Water Cycle and Water Insecurity

Question 1

What is a closed system?

Answer 1

A sequence of linked processes with a transfer of energy but not matter between parts of the system

Question 2

What is a deficit?

Answer 2

Where a resource is less than the necessary amount

Question 3

What is evapotranspiration?

Answer 3

Combined loss of water to the atmosphere via the processes of evaporation and transpiration

Question 4

What is flux?

Answer 4

The flow or flowing of a liquid

Question 5

What is infiltration?

Answer 5

The movement of water vertically downwards through spaces pores in the soil

Question 6

What is percolation?

Answer 6

A process similar to infiltration but travelling through rock surfaces towards the water table

Question 7

What is precipitation?

Answer 7

Any form of water falling from the sky

Question 8

What is relief?

Answer 8

The range of topographic elevation within a specific area

Question 9

What is runoff?

Answer 9

Water (from rain, snow melt or other sources) that flows over the land surface; can be due to soil saturation

Question 10

What is water budget?

Answer 10

The annual balance between inputs (precipitation) and outputs (evapotranspiration and channel flow) at a place

Question 11

What is water stress?

Answer 11

When the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period of time

Question 12

What is resilience?

Answer 12

Ability to recover from or adjust easily to an event or change

Question 13

What is permafrost?

Answer 13

Zone of permanently frozen water found in high latitude soils and sediments

Question 14

What is saturated overland flow?

Answer 14

Occurs when the soil becomes saturated, and any additional precipitation causes runoff

Question 15

What is interception?

Answer 15

The process by which raindrops are prevented from falling directly onto the ground by leaves, branches, twigs of vegetation

Question 16

What is channel flow?

Answer 16

The water flowing in a rivulet, stream or river contained within the banks

Question 17

What is an aquifer?

Answer 17

A permeable or porous rock which stores water

Question 18

What is the cryosphere?

Answer 18

Describes the set of all locations on Earth where water is found in solid form, including areas of snow, sea ice, glaciers, permafrost, ice sheets and icebergs

Question 19

What is the drainage basin?

Answer 19

The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. Drainage basins are separated by a ridge of high land called a watershed

Question 20

What is fossil water?

Answer 20

Water that has been contained and undisturbed for millennia. There is no significant recharge therefore it is a non-renewable resource

Question 21

What is the global water budget?

Answer 21

The amount of water transferred and stored in the Earth’s hydrological cycle each year

Question 22

What is an open system?

Answer 22

A sequence of linked processes with inputs and outputs, including transfers of energy and matter to and from other systems

Question 23

What is orographic?

Answer 23

Relating to mountains, orographic uplift is when the uplift of an air mass, because of an orographic obstruction, causes cooling of air mass. I enough cooling takes place, condensation can occur and form into orographic precipitation

Question 24

What is permeability?

Answer 24

A measure of the ability of soil, sediments and rock to transport water horizontally and vertically. It depends on the porosity of what the water is flowing through. Some rocks like granite have very poor permeability, while rocks like shale are actually quite pervious. As for soils, sand is the most pervious, while clay has the lowest permeability. Silt usually somewhere in the middle

Question 25

What is porosity?

Answer 25

A surface that allows water to pass through it, such as sand

Question 26

What is relief?

Answer 26

The range of topographic elevation within a specific area

Question 27

What is river regime?

Answer 27

The pattern of river discharge over a year; usually there are seasonal variations

Question 28

What is a storm hydrograph?

Answer 28

Shows the change in a river’s discharge at a given point on a river over a short period of time (usually before, during and after a storm)

Question 29

What is channel flow?

Answer 29

The water flowing in a rivulet, stream or river contained within the banks

Question 30

What is interception?

Answer 30

The process by which raindrops are prevented from falling directly onto the ground by leaves, branches, twigs of vegetation

Question 31

What is saturated overland flow?

Answer 31

Occurs when the oil becomes saturated, and any additional precipitation causes runoff