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A Level Physical Geography > Y12 MB - Water Cycle (Complete) > Flashcards

Y12 MB - Water Cycle (Complete) Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the definition of a system?

A

A set of inter-related components which work together towards a process

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2
Q

What are systems composed of?

A

Inputs, outputs, stores, flows / transfers and boundaries

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3
Q

What is an input?

A

When matter or energy is added to a system

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4
Q

What is an output?

A

When matter or energy leaves a system

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5
Q

What is a store?

A

Where matter or energy builds up in a system

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6
Q

What is a flow / transfer?

A

Where matter or energy moves in a system

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7
Q

What is a boundary?

A

The limit to a system (e.g a watershed)

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8
Q

What are the three types of system?

A

Open, closed and isolated

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9
Q

What is an open system?

A

Systems where matter and energy can change and move in and out

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10
Q

What is a closed system?

A

Systems where energy can change and move in and out but matter can only cycle through stores and stays the same

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11
Q

Give an example of an open system

A

Carbon - Woodland
Water - Drainage basin

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12
Q

Give an example of a closed system

A

Carbon - Global carbon cycle
Water - Global water cycle

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13
Q

What is dynamic equilibrium?

A

When there is a balance between inputs and outputs of a system

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14
Q

What generally determines whether a system is open or closed?

A

Scale (e.g the global water cycle is a closed system whereas a drainage basin is closed)

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15
Q

What happens to a natural system if there is a change?

A

The system works to regain equilibrium through natural conditions

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16
Q

What is feedback?

A

The knock-on effect of something happening (e.g a change in the balance of inputs and outputs of a system)

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17
Q

What is positive feedback?

A

Where the knock-on effects of a change are amplified

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18
Q

What is negative feedback?

A

Where the knock-on effects of a change are nullified

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19
Q

What kind of system can the earth be classed as?

A

A closed system

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20
Q

What are the five subsystems of the Earth?

A

Lithosphere
Cryosphere
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere

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21
Q

What is the lithosphere?

A

The outermost layer of the earth (the crust and upper mantel)

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22
Q

What is the biosphere?

A

The biological component of the earth (all living things)

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23
Q

What is the atmosphere?

A

The layer of gas between the Earth’s surface and space

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24
Q

What is the hydrosphere?

A

All of the water on earth, saline and fresh (e.g rivers + lakes, water vapour and solid water)

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25
Q

What is the cryosphere?

A

The part of the Earth where water is frozen

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26
Q

What is precipitation?

A

All forms of moisture which reach the Earth’s surface e.g rain, snow

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27
Q

What is interception?

A

When precipitation meets vegetation, concrete or buildings before it reaches the soil. Interception stores only last for a short period of time as they often evaporate quickly

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28
Q

What is vegetation storage?

A

Water taken up by vegetation. All of the moisture stored in vegetation at one time

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29
Q

What is surface storage?

A

All of the water held on the Earth’s surface at one time e.g in puddles, ponds and lakes

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30
Q

What is groundwater storage?

A

The storage of water underground in permeable rock strata

31
Q

What is channel storage?

A

The water held by rivers or stream channels

32
Q

What is baseflow?

A

The groundwater flow that feeds into rivers through river banks and river beds

33
Q

What is groundwater flow?

A

The movement of water through the permeable rock strata below the water table

34
Q

What is channel flow?

A

The movement of water through a river channel

35
Q

What is infiltration?

A

The downward movement of water into the soil surface

36
Q

What is interflow?

A

Water flowing downhill through permeable rock above the water table

37
Q

What is percolation?

A

Water moving downwards through soil and bedrock below the water table due to gravity

38
Q

What is stemflow?

A

Water running down a plant stem or tree trunk

39
Q

What is surface runoff?

A

The movement of water over the surface of the land, usually when the ground is saturated or frozen or when precipitation is too intense for infiltration to occur

40
Q

What is throughflow?

A

The lateral movement of water within the soil layer. This is significantly fast through ‘pipes’ e.g cracks in the soil or animal burrows

41
Q

What is evaporation?

A

The transformation of water from droplets to vapour through heating

42
Q

What is evapotranspiration?

A

The loss of water from a drainage basin into the atmosphere from the leaves of plants as well as evaporation

43
Q

What is transpiration?

A

Evaporation from plant leaves

44
Q

What is river discharge?

A

The volume of water which passes a point in a given time

45
Q

What is sublimation?

A

The transformation of water from a solid to a gas

46
Q

What is deposition?

A

The transformation of water from a gas to a solid

47
Q

What percentage of the Earth’s water is in the oceans?

A

96.5%

48
Q

What is orographic / relief precipitation?

A

When air is forced to rise over highland and cools causing condensation and so precipitation

49
Q

What is frontal precipitation?

A

When a mass of cold, dense air meets a mass of warm, less dense air. The warmer, less dense air is forced to rise and so condensation and precipitation occurs

50
Q

What is conventional precipitation?

A

When the sun’s rays heat the Earth’s surface, causing water to evaporate and rise. This then cools causing condensation and so precipitation

51
Q

What is a drainage basin?

A

An area of land drained by a river and its tributaries

52
Q

What is a water shed?

A

The boundary around a water basin often marked by a ridge of high land

53
Q

What is a confluence?

A

Where a river joins another river channel

54
Q

What is a tributary?

A

Where a smaller river joins a larger river channel

55
Q

What is the source?

A

The furthest point from the mouth / confluence

56
Q

What is the mouth?

A

Where the river meets the sea / lake

57
Q

What is the ITCZ?

A

Inter-tropical convergence zone

58
Q

What is the water table?

A

The level where water has saturated the ground

59
Q

Aquifer

A

A vast underground reservoir most commonly formed in rocks such as chalk and sandstone

60
Q

Soil moisture budget

A

Describes the changes in the soil water store during the course of the year. It is determined by evapotranspiration and precipitation

61
Q

Soil moisture utilisation

A

The extraction of soil moisture by plants for their needs

62
Q

Soil moisture deficit

A

The point at which the soil moisture falls below field capacity, caused by a lack of precipitation and high amounts of evapotranspiration

63
Q

Soil moisture recharge

A

Following soil moisture deficit, precipitation is greater than potential evapotranspiration so moisture will be added to the soil

64
Q

Field capacity

A

The point at which the soil becomes saturated

65
Q

Soil moisture surplus

A

The period when the soil is saturated so water cannot enter and therefore it flows over the surface. This is caused by low levels of evapotranspiration and high levels of precipitation

66
Q

Soil porosity

A

Pores or small spaces in the soil. The more pores, the more water can be stored in the soil

67
Q

The Water Balance

A

An equation used to express the amount of water in each of the water stores (the different spheres)

68
Q

Hillslope system

A

The way in which water moves down a typical hillslope and towards a river, involving stores and transfers

69
Q

Irrigation

A

The supply of water to the land by means of channels, streams and sprinklers in order to permit the growth of crops

70
Q

Water abstraction

A

The extraction of water from rivers or underground aquifers

71
Q

Salt water intrusion

A

The movement of saltwater into an aquifer, which may cause contamination. Often caused by over abstraction of groundwater from an aquifer

72
Q

Ablation

A

Outputs from a glacial system due to melting (size of glacier decreases)

73
Q

Accumulation

A

Inputs to a glacial system due to snowfall (size of glacier increases)

74
Q

Antedecent rainfall

A

Precipitation that has fallen before

A Level Physical Geography (12 decks)

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