Human Geography A Level > Water > Flashcards

Water Flashcards

(63 cards)

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1
Q

What are the stages to latent heat

A
  1. Water molecules become heated by the sun and they begin to vibrate and break the bonds between them

2.there isn’t enough heat in the sun to fully break these bonds so the bonds absorb energy from their surroundings to break these bonds completely

  1. The surrounding air cools down from the water using the energy
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2
Q

What is distribution of the water in the hydrosphere between ocean and fresh water

A

96.5%- ocean waree

2.5%- freshwater

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3
Q

Which flows in the drainage basin immediately flow through it

A

Percipitstion
Evaporation
Infiltration
Transpiration

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4
Q

What of the drainage basin take hours to flow through the system

A

Interception

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5
Q

What

A
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6
Q

What flows of the drainage basin system

A
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7
Q

What water flows in the drainage basin system take hours to flow through it

A

Interception

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8
Q

What types of water in the drainage basin system take weeks/days inside jr

A

Water in the river channels

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9
Q

What types of water in the drainage basin sustem take months inside it

A

Soil water
Surface stores

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10
Q

What are the types of water in the drainage basin that take spend years inside it

A

Soil water storage

Vegetation storage

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11
Q

What are the stores in the drainage basin system

A

Surface storage
Soil water storage
Vegetation storage
Interception
Ground water storage
Channel storage

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12
Q

What are the transfers in the drainage basin system

A

Transpiration
Evaporation
Overland flow
Through flow
Percolation
Ground water flow
Channel flow
Stem flow
Infiltration

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13
Q

What does the term “water balance” mean and example

A

The balance between inputs and outputs within a drainage basin

If precipitation is less than runoff and evapotranspirstion there will be a negative water balance where the level of water within a system is decreasing

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14
Q

What is the formula for calculating precipitation

A

Precipitation- discharge + evapotranspirstion + water storage

P= Q + E + S

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15
Q

What is the rivers discharge

A

Discharge= he volume of water flowing through a river channel at a specific point, measured in cubic meters per second

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16
Q

What is a rivers regime

A

the annual pattern of a river’s discharge (flow) over time, showing seasonal highs and lows, represented visually by a hydrograph

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17
Q

What can cause variation in surface runoff

A

Amount of vegetation, rock type, soil type and water stores like lakes

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18
Q

Why can the water balance in the UK change throughout the year

A

Seasonal rise and fall in precipitation and temperature

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19
Q

What does “water surplus “ mean

A

Water surplus- precipitation exceeds evapotranspirstion and the soil is above field capacity - extra precipitation results in runoff

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20
Q

What does “soil moisture utilisation” mean

A

the phase in a soil moisture budget when plants use stored water from the soil faster than rain replenishes it.

When evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation

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21
Q

What is capillary water

A

Capillary water is the water held in the small, microscopic pores of soil particles.

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22
Q

What does field capacity mean

A

Field capacity is the amount of soil moisture or water content held in the soil after excess water has drained away and the rate of downward movement has decreased. This usually occurs two to three days after rain

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23
Q

What does “antecedent conditions” mean

A

Previous weather conditions

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24
Q

How how does deforestation impact the drainage basin system

A

Tress cut down meaning they can’t intercept the precipitation before it reaches the ground. This results in more surface rubies and water surplus is achieved quickly

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25
How does afforestation impact the drainage basin system
More trees and vegetation are planted . This means the water is intercepted and creates a longer lag time as the water takes hours to transfer from the tree to the ground
26
How does agriculture impact the drainage basin system
Farmers compact the soil- making it less oeemeable Farmers crops intercept 15% of the water compared to trees which can intercept 80% Farmers' drainage significantly impacts the water cycle by accelerating the movement of water off the land, which reduces the time water spends in soil and groundwater stores and increases surface runoff and river discharge
27
How does the growth of urban areas impact drainage basin system
Impermeable surfaces like roads are build which leads to more surface runoff The water is channeled into drains which create a shorter lag time and higher discharge in the river
28
How does water extraction impact the drainage basin system
Reduced Flows & Levels: Taking water faster than it replenishes lowers river levels, impacting natural flow patterns vital for ecosystems.
29
How does slope angles impact the drainage basin system
Steeper angles mean water is unable to infiltrate the ground as easily- more runoff in steeper areas
30
How does drainage density impact the drainage basin system
high density means faster flow, shorter lag times, and higher flood risk (due to efficient water collection in many tributaries and impermeable surfaces), while low density means slower water movement, longer lag times, and more infiltration, leading to less flashy, more gradual river responses. High drainage density increases runoff, reduces infiltration, and makes areas more flood-vulnerable, especially with urbanization.
31
How does antecedent rainfall impact the drainage basin system
Rainfall before more precipitation will make the ground more saturated and the water reaches water surplus quicker
32
How does rock type impact the drainage basin system
Permeable rock- water is able to infiltrate into the ground water flow quicker decreasing Impermeable rock- water is unable to infiltrate the ground and becomes surface runoff
33
How does vegetation cover impact the drainage basin system
terception: Leaves and branches catch rain, slowing its journey to the ground; some evaporates back, reducing water reaching the soil. Infiltration & Percolation: Roots create pathways in the soil, increasing water absorption (infiltration) and deep movement (percolation) into groundwater. Evapotranspiration: Plants release water vapor through transpiration, and water evaporates from surfaces, removing significant moisture from the basin. Reduced Surface Runoff: By slowing water and increasing infiltration, vegetation drastically cuts down on rapid overland flow. Lower Peak Discharge: Slower water movement means rivers rise less dramatically after rain, reducing flood risk.
34
How does amount of intensity of precipitation impact the drainage basin system
high intensity (heavy, fast rain) overwhelms soil, causing rapid surface runoff, flash floods, and quick river peaks (high discharge, short lag time), while large amounts (long, slow rain) allow more infiltration, soil storage, and groundwater recharge, leading to gradual river responses but potentially sustained high flows, with snow dramatically slowing release until it melts.
35
How does drainage basin size impact the drainage basin system
Smaller drainage basin- quicker the peak discharge will be reached- shorter lag time
36
How does drainage basin shape influence the drainage basin system
circular basins have shorter lag times and higher peak flows because water travels shorter, more equidistant paths to the river; elongated basins, conversely, experience longer lag times and lower peaks as water from distant areas takes longer to reach the main channel, creating flatter hydrographs
37
What does “base flow “ mean in its storm hydrogroahs
Base flow- the normal rate of discharge without a storm or flood- water is from groundwater flow
38
What is storm runoff
The additional water added the discharge above the base flow because of a storm event
39
What is a “falling limb” with storm hydrographs
Falling limb- when discharge is decreasing
40
What are “bank fall conditions”
Bank fall conditions- the point where a flood occurs
41
What are flashy and subdued hydrographs
Flashy hydrograph- hydrograph that responds very quickly to rainfall- short lag time, high peak discharges and steep rising limbs Subdued- hydrograph that responds slowly to rainfall- low peak discharges, long lag time, gentle rising limbs
42
What is a meteorological drought and hydrological droughts
Meteorological drought- less rainfall than usual Hydrological drought- low river levels and less soil moisture
43
What is precipitation
Rain, snow, hail and sleet
44
What is infiltration
Infiltration- water entering the ground
45
What is interception
Trees and vegetation getting in the way of precipitation before it hits the ground
46
What is stem flow
Water lands on plants and running down their leaves
47
What is overland flow
Anywhere water flows over a land surface
48
What is through flow
the downslope movement of water horizontally through the soil, occurring after infiltration but before water reaches the river channel or groundwater
49
What is transpiration
When water comes out the leaves
50
What is evapotranspirstion
the combined process of water moving from land to the atmosphere, consisting of evaporation (water from soil/surfaces turning to vapor) and transpiration (water released from plants)
51
What is ground water
Water deep in the ground
52
What is soil water
Water being held between soil particles
53
What is ground water flows
The slow movement of ground water
54
What is percolation
percolation is the slow, vertical movement of water downwards from the soil into the underlying, permeable rock layers
55
What is surface storage
Lakes, ponds and puddles
56
What is ground water storage
Water stored underground in bedrock
57
What is the watershed
the high ground, like a ridge or hill, that separates one river's drainage area (basin) from another
58
What is a tributary
tributary is a smaller stream or river that flows into a larger river or a lake.
59
What is a conflience
the spot where two or more tributaries meet and join to form a single, larger watercourse
60
What is a floodplain
a flat, low-lying area next to a river that gets covered in water when the river floods, formed by the river depositing silt and sediment over time, making the land very fertile for farming but also prone to flooding.
61
What is a hydrograph
Graphs of river discharge over time, showing the volume of water flowing at a certain point in a river changes over a period of time
62
How does water abstraction cause variations in runoff and the water cycle
The more water is abstracted to meet demand where population density is high. Stores of water in lakes, rivers and groundwater decrease During dry seasons even more water is abstracted for consumption and irrigation- depleting stores further
63
What does soil water deficit mean
Occurs when soil water storage runs out due to prolonged utilisation, leading to very dry soil.
Human Geography A Level
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