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Water Cycle Case Studies > Water Cycle CS > Flashcards

Water Cycle CS Flashcards

1
Q

Deforestation in Amazonia

A
  • contains 60% of world’s trees (‘green lungs’ of the earth)
  • 20% of the forest being destroyed because of cattle ranching, commercial agriculture and logging.
  • destruction of trees leads to run-off, floods and aquifer depletion (as no infiltration to recharge them)
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2
Q

Deforestation in Nepal

A
  • grazing animals leads to soil compaction, increasing run off
  • rain strikes directly on soil leading to compaction
  • little infiltration (groundwater depletion)
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3
Q

Water budgets: importance of polar regions

A
  • 2/3 of freshwater locked up in the crysophere
  • as climate warms this ice melts into sea
  • drives hydrological cycle by thermohaline circulation
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4
Q

Water budgets: importance of the tropics

A
  • steep angled sun allows intense solar radiation causing evaporation
  • trade winds transfer water vapour to the inter tropical convergence zone, conventional currents lift air and it cools and condenses creating heavy rain storms.
  • most of worlds rain is in the ITCZ (biggest flux from oceans-land)
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5
Q

Sahel region: human influences and drought

A
  • human factors do not cause drought but act as a positive feedback loop enhancing impacts
  • in Sahel, degrading from overgrazing and deforestation for fuel.
  • rural poverty and high demand for food production, as population doubling every 20-30 years, lead to famine.
  • war between Ethiopia and Eritrea meant food access was blocked for many.
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6
Q

Drought in Australia

A
  • 30% of the country usually effected by drought each year(common)
  • usually due to El Niño effects, variable rainfall and climate change
  • major event was THE BIG DRY, where 50% farmland in Murray darling (agricultural heartland) was effected, effected food supplies and exports, reservoirs fell to 40% capacity.
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7
Q

Storm Desmond Cumbria 2015: heavy or prolonged rainfall (physical factor of flooding)

A

-caused by the deep Atlantic low-pressure system(depression)
-341.4mm rainfall in 24 hours at Honister Pass.
-rivers 50x higher than usual
-5200 Homes were flooded
-roads and rail distrupted
-landslide closed west coast mainline from Preston to Carlisle
-6100 Homes lost power
Human exacerbation:
-overgrazing
-mismanagement of rivers

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8
Q

Pakistan 2010: intense storms (physical factor of flooding)

A

-primary cause was heavy rain fall of more than 200mm recorded between 3 days in July
-7 million left homeless
-agriculture destroyed, food shortages
-500000 tonnes of wheat lost
Human exacerbation:
-deforestation
-taliban threatened to hijack foreign aid

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9
Q

Philippines 2016: monsoon (physical factor of flooding)

A

-caused by south west monsoon combined with low pressure weather front
-capital (Manila) received 504mm of rain in one day
-260000 people fled their homes
-14 died
-landslides buried homes and businesses
Human exacerbation:
-dense population
-urbanisation
-elevated surroundings
-deforestation

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10
Q

Siberia: snow melt (physical factor of flooding)

A

-caused by spring snowmelt floods
-quick transition from winter to spring causes rapid melt to enter rivers Ob and Yenisei
-costs of damages = $8.6 million (2001)
-28% damage is agriculture
-19% transport damage
Human exacerbation:
-climate change
-deforestation

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11
Q

Sahel region: physical factors effecting water supply

A

-high variability of rainfall at all climate scales:
seasonally
annually
decadal
-1970 onwards = period of decline in average rainfall
-2000 = drought inducing conditions broken by ‘good rains’

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12
Q

Climate change in the Bolivian Andes(Nepal)

A
  • resulting in widespread melting diminishing cryosphere storage
  • 95% of glaciers shredding more than adding
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13
Q

China: human factors effecting water supply

A
  • 1/3 of rivers and 25% of coasts are classified as highly polluted
  • heavy metal toxins are responsible for 80% of deaths
  • 190 million suffer from water illnesses annually
  • 300 million use contaminated water daily
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14
Q

Aral Sea

A
  • was once the worlds 4th largest inland sea which has been shrinking since 1960s
  • used for irrigation
  • by 2007 sea decline by 10% of original size
  • left behind unfertile land-no use for food production
  • fishing community collapsed (once employed 60000)
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15
Q

Colorado: water conflicts

A
  • overabstraction by farmers, lead to a dispute in allocation of water
  • much of the water is already contaminated by agriculture
  • matters made worse by construction of dam at southern tip of canyon
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16
Q

Nile river basin: trans boundary conflict

A
  • Nile is the longest river basin in the world (6700km long)
  • water is shared by 11 countries
  • Egypt depends on it for 95% of its water needs
  • construction of dams in Sudan and Ethiopia lead to reduced flow downstream to Egypt
  • 300 million people love within the basin
17
Q

River Kennet: example river regime

A

-flows over chalk, base flow from chalk aquifers as flow in very dry conditions

18
Q

China’s south-north transfer (water transfer scheme)

A

-divert 44.8 billion m^3 of water yearly from china’s south to its dry north
-south=humid, north=industrial and dry
-in the north east half of the population rely on 15% if china’s supply
Negatives:
-huge costs for infrastructure
-energy intensive (pumping)
-damage fish stocks and create alien species by pollution
-spread disease
-increase flood risk in the long term

19
Q

China’s three gorges (mega dams)

A

-ability to store 15% of annual global run off
-China is the leading builder of dams
-renewable energy (HEP) for development
-flood control and water supply
Negatives:
-not cost effective
-human activity has already increased flood risk before

20
Q

Israel’s desalination project

A

-supplies 624 million litres of water daily (drinkable)
-billions go to Riyadh who’s population is growing
Negatives
-prices high so poorer countries unable to afford
-left over water has 2x amount of salt content than sea water so when it’s dumped near shore line there is consequences for reefs and food webs

21
Q

The great Ruaha River, Tanzania - water conflict

A
  • this river provides water for rice growth and the generation of HEP and maintains Ramsar-status wetland and important for tourism
  • ceased flowing in dry season due to water levels in upper course dropped to critical level.
  • low flows mean power shortages through HEP scheme
  • wetland diminishing = wildlife problems
  • supplies turned off causing conflict
  • problems generally caused by mismanagement and overuse for rice irrigation

Water Cycle Case Studies (1 decks)

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