hydrosphere Flashcards
(130 cards)
1
Q
evapouration
A
the process of turning water from a liquid into a vapour
2
Q
transpiration
A
the proces by which plants give off water vapour through the stomata in the leaves
3
Q
interception
A
precipitation that doesn’t reach the soil, but is instead interepted by the leaves, branches of plants and the forest floor
4
Q
surface run off
A
the unconfined flow of water over the ground surface
5
Q
percolation
A
the process of a liquid slowly passing through a filter, through the soil
6
Q
condensation
A
water which collects droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it (eg: clouds)
7
Q
precipitation
A
rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls or condenses on the ground
8
Q
infiltration
A
permation of liquid into something by filtration
9
Q
what is the natural hydrological cycle
A
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10
Q
residence time
A
volme in the reservoirs / mean transfer rate
11
Q
what is the residence time of water and ice
A
up to 4000 years
12
Q
what is the residence time of groundwater
A
100 -> 10,00 years
13
Q
what is the residence time of rives and lakes
A
2 months -> 10 years
14
Q
what is the residence time of soil moisture
A
2 months
15
Q
what is the residence time of land ice
A
20 -> 100 years
16
Q
what is the residence time of atmosphere residence
A
1 week
17
Q
how much water does agriculture use
A
0.7
18
Q
how much water does industry use
A
0.2
19
Q
how much water does domestic uses use
A
0.08
20
Q
what is an agricultural activity
A
irrigation
21
Q
what is an industry activity for water
A
cooking, washing, heating, solvent
22
Q
what is an domestic uses activity for water
A
flushing toilets, washing clothes / dishes, hygene
23
Q
what are the global demand for water
A
increase in population, increase in pre-capita used with increased affluence, increased irrigation of farmland, inducstialisation, water demand globally, agriculture
24
Q
what does and increase in population mean
A
birth rate is higher than death rate, immigation for other countries
25
what does increase in per-capita used with increased affluence mean
poorer communities may be limited by how far water can be carried from the well
there are now more pipes, meaning that modern appliances use more water
there are now more pipes, meaning that modern appliances use more water
26
what does incresed irrigation of farmland mean
substience farming usually uses water produced naturally, but commercial agriculture is becoming bigger, meaning that irrigation is as well
27
what does industrialsiation mean in relation to global demand of water
heavy industry uses a lot of water (such as chemical and steel industries)
28
what does water demand globally mean in relation to global demand of water
increase by 55% between 2000-2050
29
what state is the natual hydrosphere in
dynamic equilibrium
30
how does vegetation create interception loss
vegetation intercepts rainfall, which may evapourate before it reaches the ground
31
how does the reduction of trees impact transpiration
trees return water back to the ground from the soil to the atmosphere through transpiration, so a loss of trees would mean a loss of transpiration
32
how can the loss of trees cause significant reduction in precipitaiton in downwind areas
more of the water infiltrates the ground or runs off into the river rather than being transpired into the atmosphere to produce cloud and rain
33
what does an increased surface run off mean
an increase of sediments in the river
34
how does water infiltration get impacted due to agriculture
soil can become compacted due to heavy farm machinery or by livestock trampling, so water will not infiltrate into the compacted soil, meaning that soil moisture levels drop and run off will increase
35
what does crop irrigation do to the evapouration rates
it will increase the evapouration rates
36
what is the impact of loss of biota in the soil
reduction of infiltration, increase of surface run-off, reduction of water retention by the organic matter in the soil
37
what are the impermiable surfaces found in urban areas
concrete and tarmac
38
how do impermable surfaces influence the hydrological cycle
it reduces infiltration while increasing the rate of run-off
39
what is the impact of rapid run-off from large urban areas
it can increase river flooding downstream
40
how would a reduction in snow/ice cover have an impact on the hydrological cycle
snow falling in colder weather melting in warmer weather, reducing extremes in river flow, so the loss of ice may increase the flooding after heavy rain and and low river flow in periods of low rainfall
41
what factors will impact the timing, type and amount of precipitation
temperature, wind velocity and wind direction
42
how does wildlife barriers imact migraiton
it will prevent free-moving of fish, such as salmon and sturgeon
43
how will habitat change positively impact organisms
reservoirs could be more important and useful than wetlands
44
what is the microclimate impact on abiotic factors
- higher wind speed
- more evapouration
- increased humidity
- more precipitation
- more temperature flucturations (warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer)
- more evapouration
- increased humidity
- more precipitation
- more temperature flucturations (warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer)
45
how does sedimentation influence the fertility of flood plains
the sediments would settle on the bottom of reservoirs, impacting the fertility
46
how does the reduction of flow impact the river turtles
it creates a period of lower flow, meaning that turtles cannot lay their eggs
47
how does the reduction of river flow impact salmon/trout
it will wash away any sediments (meaning that they cannot lay their eggs)
48
how is the river nile used for abstraction
- irrigation
- construction of dams
- construction of dams
49
what are the benifits of dams
they regulate flow, provide water and generate electricity
50
why will the water demand of the river nile increase in the future
populations are growing so the country is developing economically, leading to an increased agriculture (farms now use up to 8 million gallons of water per day and there are more and more of these now evolving)
51
how many people rely on rivers that originate fom the tibetan plateau for agriculture and water (tibet)
more than 1500 million people
52
which activities have resulted in over-abstraction of the water in the tibetan basin
- growing populations
- increased demand for agriculture and industry (which may lead to water shortages and conflict between countries)
- increased demand for agriculture and industry (which may lead to water shortages and conflict between countries)
53
what impact has global climate change had on the hydrological cycle (tibet)
- water shortages may be made worse by seasonal fluctuations
- the melting of glaciers in the himilayas mountains flow during dry seasons, but receding glaciers produce a less reliable water flow in the future
- the melting of glaciers in the himilayas mountains flow during dry seasons, but receding glaciers produce a less reliable water flow in the future
54
karakum canal (aral sea)
- volume of water it abstracts from the river system: 3.1 mile^3 / year
- 1,375km (853 miles) long
- 1,375km (853 miles) long
55
what is an aquifer
body of rock that holds water, that is exploited as a resource
56
what are the 3 types of rocks that are suitable to form aquifers
porous rocks -> chalk, sandstone, limestone
57
porosity
measure of the rock's volume that is space
58
why is porosity important to aquifers
measure of a rock's volume that is space - it could therefore hold water
59
what is meant by permeability
measure of the ease at which fluids may flow through a rock because of interconnections between the space and their size
60
why do rocks below an aquifer need to be impermiable
to prevent the escape of water
61
why do rocks above an aquifer need to be permiable
to allow recharge of the aquifer
62
what is natural recharge
natural amount of water in an aquifer is in a state of artificial equilibrium of the natural inflow / recharge of water into the aquifer and water that flows out of the aquifer
63
how will aquifer levels decline in correspondance to natural recharge
unsustainable abstraction of water by humans, which is greater than the rate of recharge then the volume of the water in the aquifer will decline
64
how does most natural recharge take place
most aquifer recharge takes place as precipitation landing on the ground surface infiltrates and percolates through the soil and rock into the aquifer
65
how does artificial recharge take place
can be maintained by using surplus water during periods of high rainfall to recharge the aquifer by pumping it underground / diverting it into lagoons where it can infiltrate into the ground naturally
66
what happens if groundwater is over exploited
if the groundwater is over exploited, then the water table will be lowered, reducing or stopping the outflow of water into the wetland, causing for it to dry up
67
what happens due to substience
water that is no longer present in industrial spaces in rocks and cannot provide support for rock particles, and they will be compacted by the weight of gravity
68
what is an affect of substience
this causes subsidence at the surface, meaning serious damage is caused to buildings and pipelines
69
what happens to sea water at over exploited aquifers
sea water will flow sideways into the aquifer
70
what is a negetive impact of saltwater incursion
salt makes the aquifer unsuitable for freshwater and could kill crops due to osmic dehydration
71
what is an ecological impact of over exploited aquifers
- the water table will be lowered (if the water table is lowered, then plants sigh higher water requirements will die / become less abundant as they fail to compete with plants that have a lower requirement for water)
- aquatic / semi-aquatic animals will die out if wetlands dry out
- other species may be affected, even though they don't directly rely on water (they directly rely on food)
- aquatic / semi-aquatic animals will die out if wetlands dry out
- other species may be affected, even though they don't directly rely on water (they directly rely on food)
72
how can aquifer depletion be monitored
- by checking level of the water table in wells / boreholes (this can be slow and/or difficult at a large scale)
- nasa operates 2 grace satellites that surveys the earth every 30 days
- nasa operates 2 grace satellites that surveys the earth every 30 days
73
how might if extraction rate exceeds the recharge rate affect the aquifer
the volume of water available for abstraction is reduced, and if unsustainable use conitinues, the problem may not be able to been seen untill later on, meaning that human uses may suddenly have to stop
74
how big is the area that the ogallala aquifer underlies
450,000km^2
75
how much of all groundwater comes from the ogallala aquifer
0.3
76
how long will it take for the ogallala aquifer to recharge once emptied
6000 years
77
how much has the ogallala aquifer dropped since 1996
14 feet
78
how much does the ogallala aquifer drop per year
2 foot (from 1 foot)
79
what is the natural recharge rate of the ogallala aquifer
1 foot per year
80
water purification (treatment)
the process of removing undesirable chemical and biological contaminants from raw water
81
what is the order of water treatement
1. river
2. pump
3. storage reserviour sedimentation
4. screens
5. aeriation
6. floccultion
7. sedimentation / clarification
8. filtration
9. advanced carbon treatment
10. sterilisation
11. ph adjustment
12. ion exchange (in some areas)
13. service reservoir
14. supply main
15. consumers
2. pump
3. storage reserviour sedimentation
4. screens
5. aeriation
6. floccultion
7. sedimentation / clarification
8. filtration
9. advanced carbon treatment
10. sterilisation
11. ph adjustment
12. ion exchange (in some areas)
13. service reservoir
14. supply main
15. consumers
82
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## Footnote
water treatment
83
raw water
water from a natural source (eg: a river or a lake)
84
what happens in sedimentation
water is allowed to remain static to let suspended solids, such as silt to sit
85
what happens in screens
metal grills / meshes are used to remove vegetation and litter, such as plastics and paper items
86
what happens in aeriation
- bubbles of air / water spray are used to aeriate the water to ensure high dissolved oxygen content
- some dissolved metals are toxic / give the ater a bad taste, so are removed by aeriation as they become insoluble
- anaerobic water sources may contain hydrogen sulfide from organic matter decay (this gives the smell of bad eggs)
- some dissolved metals are toxic / give the ater a bad taste, so are removed by aeriation as they become insoluble
- anaerobic water sources may contain hydrogen sulfide from organic matter decay (this gives the smell of bad eggs)
87
what happens in flocculation / coagulation and clarification
- clay partics don't settle out in sedimentation lagoons as the electrostatic charges on their surface causes them to remove each other
- they can be neutralised by adding the flocculants aluminum sulfate calcium / polyelectrolytes
- they are mixed quickly with water and passed into the claryfying tank where the particles can settle
- they can be neutralised by adding the flocculants aluminum sulfate calcium / polyelectrolytes
- they are mixed quickly with water and passed into the claryfying tank where the particles can settle
88
what happens in filtration
sometimes filters are used to remove any suspended solids and bacteria. this often involves slow flow through layers of sand a gravel
89
what happens in activated carbon filters
particles of activated carbon are used to emove organic chemicals (eg: pesticides, which absorb carbon particles)
90
what happens in sterialisation
- the addition of chlorine / ozone / uv light is used to sterilise the water and kill pathogens
- chlorine is the most common method, but if the water is from peaty sources, then organic matter may e present and could react with chlorine and produce toxic substances (in this case ozon / uv light is added)
- the addition of chlorine should keep the water sterile during distribution is gradually lost
- using chloramine keeps the water sterile for longer as it breaks down and gradually and releases chlorine
- chlorine is the most common method, but if the water is from peaty sources, then organic matter may e present and could react with chlorine and produce toxic substances (in this case ozon / uv light is added)
- the addition of chlorine should keep the water sterile during distribution is gradually lost
- using chloramine keeps the water sterile for longer as it breaks down and gradually and releases chlorine
91
what happens in ph control
sterilisation with chlorine can make the water too acidic, the ph is adjusted by adding crushed lime
92
what happens in flourification
flourides are addded to water in some areas to improve dental health of people that drink the water
93
what happens in ion exchange
- toxic ions (eg: lead, mercury and arsenic) can be removed from water using ion exchange
- toxic ions absourb onto polymer beads / particles of zeollte
- ion exchange is also used to remove calcuim and magnesisum to produce 'soft' water
- toxic ions absourb onto polymer beads / particles of zeollte
- ion exchange is also used to remove calcuim and magnesisum to produce 'soft' water
94
what are the 2 ways that desalination of sea water is done
- distillation
- reverse osmosis
- reverse osmosis
95
how does distillation work
1. sea water is boiled
2. steam is condensed
3. freshwater is collected
2. steam is condensed
3. freshwater is collected
96
what are the advantages of distillation
- volumes of water are reasonably high
- simple technology
- simple technology
97
what are the disadvantages of distillation
- need to heat water (energy intensive)
- usually only operated when energy is cheap
- left over brine (disposited in sea water - ecological impacts aren't understood) - too much of it
- usually only operated when energy is cheap
- left over brine (disposited in sea water - ecological impacts aren't understood) - too much of it
98
how does reverse osmosis work
forces under pressure salt water though a semi-permiable membrane, which filters out the salt and leaves the fresh water
99
what are the advantages of reverse osmosis
- less energy is required
- no heat is required (it is safer)
- can be done on a relatively small scale
- no heat is required (it is safer)
- can be done on a relatively small scale
100
what are the disadvantages of reverse osmosis
- semi permiable membrane is perishable (it won't last forever)
- it is difficult to generate large volumes of water
- brine wase can have ecological effects if it is allowed to build up
- it is difficult to generate large volumes of water
- brine wase can have ecological effects if it is allowed to build up
101
why is rainwater collection important
- when public supplies cannot meet the consumer demands (eg: many cities in india)
- reduces urban flooding after heavy rain
- in rural areas where there is no public water suply
- the water is often cleaner than the water from rivers
- reduces urban flooding after heavy rain
- in rural areas where there is no public water suply
- the water is often cleaner than the water from rivers
102
positives about rainwater collection from rivers
- often the most convenient source of water
- they are often very long, so they are accessible over a large land area
- natural contaminants are rearely a serious problem
- human problems are not usually a problem until population density rose to the point where waste from a community upstream didn't break down before it reached another community upstream
- they are often very long, so they are accessible over a large land area
- natural contaminants are rearely a serious problem
- human problems are not usually a problem until population density rose to the point where waste from a community upstream didn't break down before it reached another community upstream
103
features that affect the usefulness of rivers as a water source
- total anual water flow (river discharge)
- flow fluctuations
- level of natural contaminats
- pollutants from human activity
- flow fluctuations
- level of natural contaminats
- pollutants from human activity
104
what are the factors affecting reservoir selection site
- catchment area
- water supply
- pollution risk
- sedimentation
- infrastructure
- land use conflicts
- topography
- geology
- water supply
- pollution risk
- sedimentation
- infrastructure
- land use conflicts
- topography
- geology
105
catchment area
the area of land over which rain will flow or through the ground into the river
106
why is geology important
- the rocks beneath the reservoir must be impermeable so water cannot perculate into the rocks
- the rocks should also be strong enough to hold the dam
- the rocks should also be strong enough to hold the dam
107
what is the ideal topography
a narrow exit from a large, deep basin, so a relitively small dam can hold a large volume of water
108
land use conflicts
- a loss:benifit must be considered
- in the uk, large urban areas and important wildlife conservation would probably be protected
- agricultural land = less valued
- in the uk, large urban areas and important wildlife conservation would probably be protected
- agricultural land = less valued
109
why is infrastructure important in reserviour selection
a convenient site near the dam may be chosen as building requires workers, building materials, access routes and machinery
110
what is the impact of sedimentation in affecting reservior selection
soil erosion in the catchment area will make the inflow of the river very turbid, gradually reducing the volume of water the reservoir can hold
111
what are the pollution risks
- toxic pollutants from industry and agricultural pesticides
- if a flooded area is covered with forest / dead vegetation, then it will release methane into the atmosphere
- if a flooded area is covered with forest / dead vegetation, then it will release methane into the atmosphere
112
how does water supply affect reservoir site selection
- rainfall / river inflow should be regular and have a large volume
- the climate should not be too hot / too dry (evapouration)
- the climate should not be too hot / too dry (evapouration)
113
why is artificial recharge of aquifers important
- water from aquifers that is abstracted during dry seasons, but recharge rate may be low during wet seasons when the infiltration capacity of the the surface rock is exceeded and the surpless run off flows into the sea via rivers
- it can be maintained by using surpless water during periods of high rainfall by pumping it underground / diverting it into lagoons where it can infiltrate naturally
- it can be maintained by using surpless water during periods of high rainfall by pumping it underground / diverting it into lagoons where it can infiltrate naturally
114
why are reserviors important
- human activities increase extremes in river flow (eg: deforestation / urbanisation)
- resevoirs can be used to regulate river flow
- during periods of low rainfall, the reservior is used tomaintain levelsby opening the dam (more water into the river)
- during periods of high rainfall, the reservoir is used to store surpless water to reduce flooding downstream
- resevoirs can be used to regulate river flow
- during periods of low rainfall, the reservior is used tomaintain levelsby opening the dam (more water into the river)
- during periods of high rainfall, the reservoir is used to store surpless water to reduce flooding downstream
115
inter basin transfers
canals, pipes, pumping stations (etc) are used to transfer water from an area of surpless to an area of defecit
116
advantages of the south-north water transfer project
it stops the over-withdrawral of ground water supply and can supply more water to industries and cities
117
disadvantages of the south-north water transfer project
- $62 billion cost
- could make water pollution problems worse
- could make water pollution problems worse
118
how long is the eastern route of the south-north water transfer project
1,155km
119
how long is the central route of the south-north water transfer project
1,267km
120
how long is the western route of the south-north water transfer project
500km
121
what is the aim of the south-north water transfer project
to divert 44.8 billion cubic metres of water per year from the yangtze river to the yellow river basin
122
how many people had to get relocated for the building of the dankiankou reservoir in the south-north water transfer project
330000
123
how does afforestation help
- trees help to reduce the rate of flow of rainwater into the rivers
- it reduces fluctuations in the river level, helping to reduce flooding after heavy rain as well as mainntaining river levels during periods of low rainfall
- it reduces fluctuations in the river level, helping to reduce flooding after heavy rain as well as mainntaining river levels during periods of low rainfall
124
identify two examples of low water appliances
1. washing machines
2. dishwashers
2. dishwashers
125
describe the process of xeriscaping
it involves the management of gardens, parks and urban spaces, such as roadside veges and roundabouts by planting them with species that are adapted to dry conditions, so that less water is needed to wash them
126
what is drip irrigation
it delivers waste directly to the plants, leading to lower evapouration loses than overhead sprays
127
what is grey water and how can it be used
retaining water that has been used but is still quite clean and re-using it for other purposes, such as water that is used for baths / showers can be used to flush toilets or for garden uses
128
what can be used to reduce fertiliers entering rivers and polluting water resources
buffer strips
129
water infastructure in the uk needs to be maintained and repaired. what percentage of water intended for pup supply is lost from leaking pipes
0.2
130
why are water meters better at conserving water than a fixed charge
- fixed charge doesn't encourage careful use of water
- water meters matches the charge that the consumers pay to the volume of water used
- water meters matches the charge that the consumers pay to the volume of water used
