Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Environmental Science > Topic 2 - The Hydrosphere > Flashcards

Topic 2 - The Hydrosphere Flashcards

(71 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

Why is water essential for life as we know it?

A

The biochemical reactions essential for all life happen in aqueous solution. Water allows the transport of essential molecules e.g. blood, sap etc.

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

Why have human settlements tended to grow up next to abundant sources of water?

A

Access to drinking water, growing crops, fish to eat etc.

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

List the following reservoirs into the order of which contain the most water (largest to smallest): Oceans, Land ice, Groundwater, Lakes and Rivers, Soil moisture, Atmosphere, Living things.

A

97% Oceans
2% Land Ice
0.7% Groundwater
0.01% Lakes and Rivers
0.005% Soil Moisture
0.001% Atmosphere
0.00004% Living things

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

What is evaporation?

A

The process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas or vapour, primarily due to heat from the sun.

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

What is transpiration?

A

The release of water vapour from plants and soil into the air.

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

What is evapotranspiration?

A

The combined processes of evaporation and transpiration, representing the total water loss from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere.

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

What is condensation?

A

The process by which water vapour is changed into liquid water, forming clouds and fog.

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

What is precipitation?

A

Any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from clouds and reaches the ground, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail.

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

What is infiltration?

A

The process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is percolation?

A

The movement of water through soil and porous rock layers, often reaching groundwater.

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

What is runoff?

A

Water, from rain or melted snow, that flows over the land surface and into bodies of water like rivers, lakes and oceans.

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

What is groundwater?

A

Water that is stored underground in aquifers, which are porous rock formations that can hold significant amounts of water.

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

What is sublimation?

A

The process by which water changes directly from a solid to a gas, without passing through the liquid phase.

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

What is deposition?

A

The process by which water vapour changes directly into ice without becoming liquid first, forming frost.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is interception?

A

The capture of precipitation by plant leaves and branches, which then evaporates back into the atmosphere without reaching the ground.

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

What is wind transport, in the hydrological cycle?

A

The horizontal movement of water vapour within the atmosphere.

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

What is surface flow?

A

The movement of water over the land surface, typically in the form of streams, rivers and lakes.

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

What is groundwater flow?

A

The movement of water through the subsurface layers of soil and rock.

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

What happens to the volume of a reservoir when the inflow rate is equal to the outflow rate?

A

It is in a steady state - there is no overall change in volume.

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

What happens to the volume of a reservoir when the inflow rate is larger than the outflow rate?

A

The volume of the reservoir increases.

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

What happens to the volume of a reservoir when the outflow rate is larger than the inflow rate?

A

The volume of the reservoir decreases.

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

Define residence time.

A

The average amount of time that a water molecule spends in a particular reservour. This varies dramatically between different types of reservoir.

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

What is the equation for residence time?

A

Volume of water in the reservoir / mean transfer rate

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

Name 6 reservoirs in the hydrological cycle.

A

-Oceans
-Land ice
-Groundwater
-Soil moisture
-Rivers and Lakes
-Living things
-Atmosphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
How does water get used domestically?
Flushing toilets, laundry, dishwashers, hygiene, cooking, drinking.
26
How is water used in agriculture?
Irrigation
27
How is water used for industrial purposes?
Cooling water, solvent, washing.
28
Why is global demand for water increasing?
-Increasing population - more people = more water needed -Increasing affluence - per capita water usage increases as standard of living increases -Commercial agriculture -Industrialisation
29
How does deforestation affect the hydrological cycle?
-Decreases interception -Increases infiltration and runoff -Decreases transpiration -Decreases water vapour travelling downwind -Decreases precipitation downwind
30
How does urbanisation affect the hydrological cycle?
-Decreases infliltration -Increases runoff -Diverts rivers -Decreases evapotranspiration -Increases extraction of groundwater
31
How does commerical agriculture affect the hydrological cycle?
-Depletes water in rivers, lakes and aquifers etc -Decreases infiltration (soil compaction) -Increases runoff -Increases evaporation (irrigation)
32
How do greenhouse gas emissions affect the hydrological cycle?
-Increased evaporation -Changed precipitation patterns -Other e.g. depletion of water in land ice reservoirs
33
What is the purpose of desalination plants?
Removes salt from seawater to make it drinkable
34
What is the purpose of an estuary barrage?
Prevents seawater from mixing with the freshwater flowing down the river
35
What is fog harvesting used for?
Used in arid areas to trap moisture from the air
36
What are advantages of an artificial reservoir?
-Large quantity of water -Fairly reliable supply of water all year -Creation of new wetland habitats
36
What factors need to be considered when evaluating water sources?
-Quantity of water -Quality (how pure/safe is the water?) -Reliability (does the volume of the supply fluctuate with season etc) -Impacts on the environment -Impacts on humans -Energy demand -Infrastructure/technology requirements
37
What are disadvantages of an artificial reservoir?
-Large initial infrastructure costs -Loss of agricultural land -Loss of existing habitats -Prevents fish from migrating etc -Possibility for water to be contaminated/polluted
38
What are advantages of rainwater collection?
-Water will be pure (unless theres lots of airborne pollution) -Low-tech solution -Little to no environmental impact
39
What are disadvantages of rainwater collection?
-Quantity of water depends on the amount of rainfall and might be quite limited -May not be very reliable, e.g in a drought
40
How is topography relevant in choosing the site for a dam and reservoir?
This is the land and physical features of the land surface. The ideal is a large deep basin which can hold lots of water, with a narrow exit which reduces size and therefore the cost of the dam.
41
How is the geology relevant in choosing the site for a dam and reservoir?
This means the structure and composition of the ground. The ideal is rock that is impermeable to water, strong enough to support the weight without cracking, resistant to erosion and weathering, not prone to seismic activity.
42
How is catchment area relevant in choosing the site for a dam and reservoir?
This is the area of land from which rainfall will end up in the reservoir. This could be far upriver from the reservoir. The ideal is sufficient rainfall and sufficient runoff to give a plentiful and reliable supply of water to the reservoir.
43
How is pollution risk relevant in choosing the site for a dam and reservoir?
The biggest problem will be persistent toxic pollutants from industry and agriculture rather than the biodegradable materials like sewage and manure. The ideal water supply would be free from these pollutants.
44
How is sedimentation relevant in choosing the site for a dam and reservoir?
This refers to small particles of solid matter settling to the bottom of the reservoir. The idea water supply has a low turbidity e.g. from a rocky catchment area to avoid the reservoir filling up with sediment unless it is dredged regularly.
45
How is infrastructure relevant in choosing the site for a dam and reservoir?
This refers to the availability of roads, machinery, workers, building materials etc that will be needed for the construction and maintenance of a dam. The ideal site would need to be close enough to the necessary infrastructure to avoid the unrealistic costs of building a dam in a very remote location.
46
How is existing land use relevant in choosing the site for a dam and reservoir?
Land would be flooded because of the dam, which could include agricultural land, urban areas, conservation areas etc. The ideal is that the flooded land was a lot less valuable than the water supply that the reserviour will provide. Different countries could place different levels of significance on these different aspects of lost land.
47
What is meant by wildlife habitat changes when constructing reservoirs?
-Destruction of existing habitats for the flooded area -Creation of new wetland habitats
48
What is meant by wildlife barrier when constructing reservoirs?
-Prevents migration of species like salmon, sturgeon -Also causes fragmentation of surrounding habitats
49
What is meant by downstream changes when constructing reservoirs?
-Reduces variability in flowrate - disrupts seasonal patterns -Holds back sediment, potentially increasing erosion -Alters the temperature and oxygen content -Alters the habitats of aquatic organisms
50
What is meant by microclimate changes when constructing reservoirs?
-Water has a high SHC - reduces temp variation -Greater evaporation - increases clouds and precipitation downwind -Higher windspeeds - water provides less friction than land
51
What are modern impacts on rivers?
-Industrial pollution -Agricultural runoff -Large-scale water abstraction -Effect of dams -Overfishing and/or introduction of non-native species -Climate change issues
52
What is meant by porosity?
Refers to how much of a rock is open space which can be filled with water.
53
What is meant by permeability?
Refers to the ability of the rock or sediment to let water move through its pores or fractures. Permeability is typically expressed in units of distance per time, such as m/day.
54
What is meant by impermeable geological structures?
Layers of rock/sediment that do not allow water to pass through them easily and so act as barriers to the flow of groundwater. They confine the water within the aquifer, preventing it from escaping.
55
What impacts can removing water from an aquifer at a greater rate than the recharge rate have?
-Changes in water supply for rivers, lakes and marshes fed by water flowing out of the aquifer. -Saltwater incursion, particularly for aquifers close to the sea -Subsidence of the land above the aquifer -Reduced availability of water for abstraction and use.
56
Explain subsidence due to an over-exploited reservoir.
The water in an aquifer helps support the weight of the overlying ground. When the water is removed, the pore pressure decreases. When water is extracted, the pore spaces can collapse, causing the material to compact and te ground above to sink. This can be irreversible.
57
Expain saltwater incursion due to an over-exploited reservoir.
Normally, the pressure of water in the aquifer causes freshwater to flow out into the sea, keeping saltwater from flowing into the aquifer. As increasing amounts of water are extracted from the aquifer and sea levels rise, the water pressure in the aquifer falls below the pressure of the seawater, and saltwater can flow into the aquifer.
58
What is managed aquifer recharge?
The intentional recharge of water into aquifers to enhance groundwater storage. This can be done through aquifer storage and recover (ASR) which is injecting water into wells for later use, or recharge ponds/basins which is using surface facilities to increase water infiltration.
59
What are river-regulation reservoirs?
These are artificial lakes created by damming natural rivers. This can have multiple benefits, such as storing water particularly during periods of high rainfall to maintain a consistent water supply, the generation of hydroelectric power, and the supply of water for agricultural irrigation.
60
What are inter-basin transfers?
The movement of water from a surplus basin to a deficit basin. These are done with pipelines or canals, however are associated with high costs and potential environmental/socio-economical impacts.
61
How can afforestation help with water cycle enhancement?
Trees help regulate the water cycle by increasing soil moisture, reducing runoff, and promoting groundwater recharge. This reduces flooding and fluctuations in river levels.
62
How does xeriscaping conserve water?
It is a landscaping method by choosing drought-resistant plants, and uses drip irrigation or soaker hoses to minimize water waste.
63
What is low-volume irrigation?
A highly efficient method of watering plants by delivering water directly to the root zone at a slow, steady rate.
64
What is greywater recycling?
The reuse of wastewater from activities such as showering, laundry, and dishwasher. It is treated to remove contaminants, making it safe for use in applications such as mopping, toilet flushing, and landscape watering. It significantly reduces reliance on freshwater.
65
How is salt removed from water intended for drinking?
Reverse osmosis/distillation
66
How are pathogens removed from water intended for drinking?
Sterilisation e.g. chlorine, ozone, UV
67
How are metal ions/odours removed from water intended for drinking?
Aeration/ion exchange
68
How are organic pollutants removed from water intended for drinking?
Filtration through activated carbon
69
How are suspended solids removed from water intended for drinking?
Coagulation → Flocculation → Sedimentation → Filtration
70
Describe what is meant by thermohaline circulation and how it functions?
-In arctic regions water increases in density due to decreasing temperature and increasing salinity. -The denser water sinks to the ocean floor and floats downward

Environmental Science (3 decks)

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