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Water Resources > Midterm > Flashcards

Midterm Flashcards

(51 cards)

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1
Q

Q (groundwater flow) =

A

-K * A^(Δh / Δl) (Darcy’s Law)

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2
Q

tau (residence time) =

A

V / Q (volume / discharge)

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3
Q

Recurrence interval

A

Interval on which a flood of a given discharge occurs at least once; inversely related to exceedance probability

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4
Q

probability of a given flood occurring over a period of n years

A

1 - (1 - exceedance probability) ^ n

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5
Q

log plot equation

A

x = 10^(p * (log after - log before) + log before)

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6
Q

h (hydraulic head) =

A

z (elevation head; datum to bottom of piezo-/mano- meter) + Ψ (pressure head)

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7
Q

Potential evapotranspiration (PET)

A

Evapotranspiration that would occur from a wet surface under specific conditions

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8
Q

Water bonding

A

Polar covalent within molecules; hydrogen bonding between molecules

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9
Q

effects of H-bonding on water

A

high Bp, high freezing point, high viscosity, expansion upon freezing (crystalline structure maximizes H-bonding), surface tension, solvent ability

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10
Q

Water cycle pools

A

Lakes, rivers, groundwater, snowpack, ocean, atmosphere

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11
Q

Water cycle fluxes

A

Precipitation, evapotranspiration, streamflow, recharge

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12
Q

Water use goals

A

Not too much, not too little, of the right quality

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13
Q

Virtual water

A

Hidden flow of water in commodities

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14
Q

in-situ use

A

water use without withdrawal (i.e., waterwheel)

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15
Q

consumptive use

A

water use that diminishes quality or amount

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16
Q

nonconsumptive use

A

water use that does not diminish quality or amount

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17
Q

River functions

A

Geomorphological agent, human resource (often controlled), habitat, mover of water and substances quickly through landscape

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18
Q

Thalweg

A

Lowest point of river bottom; where length is measured

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19
Q

River variation by:

A

sinuosity, slope, width, depth, cross section

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20
Q

Climatic variability of rivers

A

Arid climates: very variable streamflow (little storage)
Cold climates: peak in summer or spring from melting
Temperate humid: generally consistent; can decrease in summer due to increased ET
Equatorial: most consistent; further out from equator has monsoons

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21
Q

Uncontained aquifer

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A

In contact with atmosphere; water table is at equilibrium with atmospheric pressure

22
Q

Contained aquifer

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A

Under pressure due to confining units; have a potentiometric surface rather than a water table; often recharged by a distant area

23
Q

Artesian well

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A

Well in a confined aquifer where potentiometric surface is above ground level

24
Q

Water table

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A

top of saturated zone in equilibrium with atm

25
Capillary fringe:
Saturated area above water table resulting from capillary action
26
Flood analysis procedure
1. Annual peak flow 2. Rank 3. Recurrence interval 4. Exceedance probability
27
Flood types
Fluvial (river), pluvial (runoff / surface), coastal
28
Reasons for changing flood frequency
Climate shift, land cover change, dam construction
29
Conditions necessary for precipitation
Precipitable water, continuing moisture supply (atmospheric rivers, ocean water, "recycled" water from land surface), condensation (convergence - ICTZ, fronts - convection (monsoons), orographic (elevation, rain shadows beyond mountains), hydrometeor growth processes
30
Precipitation measurement
Bucket, rain gauge (tipping bucket), disdrometer, radar, satellites
31
Evapotranspiration measurement
Evapotranspiration pan, lysimeter, porometry and sap flux
32
Snow measurement
Snow tubes, snow pillows, satellite radiometers, LIDAR flights
33
Snow water equivalent
Depth of water that would have the same mass as the column of snow
34
Measurement tradeoffs
Rates vs. totals, labor vs. expense, spatial coverage vs. resolution, measuring vs. modeling
35
Lakes
Low velocity surface water surrounded by land
36
Lake sources and sinks
Groundwater, ET, runoff, inflow stream, and outflow stream
37
Lake productivity
Oligotrophic, mesotrophic, eutrophic
38
Lake characteristics
Water sources and sinks, lake productivity, mixing, landscape position, residence time, drainage basin / lake area, salinity
39
Lake formation methods
Glaciers, volcanic and tectonic processes, landslides and mudslides, oxbow, closed basin (endorheic)
40
Reservoir/dam purposes
Recreation, flood control, ecological purpose, irrigation, domestic supply, hydroelectric, navigation
41
Dam/reservoir components
Dam, outlet works, spillway, live storage, dead storage, flood pool
42
Upstream dam/reservoir problems
Migratory blocking, displaced people, trap sediment, change habitat, induce demand for water, expensive, more ET, eutrophication, loss of land, pollutant concentration
43
Downstream dam/reservoir problems
Less sediment (starve deltas), altered flow, changes in downstream temp + dissolved gas, dam failure & hazard, dam-induced seismicity
44
Ecosystem
Community of interdependent species, together with the non-living environment, having a relatively self-contained energy flow and being distinct from neighboring communities
45
River reach
Stretch of a river or stream with the same properties
46
Wetland services
Absorb nutrients and pollutants (natural filtration), dissipate wave energy, serve as flood storage, and provide habitat
47
Wetland characteristics
Tidal (mangrove, salt marsh) or not, wet seasonally or year round, saturated (marshes and wet meadows) or inundated (bogs and fens), fed by precipitation (bog) or overland flow (marsh) or groundwater (fens), woody (swamp) or soft-stemmed (marsh), organic (peat) (bogs, fens) or mineral soils (swamps, marshes)
48
Ramsar convention
Protects wetlands; signed by 172 countries; response to loss of 50% of wetlands since 1900
49
Hyporheic flow
Exchange between river flow and shallow subsurface: important transfer of gas, solutes, contaminants, microorganisms, and particles
50
Riffle
Shallow and quick flowing part of a river
51
Discharge/streamflow measurement
Weirs and buckets; velocity-area relationships with blocks: Q = depth * width * velocity; rating curves

Water Resources (1 decks)

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