water cycle

Question 1

what is a closed system

Answer 1

where energy can move but matter cant

Question 1

what is the water cycle

Answer 1

the continuous movement of water in a closed system around the hydrosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere

Question 2

what s the atmosphere

Answer 2

the body of gas between the ground and sky

Question 3

whats the cryosphere

Answer 3

the frozen bodies of water across the globe

Question 4

what is the hydrosphere

Answer 4

the oceans and rivers and lakes

Question 5

what is the biosphere

Answer 5

the water in all organisms across the globe

Question 6

what is the lithosphere

Answer 6

the ground consisiting of the rigid crust and upper mantle which traps water

Question 7

what is the water budget

Answer 7

the total net flow of water in the globe, a surplus is when water inputs are higher than outputs and a deficit is when outputs are higher

Question 8

what is a river regime

Answer 8

the annual flow of discharge from a river

Question 9

what is a flood hydrograph

Answer 9

a graph showing the discharge of a river following a rain event

Question 10

what factors affect the discharge of a river

Answer 10

-ground type/ rock types
-shape of the land (topography)
-anticendent conditions (how saturated is the land after a previous event)
-vegetation
-level of precipitation
-size of drainage basin
-deforestation
-afforestation
-urbanisation

Question 11

what is the lag time

Answer 11

the time taken for rain to reach a river, difference between peak rainfall and peak discharge.

Question 12

what is a flashy hydrograph

Answer 12

where the line is steep as rain reaches the river faster, there is a shorter lag time

Question 13

what is orographic rainfall

Answer 13

where wamr air forces its way up a steep hill and condenses once it reaches the top and forms clouds. rain falls over the other side of the mountain

Question 14

what is frontal rainfall

Answer 14

where an area of warm air meets cold air, the warm air rises above as it is less dense and condensates and becomes clouds. then rains

Question 15

what is convectional rainfall

Answer 15

where hot temps heat up surfaces and create warm air which rises up and then cools down to form clouds.

Question 16

where is the most water stored

Answer 16

in the hydosphere

Question 17

what is evapotranspiration

Answer 17

the combination of evaporation and transpiration

Question 18

what is percolation

Answer 18

the downfall movement of water through rocks and becoems groudnwater

Question 19

what is throughflow

Answer 19

where water moves down to a river through the surface of the ground

Question 20

what is infiltration

Answer 20

water moving into the ground

Question 20

what are the inputs of water into the water system

Answer 20

precipitation

Question 21

what is an aquifer

Answer 21

a deep ungreground store of water in rocks

Question 22

what is surface runoff

Answer 22

water running down into the river overground

Question 23

what is throughfall stemflow

Answer 23

water moving from plants to the ground

Question 24

what is the water balance

Answer 24

the total level of water able to be held in soil

Question 25

what is porosity

Answer 25

the proportion of the volume of the material that consist of void spaces, for example how many holes there are in a rock for water to be stored in

Question 26

what is permeability

Answer 26

the volume of water able to flow through a surface

Question 27

what is the dewpoint

Answer 27

the temp where water turns into a liquid

Question 28

why is water vapour important

Answer 28

it absorbs, reflctes and scatters incoming solar radiation

Question 29

why is water vapour bad

Answer 29

it is a greenhouse gas which traps in heat

Question 30

how will global temps affect the level of water vapour in the atmosphere

Answer 30

as temps rise there is more evaporation, this lead to more water vapour in the atmosphere and then the global temps heat even more

Question 31

what determines infiltration

Answer 31

-level of vegetation -topography -degree of permeability

Question 32

what is water abstraction

Answer 32

the removal of water from the water table in underground storages

Question 33

who are gardit

Answer 33

general aquifer research development and investiation who aim to control the water table level

Question 34

what will overabstraction lead to

Answer 34

a lowering of the water table

Question 35

what will a high water table lead to

Answer 35

there will be less room for water storage underground so surface run off and throughflow of water will be high, leading to high risks of flooding

Question 36

what do gardit do

Answer 36

they aim to control the water table level in london to ensure the city doesnt flood

Question 37

what is the watertable

Answer 37

an underground boundary between the soil surface and the area where groundwater saturates spaces between sediments and cracks in rock.

Question 38

what is the biotic pump theory

Answer 38

a theory that suggests that when rain falls over a forest, plants release 80% back into the atmosphere which will lead to more rainfall further into the forest and eventually will stimulate more growth of the forest.

Question 39

what impact do humans have on the water cycle

Answer 39

-urbansiation -afforestation and deforestation -global warming

Question 40

how large is the river chelmer catchment

Answer 40

190,000km2

Question 41

what rates of discharge does it have across a year

Answer 41

0.15 cumecs to 30 cumecs

Question 42

what has affected the river chelmer

Answer 42

-urbanisation of the area -deforestation -climate change -abstraction -agriculture -population change

Question 43

how does agriculture affect the river chelmer

Answer 43

lowered the water table by 1m as water was abstracted for farming purposes.

Question 44

population change in chelmsford

Answer 44

from 160,000 to172,000

Question 45

what % of urban surfaces have grown in chelmsford since 1970s

Answer 45

3% growth of urban surfaces

Question 46

what is a drainage basin

Answer 46

an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries