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physical geography > the water cycle > Flashcards

the water cycle Flashcards

1
Q

what is a system?

A

a set of steps that occur to make things happen.

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2
Q

what are elements?

A

things that make up a system.

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3
Q

what is an output?

A

a point where something is removed from a system.

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4
Q

what is an input?

A

a point where something is added to a system.

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5
Q

what is a relationship?

A

descriptions of how the various elements work together to carry out some sort of process.

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6
Q

what is a system boundary?

A

the edge of a system; the interface between one system and another.

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7
Q

what is a store/component?

A

a part of the system where something is held for a period of time and another.

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8
Q

what is a flow/transfer?

A

a link between one store or component and other, along with which something moves.

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9
Q

what are the types of systems?

A
  • open systems
  • closed systems
  • isolated system
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10
Q

what is an open system?

A

any system which has internal inputs and external outputs of both energy and matter.

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11
Q

what is a closed system?

A

a system which exchanges or transfers only energy with its surroundings.

it DOES NOT exchange matter.

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12
Q

what is an isolated system?

A

these systems have no interactions with anything outside of the system boundary.

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13
Q

what is positive feedback?

A

occurs where the effects of an action are AMPLIFIED by changes to the inputs/outputs or processes.

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14
Q

what is negative feedback?

A

occurs where the effects of an action are nullified by changes to the inputs/outputs or processes.

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15
Q

what is an example of positive feedback within a water system?

A
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16
Q

what is an example negative feedback in a water system?

A
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17
Q

what kind of system is the earth?

A

a closed system.

energy comes in as solar radiation, balanced out by radiant energy lost by earth.

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18
Q

how many subsystems are there on earth and what are they?

A

there are FIVE subsystems on earth:
- ATMOSPHERE (air)
- LITOSPHERE (geology)
- HYDROSPHERE (water)
- BIOSPHERE (organic life)
- CRYOSPHERE (ice)

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19
Q

why are the 5 systems of earth known as cascading system?

A

each of the 5 subsystems work as an open system with interlocking relationships.

these interlocking relationships have profound effects on the earth’s climate.

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19
Q

give an example of how the 5 subsystems work together.

A

LITOSPHERE
volcanic eruption producing greenhouse gases.
\/
ATMOSPHERE
warmer temperatures
\/
CYROSPHERE
increased ice melt
=
HYDROSPHERE
increased extreme rainfall
\/
BIOSPHERE
increased soil erosion

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19
Q

what are the names for state changes of water?

A

solid to gas = sublimation
gas to solid = decomposition
liquid to gas = evaporation
gas to liquid = condensation

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19
Q

how does having a hydrogen bond affect water?

A

because of the strong bond, a lot of energy is required for a phase change.

as a result, water has high levels of surface tension.

it can hold itself together as a drop on a surface instead of dispersing.

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20
Q

what is the role of latent heat in water?

A

As water molecules become heated by the sun, they become agitated, and they begin to try and break down the bonds between them.

However, there isn’t enough heat in the sun ray to do this. So, the water molecules absorb energy from the surroundings to give them the final energy that they need to break down the bonds between them.

As latent heat is taken from the surroundings, it cools the surroundings down.

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21
Q

what is the role of condensation within water?

A
  • condensation is the opposite to latent heat.
  • latent heat is released by the water molecules
  • condensation can be thought of as a warming process.
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22
Q

what is a cloud?

A

a mass of water drops or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. could form when water condenses in the sky.

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23
Q

what is meant by evaporation?

A

evaporation is the process that changes liquid water t gaseous water. water moves from the earths surface to the atmosphere via evaporation.

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24
Q

when does evaporation occur?

A

it occurs when energy (heat) forces the bonds that hold water molecules together to break.

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25
Q

what is meant by condensation?

A

this is the process by which water vapour in the air is changed into liquid water; its the opposite of evaporation.

it is crucial for the water cycle because it is responsible for the formation of clouds.

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26
Q

what is the role of latent heat?

A

heat causes liquid and frozen water to evaporate into water vapour gas, which rises high in the sky to form clouds.

these clouds move over the globe and drop rain or snow.

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27
Q

what is meant by global atmospheric circulation?

A

the earth is surrounded by a thin layer of air called the atmosphere. the air in the atmosphere moves in response to differences in temerpature at the equator (warm) and the poles (cold).

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28
Q

why are temperatures higher at the equator?

A

the suns rays do not heat the surface of the earth evenly, resulting in differential heating.

this is due to the curvature of the earth. the suns energy is more concentrated at the equator compared to the poles (temps are higher here).

29
Q

what are the main water stores?

A
  • atmospheric water
  • oceanic water
  • cyrosphere water
  • terrestrial water
30
Q

what is the atmospheric water store?

A

water found in the atmosphere; mainly water vapour with some liquid water (clouds + rain droplets) and ice crystals.

31
Q

what is the oceanic water store?

A

the water contained in the earth’s oceans and seas but not including such inland seas as the Caspian Sea.

32
Q

what is the cryosphere water store?

A

the water locked up on the earths surface as ice.

33
Q

what is the terrestrial water store?

A

this consists of groundwater soil, moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers.

34
Q

what is a drainage basin?

A

the area of land surrounding a river, which receives water from the river and subsequently drains this water.

35
Q

what are common parts of a drainage basin?

A
  • watershed
  • tributary
  • source
  • confluence
  • floodplain
  • mouth
36
Q

what is a watershed in a drainage basin?

A

an area of land that drains all of the streams and rainfall to a common outlet such as the outflow of a reservoir or mouth of a bay.

37
Q

what is the mouth of a drainage basin?

A

the place where a river enters another river, ocean, sea or lake.

38
Q

what is a floodplain in a drainage basin?

A

an area of flat land alongside a river.

39
Q

what is confluence in a drainage basin?

A

occurs when two or more flowing bodies of water join together to form a single channel.

40
Q

what is the source of a drainage basin?

A

the place where the river begins.

41
Q

what is the tributary of a drainage basin?

A

a freshwater stream that feeds into a larger stream or river.

42
Q

how is surface runoff and erosion affected by land use change in the water cycle?

A

urbanisation and deforestation lead to an increase of impermeable surfaces like roads and buildings. these surfaces reduce infiltration and increase surface runoff - leading to higher volumes of water flowing over the land.

this is a result of increased erosion, carrying sediments into rivers abs affecting water quality.

43
Q

how is groundwater recharge affected by land use change in the water cycle?

A

Changes in land use like conversions of natural landscapes to urban or agricultural areas, can alter the rate of groundwater recharge.

Impermeable surfaces reduce infiltration, impacting replenishment of underground aquifers.

43
Q

how is evapotranspiration affected by land use change in the water cycle?

A

Changes can influence the amount of water vapour returned to the atmosphere through evaporation from surfaces and transpiration from plants.

Urban areas with impermeable surfaces may reduce evapotranspiration compared to natural landscapes, impacting water cycles.

44
Q

what does land use change affect in the water cycle?

A
  • surface runoff and erosion
  • groundwater recharge
  • evapotranspiration
  • water quality
  • streamflow and river dynamics
  • temperature change
  • wetland loss
45
Q

how is water quality affected by land use change in the water cycle?

A

Changes in land use, especially in urban and agricultural areas, can introduce pollutants such as fertilisers, pesticides, and chemicals into water bodies.

These pollutants can affect water bodies.

They can affect water quality and have cascading effects on aquatic ecosystems and the water cycle.

46
Q

how is streamflow and river dynamics affected by land use change in the water cycle?

A

Land use changes can alter the flow patterns of rivers and streams.

Increased pervious surfaces and changes in land cover can lead to altered streamflow regimes.

These alterations can have implications for downstream water availability and can contribute to flooding or drought conditions.

47
Q

how is temperature affected by land use change in the water cycle?

A

Certain land use changes, like urbanisation, can lead to localised temperature increases.

Higher temperature can influence evaporation rates, affecting the overall water balance in an area.

48
Q

how is wetland loss affected by land use change in the water cycle?

A

The conversion of wetlands for agricultural or urban development can result in the loss of important water storage and filtration functions.

49
Q

what is the water balance?

A

this is the difference between the inputs and outputs in the drainage basin.

50
Q

how is a positive water balance achieved?

A

if precipitation exceeds runoff and evapotranspiration, there will be a positive water balance.

the AMOUNT OF WATER stored in the system will be INCREASING.

51
Q

how is a negative water balance achieved?

A

if runoff and evapotranspiration exceed precipitation, there will be a negative water balance.

the AMOUNT OF WATER stored in the system will DECREASE.

52
Q

what is the purpose of a water budget graph?

A

these graphs show the balance between water inputs and outputs of a drainage basin.

53
Q

what is the water balance equation?

A

P = Q + E +/- change in storage.

P = precipitation
Q = total runoff
E = evapotranspiration

54
Q

what causes variation in runoff rates in the water balance?

A

Differences in soil water, rock type and vegetation cover are important.

The time of year will affect the rates of evapotranspiration and vegetation growth (interception).

The type and intensity of precipitation are also important. Intense rainfall is more likely to pass quickly into rivers, increasing the amount of runoff. Drizzle will be held in the trees and on the grass, much of which will evaporate. Snow will delay any runoff but when frozen soils melt, runoff values might be high.

55
Q

what is the soil moisture budget?

A

this is the change in the amount of water stored in the soil throughout the year.

  • it is closely linked to the water balance.
56
Q

what are the main factors of a soil moisture budget?

A
  • precipitation
  • potential evapotranspiration
57
Q

what is meant by potential evapotranspiration?

A

this is the potential evaporation from soils plus transpiration by plants.

it only occurs at the potential rate when the water available for this process is non-limiting.

58
Q

what is meant by soil moisture?

A

the soil moisture budget shows the levels of water in the soil.

two variables have major effects on soil moisture.

59
Q

what is the river regime?

A

this is the variability in a rivers discharge throughout the course of the year in response to precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration and drainage basin characteristics.

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physical geography (4 decks)

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