Water key words Flashcards
Anticyclone
A system of high pressure causing high temperatures and high evaporation rates
Channel flow
Water flowing in a stream or river
Cryosphere
The global water volume locked up in a frozen state
Depression
A system of low pressure with precipatation where low and high pressure air masses meet
Desublimation
The change of state of water from a gas to a solid without being a liquid
Drainage basin
The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries
Drought
An extended period of deficient rainfall relative to the average for a region
Economic water scarcity
When water resources are available but insufficient economic wealth limits access to it
ENSO Cycles
El Nino Southern Oscillations - naturally occurring phenomena that involves the movement of warm water in the Equatorial Pacific.
Evapotranspiration
The combined total moisture transferred from the Earth to the atmosphere, through evaporation and transpiration
Global hydrological cycle
The continuous transfer of water between land, atmosphere and oceans. The Earth is a closed system.
Groundwater flow
Water moving horizontally through permeable or porous rock due to Gravity.
Infiltration
The movement of water vertically through the pores in soil.
Integrated Drainage Basin Management
Establishing a frame of coordinated efforts between administrations (e.g. local government) and stakeholders to achieve balanced management of a basin
Meterological drought
When long-term precipitation trends are below average
Percolation
Water moving vertically from soil into permeable rock
River regime
The pattern of river discharge over a year
Salinisation
Where salt water contaminates freshwater stores or soils, creating saline conditions and reducing human use/ consumption.
Saltwater Encroachment
The movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers or soils. This may be caused by sea level rise, storm surges or over-extraction
Sublimation
The change of state of water from solid to a gas, without being a
liquid.
Throughflow
Water moving horizontally through the soil, due to gravity.
Waterbudget
The annual balance between inputs and outputs within a system.
Water Scarcity
There are limited renewable water sources (between 500 and 1000 cubic metres per capita per year).
Water Security
The ability to protect and access a sustainable source to adequately meet demand
Watershed
The boundary between neighbouring drainage basins
