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A LEVEL GEOGRPAHY > Water Cycle And Water Insecurity > Flashcards

Water Cycle And Water Insecurity Flashcards

1
Q

Closed system

A

Transfer of energy not matter between its systems and its surroundings
At a global scale the system is continuous
Nothing is lost or gained

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2
Q

Closed system
Effected by

A

Solar energy
Gravitational potential energy

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3
Q

Solar energy

A

Energy from the sun, heating water and causing evapotranspiration

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4
Q

Gravitational potential energy

A

Ways in which water accelerates under gravity and is transferred to river/sea

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5
Q

Fluxes between stores
Evaporation

A

Becomes water vapour, gains energy from solar radiation
Increases amount of water stored in atmosphere

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6
Q

Fluxes between stores
Condensation

A

Loses energy to surroundings
Water droplets can stay in atmosphere/ flow to other subsystems

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7
Q

Precipitation

A

Main flow of water to ground
Vary seasonally

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8
Q

Cryospheric process

A

Accumulation (build up of snow and ice) and ablation (melting of snow and ice) change amount of water stored
Global cold means greater inputs than outputs
Water transferred through snow
Change happens over different time scales

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9
Q

Fluxes

A

Annual movement of energy between different stores

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10
Q

Residence time

A

Time water remains in a store or takes to pass through

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11
Q

Global water budget

A

Accounts for all the water in hydrological cycle
Water must be physically and economically accessible (ground water hard to access)
Water with shorter RT contain fewer pollutants
Water that is non replenished (long RT) is non renewable such as water stored in cryosphere and fossil water

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12
Q

Drainage basin

A

An area of land that is drained by a river and its tributaries and separated from neighbouring drainage basins by a ridge of high land

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13
Q

Open system

A

Inputs and outputs total amount of water in system changes over time

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14
Q

Types of precipitation
(Inputs of drainage basins)

A

Frontal
Warm air is less dense than cool air so rises above and cools down

Orographic
When warm air meets mountains it’s forced to rise, causing it to cool

Conventional
When sun heats up the ground, moisture on the ground evaporates and rises up and cools

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15
Q

Flows of a drainage basins

A

Interception
Infiltration
Run off
Saturated over land flow
Through flow
Percolation
Groundwater

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16
Q

Outputs of a drainage basins

A

Evaporation
Transpiration
Channel flow/ river discharge

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17
Q

Influences inputs/ outputs/ flows of a drainage basins
Season and climate

A

Winter water freezes reduces size of flow increases store
Increases temperature ice melts increases flow/ outputs so more evaporation causes conventional
Impact vegetation/ interception and evaporation
Intense storms increase precipitation and peak discharge so larger inputs than outputs and increase flow

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18
Q

Influences inputs/ outputs/ flows of a drainage basins
Soil

A

Infiltration rates influenced by soil type/ structure
Through flow is faster through openings
Soil type impact type of vegetation

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19
Q

Influences inputs/ outputs/ flows of a drainage basins
Vegetation

A

It intercepts precipitation and slows it down which increased when greater vegetation
More water lost through evaporation
Reduces runoff and peak discharge

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20
Q

Influences inputs/ outputs/ flows of a drainage basins
Geology

A

Water flows slowly through most rocks
Permeable/ joints cause faster groundwater
Impermeable rocks stop water flowing though

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21
Q

Influences inputs/ outputs/ flows of a drainage basins
Relief

A

Steeper the gradients faster runoff and through flow
Surface stores have shorter RT contain fewer
effect amount of water discharge

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22
Q

How human actions have disrupt drained basins
Deforestation

A

Reduces interception and increases run-off
Reduces infiltration as less dead material
Soil erosion, more likely, limits infiltration, decreases groundwater

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23
Q

How human actions have disrupted drainage basins
Land use change

A

Plough and breaks up surface, decreases infiltration
Farming livestock, compacted ground decreases infiltration and increases run-off
Building and road impermeable surface which increases run-off

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24
Q

How human actions have disrupted drainage basins
Water storage reservoir

A

Creating new storage reservoirs by building dams increases freshwater to access
Decreases river discharge into ocean, creating large areas of standard water increases evaporation

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25
How human actions have disrupted drainage basins water abstraction
More extracted to meet the demands of a rising population decreases water in stores During dry season more is extracted
26
Water budget
Shows balance between inputs and outputs in a water cycle Helps farmers plan frequency and amount of irrigation needed Precipitation equals channel discharge plus evaporation plus/minus change of storage
27
Water budget in the temperate zones
Jan to April water surplus (increase precipitation than evaporate transpiration. Full soil water stores.) April to September soil water store depletes, decrease precipitation, increase evaporate transpiration water deficit September to December decrease in temperature so decrease evaporation transpiration, increase precipitation so recharge in water soil stores
28
River regime
Variations of a river discharge over a year
29
River regime Physical influence
High levels of run-off increases discharge of a river as more water enters the river increases volume Season and climate affect precipitation Geology and soil structure will affect amount and speed of infiltration
30
River Regime Yukon river
Alaska and Canada Very low discharge in river, but rapid rise in spring Due to rapid snow melt increase temperature So in Yukon basin permafrost – in permeable Increase overland flow when snow melts
31
River regime Amazon River
South America More gradual rise in discharge High levels of rainfall in most months, infiltrate quickly, thin soils and sedimentary rock
32
River regimes Indus River
South and central Asia Snow melt in Himalayan spring During monsoon months input is precipitation Dry monthly to water deficit Basin made of igneous and metamorphic rock so less permeable Increase volume in monsoon season
33
Flashy hydrographs
Short lag time and high peak discharge Steep rising and falling limb
34
What are the factors affecting hydrographs?
Size of drainage basin Drainage density Relief Permeability Shape of drainage basin Vegetation Land use
35
Factors affecting hydrographs Size of drainage basin
Large catches more precipitation so have higher peak discharge Smaller has shorter lag times as precipitation has less time to travel so reaches main channel quicker
36
Factors affecting hydrographs Drainage density
High, water enters river more quickly as more to flow into = flashy hydrographs Low= flat hydrographs
37
Factors affecting hydrographs Relief
Steeper, water flows quicker, shorten lag time Less time to infiltrate and increase his run-off = flashy hydrographs
38
Factors affecting hydrographs Permeability
Impermeable don’t store water so increase run-off Increase peak discharge as more water reaches river faster = flashy hydrographs
39
Factors affecting hydrographs Shape of drainage basin
Circular= flashy hydrographs All points of watershed roughly same distance from where discharge is measured so lots of water reaches discharge point at the same time
40
Factors affecting hydrographs Land use
Ploughed arable farm land= flashy hydrographs as less interception Urban areas increase in permeable material which increases run-off Summer increases water used decreases river discharge
41
Factors affecting hydrographs Vegetation
More means more evaporate transportation so less run-off so lower peak discharge= flashy hydrographs Vegetation intercepts and slows flows
42
Drought
A shortage of water over an extended period of time
43
Agricultural drought
Not enough water to grow a crop yield
44
Socio economic drought
Haven’t got enough water to meet the demand of people
45
Meteorological drought
Less precipitation entering a local system
46
Hydrological drought
Less water in groundwater stores, streams and rivers
47
Short term drought
Affect localised area due to precipitation deficit. Caused changes in frequency or frontal precipitation. Also occur when cool descendant air creates high-pressure which blocks ascending warm air which creates clouds so decreases rain
48
Long-term changes in drought frequency
Climate change – long-term warming/cooling of oceans leads to change in frequency – decrease recovery time Seasonal rain, unpredictable – longer-term depletion of ground water and reservoir stores
49
The Enso cycle
Natural change in patterns of ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean
50
The Enso cycle El Niño and La Niña
In normal conditions there is low pressure western Pacific and high pressure over the east. Trade winds blow from East to West. El Niño event, pressure increases western Pacific and decreases east. Trade winds weekend/West to East. Sinking air in high-pressure – drought west (Australia). Less precipitation – wildfires. El Niño every 3 to 4 years and last for 9 to 12 months La Niña event, normal conditions become more extreme Tradewinds increased strength, cold water to rise dry conditions in east and wetter in the west Occurs every 2 to 7 years
51
Aquifer
A saturated layer of permeable rock below the water table
52
Human activity increases risk drought
If demand is greater than precipitation, surface water stores dry up so abstract aquifer Lead to over abstraction Also divert water out of natural system and into homes and businesses This water isn’t subjected to natural processes which reduces water supply in other stores
53
Australia (millennium drought)
Long-term meteorological drought 2001–2009 Natural low precipitation due to high-pressure area El Niño increases conditions Higher temperature so increase evaporation Years of abstracting depleted groundwater stores Water levels decrease so water water supply decreases impacted farming And food prices increased Number of sheep decrease due to dehydration, income decrease led to unemployment
54
Drought impact on ecosystem function
Wetlands have limited ecological resilience Acts as a water purifier as trapped pollutant, but in drought dry up causes vegetation to die so species Algae increases concentration which reduces O2 level levels so animals migrate Forests under stress, tree growth slows, young trees die As trees die land exposed to warmer temperatures wind erosion
55
Flood
An overflow water onto land that is usually dry
56
Flood plane
Low lying land either side of a river
57
Meteorological factors/causes of flood Prolonged rainfall
Prolonged periods of heavy rainfall – slow onset of flooding Series of low pressure systems move across the UK Time gap between depressions is short, flooding is more likely
58
Meteorological factors/causes of flood Intense storms
Intense storms has fast onset High rainfall and storm surge causes flash flood flooding
59
Meteorological factors/causes of a flood Extreme monsoonal rainfall
Seasonal change in prevailing wind Climate change – heavier rain and longer Increases run-off and saturated overland flow
60
Meteorological factors and causes of a flood Snow melt
Upland glacier areas flooding occur in valleys due to ice melt Increases overland flow, flood Upland reservoir Occurs due to abnormally high temperature Due to volcanic activity A flood due to glacier melt water – Jokulhlaup
61
Meteorological factors and causes of a flood Snow melt
Upland glacier areas flooding occur in valleys due to ice melt Increases overland flow, flood Upland reservoir Occurs due to abnormally high temperature Due to volcanic activity A flood due to glacier melt water – Jokulhlaup
62
Jokulhlaups
A flood caused by sudden release of glacial melt water from a subglacial lake Melting is due to heat from a volcanic eruption Surface glacier will hold this water until too large Sudden deluge of water/ glacial outburst may contain ice fragments and eroded rock

A LEVEL GEOGRPAHY (1 decks)

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