous rocks

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14
Q

Catchment

A

The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries

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15
Q

Watershed

A

The highland which divides and separates waters flowing to different rivers

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16
Q

Condensation

A

The change from a gas to a liquid, such as when water vapour changes into water droplets

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17
Q

Dew point

A

The temperature at which dew forms; it is a measure of atmospheric moisture

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18
Q

Convectional rainfall

A

Often associated with intense thunderstorms, which occur widely in areas with ground heating such as the Tropics and continental interiors

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19
Q

Cyclonic rainfall

A

A period of sustained, moderately intensive rain; it is associated with the passage of depressions

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20
Q

Orographic rainfall

A

Concentrated on the windward slopes and summits of mountains

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21
Q

Interception loss

A

This is water that is retained by plant surfaces and later evaporated or absorbed by the vegetation and transpired. When the rain is light, for example drizzle, or of short duration, much of the water will never reach the ground and will be recycled by this process (it’s the reason you can stand under trees when it’s raining and not get wet).

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22
Q

Throughfall

A

This is when the rainfall persists or is relatively intense, and the water drops from the leaves, twigs, needles, etc.

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23
Q

Stem flow

A

This is when water trickles along twigs and branches and then down the trunk

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24
Q

Infiltration

A

The movement of water from the ground surface into the soil

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25
Infiltration capacity
The maximum rate at which rain can be absorbed by a soil
26
Surface run-off
The movement of water that is unconfined by a channel across the surface of the ground. Also known as overland flow
27
Throughflow
The lateral transfer of water down slope through the soil via natural pipes and percolines
28
Percolines
Lines of concentrated water flow between soil horizons to the river channel
29
Percolation
The transfer of water from the surface or from the soil into the bedrock beneath
30
Saturated overland flow
The upward movement of the water table into the evaporation zone
31
Albedo
A measure of the proportion of the incoming solar radiation that is reflected by the surface back into the atmosphere and transpiration
32
Evapotranspiration (EVT)
The combined effect of evaporation and transpiration
33
Channel flow
The flow of water in streams or rivers
34
Channel storage
The storage of water in streams or rivers
35
Potential evapotranspiration (PEVT)
The water loss that would occur if there was an unlimited supply of water in the soil for use by vegetation
36
Deforestation
The cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a forested areas
37
Afforestation
The planting of trees in an area that has not been forested in recent times
38
River regime
The annual variation in discharge or flow of a river at a particular point or gauging station, usually measured in cumecs
39
Rising limb
The part of a storm hydrograph in which the discharge starts to rise
40
Peak discharge
The time when the river reaches its highest flow
41
Lag time
The time interval between peak rainfall and peak discharge
42
Falling or recessional limb
The part of a storm hydrograph in which the discharge starts to decrease
43
Base flow
The normal, day-to-day discharge of the river
44
Meteorological drought
Defined by shortfalls in precipitation as a result of short-term variability within the longer-term average overall, as shown in many semi-arid and arid regions such as the Sahel. Drought has become almost a perennial problem in recent years as longer-term trends have shown a downward movement in both rainfall totals and the duration and predictability of the rainy season
45
Agricultural drought
The rainfall deficiency from meteorological drought leads to deficiency of soil moisture and soil water availability, which has a knock on effect on plant growth and reduces biomass
46
Hydrological drought
Associated with reduced stream flow and groundwater levels, which decrease because of reduced inputs of precipitation and continued high rates of evaporation. It results in reduced storage in lakes and reservoirs, often with marked salinisation and poorer water quality
47
Famine drought
A humanitarian crisis in which the widespread failure of agricultural systems lead to food shortages and famines with severe social, economic and environmental impacts
48
Teleconnection
In atmospheric science, refers to climate anomalies which relate to each other at large distances
49
Desertification
Land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities
50
Wetland
An area of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or following, fresh, brackish or salt
51
Groundwater flooding
Flooding that occurs after the ground has become saturated from prolonged heavy rainfall
52
Surface water flooding
Flooding that occurs when intense rainfall has insufficient time to infiltrate the soil, so flows overland
53
Flash flooding
A flood with a an exceptionally short lag time - often minutes or hours
54
Jokulhlaup
A type of glacial outburst flood that occurs when the dam containing a glacial lake fails
55
Urbanisation
The increase in the number of people living in towns and cities compared to the number of people living in the countryside
56
Morbidity
A state of ill health
57
Eutrophication
Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to run-off from farming land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life and from lack of oxygen
58
Players
Individuals, groups or organisations with an involvement or interest in a particular issue
59
Fracking
Hydraulic fracking or oil/gas well stimulation is a technique in which rock is fractured by a pressurised liquid
60
Virtual water
The hidden flow of water when food or other commodities are traded
61
Green revolution
The use of high yield varieties (HYVs) of crops along with the use of agrochemicals and irrigation to increase yields and improve food supplies; begun in the 1960s
62
Structural adjustment programmes (SAPs)
Neo-liberal policies promoted by the World Bank and the IMF to help developing countries overcome their debt problems. These are now superseded by poverty reduction strategy papers (PRSPs) as for many countries SAPs resulted in unacceptable hardship and little progress with solutions to debts
63
Nimbyism
“Not in my backyard” - people protesting about developments which they see as detrimental to their own neighbourhood
64
Top-down
Large-scale capital intensive development schemes, usually developed by government
65
Bottom-up
Small-scale development schemes
66
Grey water
Refers to waste bath, sink or washing water. It can be recycled, resulting in savings in water usage
67
Hydroponics
A method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions without soil
68
Integrated water resource management (IWRM)
A process which promotes the co-ordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems

Proper Geography (9 decks)

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