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Geography - Physical - Paper 1 > Water - EQ2 - > Flashcards

Water - EQ2 - Flashcards

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1
Q

Define drought

A
  • an extended period (a season, year or several) of deficient rainfall relative to the statistical multi year average for a region
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2
Q

An im…… of ….&…. of water can have serious implications for the hydrological cycle

A
  • imbalance
  • inputs & outputs
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3
Q

A ….. (more commonly known as a drought) refers to when input is less than output

A
  • deficit
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4
Q

What are the 5 key types of drought

A
  • socio-economic
  • agricultural
  • meteorlogical
  • hydrological
  • ecological
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5
Q

Define meteorlogical drought

A
  • a shortfall or deficiency of water over an extended period, usually at least a season
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6
Q

What are the features of meteorlogical drought

A
  • Rainfall deficit
  • Low precipitation
  • High temperatures
  • Strong winds
  • Increased solar radiation
  • Reduced snow cover
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7
Q

What are some explicit impacts of meteorlogical drought

A
  • Loss of soil moisture
  • Irrigation supply drops
  • Reduction in water available for consumption
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8
Q

Causes of meteorlogical drought

  • Droughts can range from …………..&……….precipitation deficits to longer-term trends that are part of …………………
A
  • Droughts can range from** short-term and localised** precipitation deficits to longer-term trends that are part of climate change
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9
Q

Causes of meteorlogical drought

  • Research suggests that …………………………… are an important causal factor in short-term precipitation deficits
A
  • Research suggests that sea surface temperature anomalies are an important causal factor in short-term precipitation deficits.
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10
Q

Causes of meteorlogical drought

  • The physical causes of drought are only ………. understood
  • They lie somewhere in the complex interactions between ……. , ……. , …….. , …… & ……, which produces the climates of the globe
A
  • The physical causes of drought are only partially understood.
  • They lie somewhere in the complex interactions between atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, biosphere and the land, which produces the climates of the globe.
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11
Q

Meterological drought is a ….. deficit

A

rainfall

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12
Q

Agriclutural drought is a ……. deficit

A

soil moisture

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13
Q

Hydrological drought is a …… deficit

A

stream flow

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14
Q

socio-economic drought is a……… defict

A

food

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15
Q

Define hydrological drought

A
  • low water supply in our irvers, lakes, aquifers, & other reservoirs that often follows meteorlogical drought
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16
Q

Define agricultural drought

A
  • drought when a water shortage significantly damages or destroys agricultural crops
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17
Q

Define socio-economic drought

A
  • dought refers to when a water shortage affects the supply & demand of drought commodities
  • e.g water food, grains & fish
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18
Q

Define ecological drought

A
  • the most recently defined type of drought
  • refers to the widespread ecological damage caused by the lack of soil moisture
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19
Q

What are the features of hydrological drought

A
  • Reduced infiltration
  • Low soil moisture
  • Little percolation and groundwater recharge
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20
Q

What are the features of agricultural drought

A
  • Low evapotranspiration
  • Reduced biomass
  • Fall in groundwater level
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21
Q

What are the features of socio-economic drought

A
  • Loss of vegetation
  • Increased risk of wildfires
  • Soil erosion
  • desertification
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22
Q

What are the impacts of hydrological drought

A
  • Reduced storage in lakes and reservoirs
  • Less water for urban supply
  • Poorer water quality
  • Threats to wetlands and habitats
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23
Q

What are the impacts of agricultural drought

A
  • Poor yields from rainfed crops
  • Failing irrigation systems
  • Livestock productivity falls
  • Rural industries affected
  • Government aid may be required
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24
Q

What are the impacts of socio-economic drought

A
  • Widespread failure of agricultural systems
  • Food shortages
  • Rural economy collapses
  • Rural to urban migration International aid required
  • Humanitarian crisis
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25
Q

Water is ……. distributed …. across the globe

A
  • spatially
  • unevenly
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26
Q

…% of the world’s population live in areas which only have access to …% of the world’s annual rainfall

A

66% of the world’s population live in areas which only have access to 25% of the world’s annual rainfall

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27
Q

…..% of the worl’d land area has some level of drought exposure

A

38%

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28
Q

Causes of meteorological drought

Explain how global atmospheric circulation can cause meteorological drought

A
  • Heat is greatest at the equator due to the concentration of the sun’s energy
  • This causes air to rise at the equator (the driving force of the whole model)
  • This air then cools and condenses creating rain (hence tropical rainforests)
  • Air cools and sinks at around 30 degrees N and S of the equator creating subtropical high-pressure belts
  • As air is sinking no clouds form and so these areas are dry (worlds major deserts)
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29
Q

Causes of meteorolgical drought

What is the ITCZ

A
  • The Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ,
  • is a band of low pressure around the Earth which generally lies near to the equator
  • The trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres come together here, which leads to the development of frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain
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30
Q

Causes of meteorolgical drought

What is the impact of season shifts in the ITCZ

A
  • Seasonal shifts in the location of the ITCZ drastically affects rainfall in many equatorial nations,
  • resulting in the wet and dry seasons of the tropics
  • rather than the cold and warm seasons of higher latitudes
  • Longer term changes in the ITCZ can result in severe droughts or flooding in nearby areas
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31
Q

Causes of meteorolgical drought

  • Longer term changes in the ITCZ can result in……
A
  • Longer term changes in the ITCZ can result in severe droughts or flooding in nearby areas
32
Q

…% of the global population are vulnerable to severe drought

A

18%

33
Q

What is the air pressure 90 degrees from the equator

A

high pressure - clear, sunnier weather

34
Q

What is the air pressure 60 degrees from the equator

A

low pressure - rainy weather

35
Q

What is the air pressure 30 degrees from the equator

A

high pressure - clear, sunnier weather

36
Q

What is the air pressure at the equator

A

low pressure - rainy weather

37
Q

The ITCZ moves ………. as the planet …….
When it moves it brings the monsoon to India, when it moves to South, India returns to…..

A

The ITCZ moves seasonally as the planet tilts
When it moves it brings the monsoon to India, when it moves South, India returns to drought conditions

38
Q

What is blocked weather

A
  • Usually, weather fronts (which bring rain) move from w to e across the UK,
  • but sometimes they can staywhere they are, or even go from e to w, & this is usually due to a ‘block’
  • This means a big area of high pressure is remaining almost stationary over the samearea for a long time
  • The high pressure can stop weather fronts moving past it, so that they skirt around the edges, or stay where they are for an extended period
39
Q

what is a blocking anti-cyclone

A
  • the winds tend to be light & blow in a clockwise direction, the air is descending, which stops the formation of clouds
40
Q

What is an example of a blocking anti-cyclone

A
  • European heatwave where UK hit 40 degrees in 2021
41
Q

What does ENSO stand for

A
  • El Nino Southern Oscillation
42
Q

What are the 2 events in ENSO

A
  • El Nino
  • La Nina
43
Q

During El Niño, winds and ocean currents across the……, …….. direction.
This changes the weather patterns around the Pacific.
Occurs every ……….years, although they appear to be getting……..

A
  • Pacific, change
  • 3 – 7
  • more regular
44
Q

How long do El Nino events usually last

A
  • 18 months ish
45
Q

What are the conditions in the Pacific Basin in a normal year

A
  • Trade Winds blow from east yo west along the equator
  • This moves warm surface water towards the western Pacific
  • cold water upwells up along the west coast of S. America (near Peru)
  • Warm moist air rises, cools & condenses there forming rain clouds in the West
46
Q

What is upwelling

A
  • an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water from deep water
  • towards the ocean surface,
  • replacing the warmer, usually nutrient-depleted surface water
47
Q

What are the conditions in the Pacific Ocean during El Nino

A
  • Air pressure over West coast of S. America becomes low & air pressure over west Australia becomes high
  • The normal east to west trade winds over Pacific are disrupted
  • it may slacken or even reverse & this has a knock on effect on the ocean currents
  • warm water ‘sloshes’ eastwards
  • No upwelling on S. American coast
48
Q

Describe the effect on water temperatures from El Nino

A
  • When this happens, cool water normally found along the coast of Peru is replaced by warmer water
  • At the same time, the area of warmer water further west, near Australia and Indonesia, is replaced by cooler water
49
Q

El Niño events seem to trigger ……….. conditions throughout the world, usually in the ……… year
For example,….

A

El Niño events seem to trigger very dry conditions throughout the world, usually in the second year
For example, the monsoon rains in India and South East Asia often fail.

50
Q

Why is upwelling important for fish stocks in Peru

A
  • With the movement of warm water back eastwards, it prevents any upwelling of cold nutrient-rich, water on which Plankton feed
  • Plankton is the main food of the anchovy which is one of the main fishing types in Peru
  • Warm water also expands,
  • so as the water piles back East towards Peru sea levels increase by 30cm
51
Q

Define thermocline

A
  • The boundary in the ocean between warm surface water and cold deep water
52
Q

What is La Nina

A
  • Occasionally as an El Niño year dies out, a third weather condition arises: La Niña
  • All it is, is an exaggerated version of normal conditions
53
Q

Describe what happens in La Nina

A
  • Air pressure is unusually high over the west coast of South America and low over eastern Australia
  • As warm water is pushed westwards, sea levels rise by up to 1m
  • Around Indonesia and Philippines, strong uplift of air (very strong air circulation) leads to heavy rain
54
Q

La Nina can lead to ………, particularly on the ….. coast of …….. …….

A

La Nina can lead to severe drought conditions, particularly on the Western Coast of South America

55
Q

List some of the anthropogenic causes of drought

A
  • deforestation
  • dam construction/ river diversion
  • over abstraction
  • poor agricultural practises -over grazing
  • micro climate changes -urbanisation
  • climate change
56
Q

what is a microclimate

A
  • tthe distinctive climate of a small-scale area e.g a park, garden or part of a city
  • the weather varaibles in a microclimate, such as temp, rainfall, wind or humidity
  • may be subtly different from the conditions prevailing over the area as a whole, varying from whats expected under certain types of pressure or cloud cover
57
Q

Define desertification

A
  • the process by which once-productive fertile land gradually changes into a desert-like landscape
  • it usually takes place in semi-arid land on the edges of existing deserts
  • it is not neccessarily irreversible
58
Q

How does global warming lead to desertification

A
  • increase in average climactic temperatures
  • increased rate of evaporation of water moisture especially in tropical or sub-saharan climates
  • if more moisture has evaporated, less will be available for convectional rainfall
  • so plant growth will be stunted & vegetation dies
  • leading to desertification
59
Q

How does reduced precipitation lead to desertification

A
  • changing rainfall patterns - less reilable, seasonally & annually
  • the occassional drought year sometimes extends to several years
  • as vegetation dies, the protective layer it provides for soil will also be removed
  • soil is increasingly exposed to wind & rain
  • accellerates soil erosion, as short intense rainfall makes it difficult for soil to capture & store it
  • positive feedback loop of worsening soil conditions & vegetation death
  • leading to desertification
60
Q

Explain the human causes of desertfication which create a positive feedback loop

A
  • population growth is the root cause of recent increase in rates of desertifcation
  • demand for food, water & other resources also increases
  • this leads to over cultivation & overgrazing (intense cattle farming), so intense use of marginal land exhausts soil
  • also, deforestation via burning of trees exposes top soil to erosion, & worsens quality
61
Q

What is the situation with the Sahel Drought, Africa 2011-12

A
  • The northern Sahel region is experiencing a 30-40% annual departure from ormal rainfall
  • things have been exacerbated by frequent civil war & unprescedented levls of organised violence in 2018 - food & livestock deliberately destroyed
62
Q

Human factors act like a …………………. …………., humans enhance the impacts of drought by…

A
  • feedback loop
  • the overanstraction of surface water from rivers & ponds, & groundwater from aquifers
63
Q

What are the impacts of the Sahel Drought

A
  • 4.2 million displaced people
  • protracted armed violence exacerbates the situation of food insecurity, malnutrition & epidemics
  • farming & trade severely impaired
  • high concentrations of herds in pastoral enclaves, & natural reserves where risks of epizootic diseases are high
  • 9.7 million people vulnerable to food insecurity —> high malnutrition rates
64
Q

Describe the responses to the Sahel Drought

A
  • 5 wells rehabilitated
  • redistribution of animals & agricultural kits
  • vaccinating 500,000 animals
  • BUT there is a funding gap of 73.5% - $122.6 million
65
Q

What is the situation with the Australia Drought 1997-2009

A
  • prone to drought as Ocenia spans the latitudes of the subtropical high pressure belt
  • this means most the country’s rainfalll is low & erratic
  • they experienced over a decade of below average rainfall, 30% affected by serious or severe rainfall deficiency
66
Q

What were the consequences to Australias’ drought

A
  • death of livestock
  • 33 wetlands temporarily disconnected to help save water
  • pipelines had to be built to deliver drinking water to lower lake communities
67
Q

How has Australia’s drought been managed

A
  • Unlike the Sahel, Australia has not followed the same downward spiral of desertification
  • a careful management of scarce water resources, & sorting out the competing demands of irrigation & urban dwelllers has also stopped this happening
  • also large scale recycling of grey water
  • csonstructing desalination plants
  • devising new water conservation strategies
68
Q

Give an example of an issue with an Australian water conservation strategies

A
  • Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme
  • faced community resistance as treated waste water will never be safe enough to drink
69
Q

Define ecosystem functioning

A
  • refers to the biological, chemical, and physical processes that take place within the ecosystem
70
Q

Define ecosystem resilience

A
  • the capacity of an ecosystem to respond to disturbance from it’s normal state by resisting damage and recovering quickly
71
Q

What is the impact of drought on Forest Ecosystems

A
  • Living trees take 2-4 years to recover and resume normal growth rates following a period of drought
  • Long-term harm drought-stressed trees includes foliage loss, impairing growth, lasting damage to tissues within the tree impairing water transport —> increased susceptibility of pines & firs to fungal diseases
  • Significant die-off of certain species e.g - Pinon pines —> can reduce carbon sequestration
72
Q

What is the impact of drought on Wetland Ecosystems

A
  • reduced interception causes vegetation to wilt & die
  • this results in less soil nutrients, impacting rest of food web
  • progressive loss of habitat as open water source shrinks, reducing soil moisture –> eroison
  • some land species will be affected as the dry soil will be less penetrable, limiting their ability to get food
73
Q

What is the value of Wetlands that has been discovered over the last 50 years

A
  • Wetlands currently cover about 10% of the Earth’s land surface
  • & until 50 years ago they were considered as wastelands, only good for draining and infilling to provide building land
  • However, it is now understood that wetlands perform a number of important functions: from acting as temporary water stores to the recharging of aquifers, from giant filters trapping pollutants to providing nurseries for fish and feeding sites for migrating birds
74
Q

Brazil Drought - Amazon Rainforest

In 2014, climate scientists reported that deforestation in the Amazon may now have…

A
  • passed a tipping point - in other words, changing hydrological and climatic cycles permanently
75
Q

Brazil Drought - Amazon Rainforest

What is the cause of drought in the Amazon Rainforest

A
  • Rainforests recycle half of their rainfall, but the positive feedback loop of deforestation and less rainfall is reducing the ability of the rainforest to regenerate
  • This makes fragile rainforest ecosystems less resilient
  • Thinning forests have reduced soil water storage and evapotranspiration
  • In turn, these lead to changing weather patterns - with lower precipitation
76
Q

Brazil Drought - Amazon Rainforest

Why are tropical stores & fluxes really important

A
  • forests regulate regional climate and generate flows of moisture across the continent
  • Now, the combined risk of global climate change, ENSO cycles & deforestation will probably alter this so that extreme weather will become more frequent
77
Q

Brazil Drought - Amazon Rainforest

What is the impact of drought

A
  • the Amazon rainforest’s capacity to absorb carbon will decline
  • regional water cycles will change and soil temperatures will increase
  • the Amazon rainforest will be replaced with savannah-like grasslands
  • more wildfires will increase the level of carbon in the atmosphere
  • reduced rainfall will threaten Brazil’s dependency on HEP (which generates 70% of its electricity)

Geography - Physical - Paper 1 (13 decks)

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