water world Flashcards
name some stores in the hydrological cycle
rocks, soils, Lakes, oceans, glaciers
name some transfers in the hydrological cycle
surface run-off, through flow, groundwater flow, infiltration, precipitation
explain the impact of climate change in a specific location which already experiences aridity
The Sahel, Africa
• rainfall -
> One or two months of the year
>Long dry period – hard ground
> short wet period – lots of water run off so little water stored
•Groundwater –
> levels steadily increasing – but low or high peaks every 10 months
• other –
>Humans are using water quicker than it is being replaced
>Global warming – increases rate of evaporation so rivers could dry out
explain the impacts of unreliable and insufficient water in an area which already experiences aridity
- subsistence farmers rely on food
- 10 million people affected by drought in 2010
- Many children will not reach their full growth potential
what are the consequences of human activity in a specific location
River Rhine
•Chemical industry disposes waste eg.heavy metals and many other industries – this pollutes river
•Households dispose of a variety of waste products
• agriculture practices lead to organic waste, chemical fertilisers etc reaching river- affects public health if water isn’t purified
explain how human activities disrupt water supply in a named location
• deforestation – e.g. Amazon rainforest
> reduces of Apple transpiration so less green water is recycled – possibility of desertification
> soil surface is exposed to intense heat – makes ground impermeable and increases run off
> cuts out process of interception – increasing siltation in rivers and flood risks
•over abstraction-E.g. Las Vegas
> increased over time – supplies and more water than groundwater
>Water used for many leisure facilities e.g. fountains, golf courses, swimming Pools
> Hot desert biome – lots of water needed for survival
>falling water table
•Reservoir construction – e.g. Sardar Sarovar Dam, India
> irrigation can increase soil sanity – soil is less usable
>loss of land – flooded villages
> greenhouse gases-vegetation that’s been drowned decays releasing methane and carbon dioxide
what are the costs and benefits of a large scale water management scheme in the developed world
the Colorado dams, USA
+
• reduces flooding that would normally occur in winter and droughts that would occur in summer
• electricity is produced by the dam for local towns farms and factories
•Water is stored behind the dam which can be used for irrigation and supplying cities e.g. Las Vegas
•year around supply of clean water for US cities
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• land is lost to flooding when making the dams
• less sediment flowing down river-disrupted habitat for native fish
•Sediment has built up behind the river – affects the workings of HEP
•Visual pollution
what are the costs and benefits of a large scale water management schemes in the developing world
Sardar Sarovar dam, India
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• damn is multipurpose – provides 3.5 billion litres of drinking water a day and 1450 megawatts of hydroelectricity
• A series of canals Will distribute water to other states in India
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• 234 villages drowned – forcing 320,000 people out
•Few villages can afford electricity generated
• good quality farmland submerged – many people’s main income destroyed
explain the role of a named small scale intermediate technology solution in the developing world
- Rainwater harvesting – involves water barrel which collects rainwater from gutters and roofs and can be stored and used in times of droughts
- Handpumps – efficient way of reaching underground water where there is less chance of water becoming contaminated
> both cheap to build and maintain
Cover small areas
Organised by locals – set up by charities and local organisations
what is the role of the biosphere and lithosphere in regulating the hydrological cycle?
- biosphere-captures and stores water Eg. on leaves and plant roots
- lithosphere-also acts as a store e.g. through soil and rocks
