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Physical Geography > WATER CYCLE! > Flashcards

WATER CYCLE! Flashcards

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1
Q

how much of the earth’s entire water supply is found in the oceans and seas?

A

96.5%

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2
Q

types of local water stores:

A 
soil moisture
interception
groundwater
surface storage
vegetation storage
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3
Q

where is the earth’s surface water found?

A 
ground ice and permafrost 
lakes and rivers
soil moisture
swamps and marshes
the atmosphere
the biosphere
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4
Q

what are flows?

A

how water moves from one store to another in the global hydrological cycle eg. through flow or channel flow

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5
Q

human factors affecting drainage basins:

A

over abstraction
urbanisation
reservoirs
deforestation

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6
Q

what does high vegetation cover increase in a drainage basin?

A

evapotranspiration

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7
Q

the outputs from drainage basins:

A

channel flow
evaporation
transpiration

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8
Q

what do we call it when the volume of groundwater being removed is greater than the volume being replenished?

A

over abstraction

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9
Q

what is direct run off?

A

the drainage basin flows that happen when water flows across the ground’s surface

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10
Q

physical factors influencing drainage basin cycle:

A 
soil type
rock type
vegetation cover
relief of the land 
climate
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11
Q

what is fossil water?

A

untouched ancient freshwater stores

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12
Q

what is another word for the polar areas of the world?

A

cryosphere

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13
Q

only 2.5% of the earth’s water is:

A

freshwater

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14
Q

how much of the precipitation that a rainforest receives is returned to the atmosphere via evapotranspiration?

A

50%

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15
Q

tropical hydrology facts:

A

the high density of vegetation consumes the majority of precipitation
50% of the precipitation is returned via evapotranspiration
rainforests are able to generate their own water cycle due to conventional rainfall

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16
Q

what is released into the atmosphere as ice and permafrost thaw?

A

biogenic gases

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17
Q

why are human influences on the Yukon River minimal?

A

it is a largely natural area

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18
Q

what happens to the Yukon River in summer?

A

snowmelt increases discharge

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19
Q

what process happens due to the high temperatures and high levels of biodiversity found in the Amazon rainforest?

A

evapotranspiration

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20
Q

what types of landscapes do the Yukon River flow through?

A

mountains and tundra

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21
Q

what is river discharge?

A

the volume of water flowing in a river every second and is measured in cumecs (m3/s)

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22
Q

what is river discharge measured in?

A

cubic metres per second

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23
Q

how does impermeable rock and soil reduce the lag time and increase peak discharge of a river?

A

precipitation will not be able to infiltrate into the ground, increasing surface runoff

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24
Q

examples of effects of humans on hydrographs:

A

urbanisation leads to an increase in impermeable surfaces e.g. tarmac + concrete
dams + reservoirs regulate flow of rivers
abstraction of aquifers lowers groundwater levels
ploughing of agricultural land increases surface runoff

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25
Q

what can be used to regulate the flow of a river by storing water before choosing when to release it downstream?

A

reservoirs

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26
Q

what physical factors affect storm hydrographs?

A

size and shape of catchment area
drainage density
rock and soil type
relief and vegetation

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27
Q

how do La Nina cycles lead to flood risk in Australasia?

A

because low pressure systems lead to warm rising air that produce clouds and rainfall

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28
Q

which group of people were worst affected by the Brazilian drought crisis in 2014?

A

poor and rural communities

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29
Q

what consequences are true during El Nino?

A

Australasia is at increased risk of drought
happens over South Pacific Ocean
Australasia has cooler than normal ocean temps
warm water moves to South American coastline

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30
Q

why did Brazilian residences drill wells illegally in 2014-15?

A

they could not afford the government charge

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31
Q

what wetland species of bird in Minsmere, Suffolk is impacted by the dry soil surface present during a drought?

A

Snipe and Thrush

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32
Q

what factors can turn a small fire into a wildfire?

A

lightening storms and high winds

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33
Q

how can a reduction in canopy cover in rainforests lead to drought?

A

it leads to less interception and inflitration, also decreases evapotranspiration which means water vapour and rainfall reduces

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34
Q

how does the removal of vegetation contribute to the causes of flooding?

A

it increases surface runoff

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35
Q

impacts of snowmelt:

A

increased surface runoff

consequential flash floods

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36
Q

what are the characteristics of flash flooding?

A

no warning and happens quickly

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37
Q

effects of flooding on soils:

A

sediment from banks and beds of rivers erodes
sediment can block sections of a river
erodes fertile soil in places like Amazon

38
Q

2015 Cumbria floods statements:

A

42,000 homes without power
5000 homes flooded after 3 days
damages to homes were £150 million

39
Q

how can flooding have a devastating impact on ecosystems?

A

if plants, agriculture or habitats are damaged by flooding, the animals that are dependent on them for food and shelter are at risk
animals have to compete for limited resources/ migrate to other ecosystems leading to a decline in some species

40
Q

how does climate change impact the hydrological cycle inputs and outputs?

A

some areas see a decrease in temperature that reduces evaporation rates
if temperatures decrease to below freezing, water may remain frozen and be stored as ice

41
Q

what are potential effects of climate change on stores and flows?

A

sea ice not forming to the same extent
permafrost loss
Lake Chad drying up

42
Q

what are the effects of climate change changing weather patterns?

A

it changes precipitation and evaporation which can impact a region’s hydrological cycle and ecosystems

43
Q

what year saw the smallest amount of winter Arctic ice since the 1960s?

A

2018

44
Q

what are the impacts of climate change?

A

likelihood of tropical storms increase
sea levels rise
sea surface temps increase
higher levels of rainfall = higher precipitation rates and flood risk in tropical regions near coastline

45
Q

what area is at increased flood risk during El Nino?

A

South America

46
Q

how much of the Sahel’s precipitation falls in the rainy season from July to September?

A

90%

47
Q

what has the recent increase in wetter years in the Sahel been referred to as?

A

a re-greening opportunity

48
Q

the use of water-consuming devices increases as countries develop, the middle classes expand and what increases?

A

living standards

49
Q

what does water stress mean?

A

when a water supply is limited within an area, it can be seen to have water stress
can be seen where the demand is significantly above that of the available clean water supply

50
Q

why is Greenland at low risk from water scarcity?

A

melted ice-sheet can produce freshwater

51
Q

low air pressure systems area:

A

warm moist air rises –> warm air cools and condenses to form clouds –> precipitation e.g. Brazil

52
Q

high air pressure systems area:

A

air sinks –> no clouds form –> no precipitation e.g. Morocco

53
Q

what country is the biggest consumer of water per capita in the world?

A

USA

54
Q

why are India and China at a high risk of water stress?

A

these countries have the fastest growing populations and an increase in middle classes using water consuming devices

55
Q

physical components of water stress statements:

A

Brazil has relative water security due to their high rainfall
the Hadley and Ferrel cell meet causing an area of high pressure
countries near the equator see more rainfall and less water stress
climate change will melt Greenland’s ice-sheet to produce freshwater

56
Q

why is there a water management problem in rural Tanzania?

A

farmers pay a one-off annual fee to access a water source (river or well) which leads to farmers using more water than necessary because they feel like they have already ‘paid for it’

57
Q

what are human factors affecting water stress?

A

fast-growing populations
high living standards
industry demands

58
Q

what is saltwater encroachment?

A

where groundwater near the coast is contaminated with sea water (salinisation) e.g. Tuvalu

59
Q

what can increase the risk of saltwater intrusion to freshwater?

A

sea level rise, coastal erosion and local abstraction

60
Q

human causes of water insecurity:

A

agricultural water contamination (agriculture)
industrial water pollution (industrialisation)
rivers and aquifers over-abstraction
population growth
increasing living standards

61
Q

fertilisers and pesticides are examples of what?

A

agricultural waste products

62
Q

physical causes of water insecurity:

A

climate variability
saltwater encroachment
over-abstraction of aquifers

63
Q

what is the single largest user of water?

A

agriculture: 70% of the world’s water, 90% in developing countries

64
Q

water resource privatisation means that people have to what?

A

pay more

65
Q

what does the Water Poverty Index determine?

A

the quality, quantity and accessibility of water

66
Q

why are energy demands increasing globally?

A

as electricity access increases and standards of living improve = demands more energy

67
Q

when was the Water Poverty Index developed?

A

2002

68
Q

what is the volume of water being used in agriculture?

A

not sustainable

69
Q

which country has had complete anonymity over developments on the Nile since 1929?

A

Egypt

70
Q

concerns about water conflict in Ethiopia:

A

ethnic groups are threatened by poor crop yield
tribal conflict is a concern because of the minimal water supplies
potential devastation to Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana’s water levels could drop 10m

71
Q

what do those in favour of the Gilgel Gibe III Dam say about artificial floods?

A

that they could continue to support the indigenous population
establishing large plantations of cotton and sugar cane could economically benefit those populations

72
Q

200,000 people downstream of the Gilgel Gibe III Dam rely on the seasonal floodwaters to replenish the dry soils for what?

A

subsistence farming

73
Q

what is one of the hard scale engineering schemes that attempt to fix water disparity in China?

A

North-South Water Transfer Project

74
Q

what happened to 1.3mil Chinese residents as a result of the Three Gorges Dam?

A

they were relocated

75
Q

one positive and one negative of the Israel desalination plants:

A

:) can produce up to 600tonnes of clean drinking water in an hour
:( each plant requires its own power station

76
Q

what are the pros of the Three Gorges Dam?

A

controls flooding on the River Yangtze
improve the supply of water by regulating the flow
provides HEP energy
makes the river navigable: important for economic development

77
Q

desalination plants provide a supply of water that is what?

A

reliable

78
Q

crops produced with smart irrigation produce the same quality and quantity whilst using what?

A

less water

79
Q

what is smart irrigation?

A

a sustainable water management scheme that provides crops with below the optimum water levels during the growth stage, so they become less sensitive to the lack of water

80
Q

why has Singapore introduced the recycling of water?

A

it suffers from water scarcity
high temps in Singapore mean evaporation rates are high and there is a lack of groundwater resources despite the high levels of rainfall

81
Q

NEWater plants are currently meeting how much of Singapore’s water needs?

A

30%

82
Q

how do local people in Kenya extract the trapped water from behind sand dams?

A

piping the water through the dam to a tap
digging wells
digging holes

83
Q

how much has the use of smart irrigation for fruit trees increased water productivity by in Australia?

A

60%

84
Q

sustainable water management techniques in Singapore:

A

rainwater collection and treatment
NEWater plants
an agreement to import water from Malaysia until 2061
desalination plants

85
Q

in what Kenyan district have local people started building sand dams to increase the sustainability of their water supply?

A

Machakos District

86
Q

the Colorado River facts:

A

starts in the Rocky Mountains
flows through semi-arid areas towards Gulf of California in Mexico
233km long
97% flows through USA

87
Q

the Helsinki Water Convention facts:

A

the Integrated Water Resource Management approach was established as a result
Convention entered into force in 1996
held by UNECE
held in 1992

88
Q

what type of approach is the IWRM?

A

holistic

89
Q

what do the Berlin Rules state?

A

how freshwater resources should be shared, whether nationally or internationally
adopts nine water management principles

90
Q

what has climate change resulted in for the Colorado River?

A

lower precipitation in the Colorado River basin = increased frequency of drought = further pressure onto water source

91
Q

when did the International Law Association approve the Berlin Rules on Water Resources?

A

2004

Physical Geography (7 decks)

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