Water Cycle and Water Insecurity EQ2 Flashcards
Where 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 reduced biomass
Agricultural drought
Land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions
Desertification
The value of ecosystems for human well-being
Ecosystem services
A reversal of ‘normal’ conditions in the Pacific basin, occurring every 3-8 years and lasting for 12-22 months
El Niño
Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to run-off from farm land, which causes a dense growth of plant life (algae) and death of animal life from lack of oxygen
Eutrophication
A humanitarian crisis in which the widespread failure of agricultural systems leads to severe food shortages
Famine drought
A flood with exceptionally short lag time
Flash flooding
A statistical estimate of how often a flood of a certain magnitude is likely to occur, based on past flood events
Flood return period
Flooding that occurs after the ground has become saturated from prolonged heavy rain
Flood return period
Where reduced stream flow and groundwater levels occur because of reduced inputs of precipitation from meteorological drought
Hydrological drought
A type of glacial outburst flood that occurs when the dam containing a glacial lake fails, usually due to heat of magma
Jökulhlaup
Shortfalls in precipitation because of short-term variability within the longer-term average (the degree of dryness compared to ‘normal’ precipitation)
Meteorological drought
A state of ill health
Morbidity
A cyclical sequence of events that damps down or neutralises the effects of a system, returning its state to equilibrium
Negative feedback
A cyclical sequence of events that amplifies or increases change
Positive feedback
