Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

geography > all of the water cycle > Flashcards

all of the water cycle Flashcards

(68 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is the global water budget?

A

balance of water fluxes and size of water stores involved in hydrological cycle each year

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a closed system?

A

transfer of energy but no matter between the system and its surroundings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is an open system?

A

receives inputs from and transfers outputs of energy and matter to other systems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How much water do oceans store?

A

96.9%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How much water do continents store?

A

3.02%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How much water is groundwater?

A

1.1%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How much water is rivers/lakes?

A

0.1%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How much water is in soil moisture?

A

0.01%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How is water stored on continents?

A
  • groundwater
  • river/lake
  • soil moisture
  • atmosphere
  • biological
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is fossil water?

A

water contained in an undisturbed space for longer than 1,000 years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is blue water?

A

Water in its liquid form (Rivers)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is green water?

A

Water evaporated from soil and plants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is grey water?

A

Relatively clean water waste from baths, sinks and kitchen appliances

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the Segura Aquifer in Spain?

A
  • Used for agriculture: grapes/wine
  • One of the world’s most depleted aquifers
  • 440 hm³ short of fresh water
  • 61% of groundwater sources are not replenishable
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the water budget equation?

A

precipitation (Input) = Channel discharge + evapotranspiration (Output) +/- changes in storage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is a drainage basin?

A

Area drained by a river and its tributaries, separated by high land called watershed (open system)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is interception?

A

Water impeded by vegetation, varies due to temperature, leaf type, age and density

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is infiltration?

A

Rate water enters pores in the soil (mm/hour) - changes due to saturation levels

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is overland flow?

A

Water moving across the surface

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is saturated overland flow?

A

Rainwater forced to run off the surface when maximum soil saturation is reached

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is infiltration-excess overland flow?

A

When rainfall intensity is higher than infiltration capacity, causing the additional water to run over the surface

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is groundwater flow?

A

Slow movement of percolated water through rocks to a river

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is percolation?

A

Water moving vertically downwards through rocks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is evapotranspiration?

A

Total amount of water removed from a drainage basin from liquid water to gas and water in the soil taken through plants that is from the stomata

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What is channel runoff?
Total water output from the catchment at river mouth
26
What is human disruption to interception?
Varied crops, deforestation, urbanisation
27
What is human disruption to infiltration?
Trampling, urbanisation, deforestation, ploughing
28
What is human disruption to channel runoff?
River extraction reducing flow (Colorado River)
29
What is human disruption to evapotranspiration?
Dams, global warming, vegetation changes
30
What has happened to the Segura aquifer?
- constant decline - Major drought during 1992-1995 and 2006-2009 - Resulting in an 8m drop in the water table and 8cm of subsidence
31
What are the three main types of rainfall?
- convectional rainfall - relief rainfall - frontal rainfall
32
What is the soil moisture budget?
Used to compare inputs and outputs from soil
33
What is the river regime?
Annual variation in discharge per year (displayed in hydrograph)
34
What is a Perennial Channel?
river with continual flow all year
35
What is an intermittent channel?
River with lack of flow for a few weeks/months a year
36
What is a ephemeral channel?
River that only flows for a few hours/days (Wadi)
37
What are factors affecting river regimes?
- Climate (desert mostly ephemeral) - drainage area - altitude - geology - land use
38
What are wetlands?
Areas of marsh, fen or peatland Lack resilience to drought Serious struggle UK 1976
39
What is meteorological drought?
When long-term precipitation is much lower than normal (region specific)
40
What is agricultural drought?
Insufficient soil moisture to meet crop needs - normally evident after m. drought
41
What is hydrological drought?
Deficiencies in surface and subsurface water supplies that originates from precipitation shortfall
42
What is socio-economic drought?
When water demand for crops/HEP exceeds water availability
43
What is the Intertropical Convergence Zone?
Belt of low pressure at the equator that moves north or south seasonally. Intense heat causes air rise, creates wet season (when it arrives) and dry season (when is leaves)
44
What are mid-latitude blocking anticyclones?
High pressure system that brings stable weather conditions with little precipitation, forcing rain-depressions around them. (UK)
45
What is natural flooding?
intense rainfall in short time, prolonged rainfall, tropical storms and snowmelt
46
What is human-caused flooding?
Deforestation, urban growth, farmland and river mismanagement
47
What is positive flooding?
Recharge groundwater, fill wetlands, prevent future floods by ground level raise
48
What is negative flooding?
Lost of property (economic damage), eutrophication and contamination
49
What is the main impacts of climate change on the water cycle?
- Decreased snow cover - Increased precipitation in low pressure areas - Increased flood risk - Decreased humidity and precipitation in high pressure areas (drought)
50
What is the ENSO cycle?
- El Nino Southern Oscillation - every 7 years - Warm equatorial water moves east to Americas causing greater precipitation and evaporation in Americas, Dry in West Pacific
51
What is La Nina?
- opposite of ENSO - droughts in Americas and flooding in West Pacific, more hurricanes in Caribbean, colder snowy winters in the UK
52
What is water security?
Capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of water
53
What is water scarcity?
When water resources are below 1000m3/person (water demand increasing twice as fast as population)
54
What are factors affecting water scarcity?
- availability - access - physical lack of resources - utilisation - inadequate infrastructure/finance issues - failure of reliable supply
55
What is absolute water scarcity?
If water supplies are very low, less than 500m3/ person - normally causing water rationing
56
What is physical water scarcity?
When more than 75% of a countries river flows are being used
57
What is economic water scarcity?
When development of water resources is limited by human/ financial capabilities and water prices are expensive for citizens
58
What are the main causes of water insecurity?
Physical = Climate (rain varies by region and season) Human = Deforestation, overuse of Aquifers Contamination = 300 million in China use contaminated water (1/3 rivers and 75% lakes polluted), 20% waterwells contain arsenic
59
What are the main conflicts of the River Nile?
- Shared by 11 nations - very valuable as flows through arid areas (95% water for Egypt) - Egypt + Sudan significant veto power from 1929 Nile Agreement
60
What is agricultural water pressure?
- 74% World supply use - Wasteful use of water - Pollution can reduce river quality
61
What is industrial water pressure?
- 18% World supply use - Water can be recycled (some efficiency)
62
What is domestic water pressure?
- 8% World supply use - Huge variations by country - Most rapidly growing sector
63
What is Chinas water supply?
- 8% World freshwater but 22% of World population - 66% cities don't have enough water all year - 60% freshwater contaminated
64
What is abstraction?
- Removal of water from rivers/ groundwater stores (Aquifers), can cause saltwater incursion
65
What is saltwater incursion?
Movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers due to water tables lowering, reducing pressure and pulling seawater into Aquifer
66
What are hard engineering schemes in the water cycle?
structures to increase supply - megadams - water transfer - desalination plants
67
What are soft engineering schemes in the water cycle?
Work with local people to develop projects that restore water supplies
68
What is integrated drainage basin management?
Aim to establish framework for co-operation between all administrations and stakeholders with agreed policies and strategies

geography (6 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions