5.4B

Question 1

How does human activity contribute to drought

Answer 1

over abstraction of surface water resources and ground water aquifers

Question 2

when was the big dry

Answer 2

2001-2009 locally

Question 3

What happened in the big dry

Answer 3

Annual rainfall was 12.4% below 20th century mean – longest uninterrupted period on record for SE Australia

Question 4

How did the millenium drought impact agriculture

Answer 4

• Disastrous impact on wheat, wool, and meat exports
• Impact felt heaviest in Murray-Darling Basin (The Agricultural Heartland)

Question 5

How has deforestation contirbuted to the big dry

Answer 5

• 90% of basin’s original vegetation removed since 1800s (since arrival of Europeans)
• This reduces transpiration / precipitation and increases SRO,
• In turn this increases GW consumption
• Has probably added ~2 weeks per year onto any drought period

Question 6

How do humans affetc surface water

Answer 6

• 94% of all rainfall evaporates from surface water
• 42% of leftovers are diverted/pumped for human use through dams and reservoirs

Question 7

Where does australia lie

Answer 7

Australia lies on Sub-tropical Ridge (STR) – high pressure belt

Question 8

How many depend on the limited water supply

Answer 8

3.5 million

Question 9

How is the conflict being resolved

Answer 9

Introduction of water cap and Murray-Darling basin plan overshadowed by illegal over use (above quota) from farmers

Question 10

Negative impacts of conflict

Answer 10

16m kangaroos

Question 11

What other conflict is happening

Answer 11

Conflict with environmentalists over wetland water availability (16 RAMSAR listed wetlands exist in basin)

Question 12

What is the conflict

Answer 12

people need to use the water but it needs to be saved bc limited amioutn due to drought