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WC 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

Where is the majority of Earth’s water stored?

A

Oceans

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2
Q

Where is water stored in on Earth?

A

Oceans, land, atmosphere

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3
Q

What is the cryosphere

A

Areas of the earth where water is frozen

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4
Q

What is a drainage basin

A

Curvature of land, leading into one river

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5
Q

What are inputs in a drainage basin

A

Precipitation, cryosphere processes

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6
Q

What are the outputs in a drainage basin

A

Evapotranspiration (evaporation, transpiration), river channel

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7
Q

What are the flows in a drainage basin?

A

Percolation, surface run off, vapour transport, fluxes, infiltration, interception, throughflow

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8
Q

What are the stores in a drainage basin

A

Groundwater, atmosphere, interception, soil moisture, surface storage

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9
Q

Why are drainage basins an open systems

A

Has inputs, volume of water can fluctuate

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10
Q

Why is the global water cycle a closed system

A

No inputs fixed volume of water

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11
Q

What is the approximate volume of water in the global water cycle system

A

1.4 billion km3

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12
Q

What percent of water globally is fresh water, that is in a form humans can use

A

Less then 1%

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13
Q

What percent of water is stored as ice, why is this changing, what impact is this having

A

68.7%
Global warming - melting of ice, leading to rising sea levels

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14
Q

How does water stores vary location to location

A

Tundra areas - ice/permafrost
Equatorial regions- rivers…
Tropics - groundwater

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15
Q

What is artic amplification

A

Artic warms ffaster then the rest of world, due to enhanced greenhouse effect

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16
Q

cryosphere water stores

A

Sea ice - Ross ice shelf
Permafrost - Alaska north slops
Ice caps - Iceland ice cap
Alpine glaciers - Mer de Glace, France
Ice sheets - Greenland ice shelf

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17
Q

What feedback loop impacts on cryosphere stores

A

Ice albedo loop

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18
Q

CASE STUDY - GREENLAND ICE SHEET
By the end of the century, how many cm of ocean rise extra will be caused by the melting of the greenland ice sheet

A

7cm extra by the end of the century

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19
Q

CASE STUDY - GREENLAND ICE SHEET
How much ice is lost per year from the greenland ice sheet

A

250 billion tonnes

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20
Q

How much has global mean sea levels risen by since 1880

A

25cm

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21
Q

What are the two major causes of rising sea levels

A

Meltwater run-off from glaciers and ice caps
Thermal expansion of sea water

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22
Q

What is the equation for water balance

A

Precipitation = stream flow + evapotranspiration
If P>Q+E = positive balance
If P<Q+E = negative balance

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23
Q

What is the water balance

A

A measure of the water stored terresterially

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24
Q

What is soil moisture storage

A

Level of water stored in the soil

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25
What happens when precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration
Soil water surplus
26
What happens when evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation
Soil water utilisation
27
What happens after a period of little precipitation and high evaportransiration
Soil water recharge
28
Why might soil water utilisation occur
Plant growth increases
29
What is field capacity
Maximum amount of water soil can hold before it comes saturated
30
What is water shed
defining lines between drainage basins
31
Why do drainage basins receive a lot of rainfall
Air hits mountains and rises, condenses to forms clouds, then precipitation occurs
32
What is an example of a drainage basin
Llyn Conwy, Wales
33
What is ThroughFLOW
Water flows downhill, through soil
34
What is Inteception
Precipitation caught by vegitation
35
What is Percolation
Water moves vertically through soil
36
What is Infiltration
Water moves from surface, into soil
37
What is Surface run off / Overland flow
Flow of water ontop of soil
38
What is precipitation
Water falling from atmosphere
39
What is ThroughFALL
Water drips from vegitation, onto floor
40
What is Base flow
Flow of water from the groundwater store, into the river
41
What is Surface storage
Volume of water held on earth's storage
42
What is Transpiration
Water released by plants as water vapour, through stomata
43
What is Water table
Upper level of groundwater, where soil will be saturated
44
What is Channel flow
Water flowing within a river
45
What is Groundwater store
Water stored in soil and below water table
46
What is Channel store
Volume of water stored in channel
47
What is Stem flow
Water flowing over vegitiation
48
List types of precipitation
Rain, hail, snow, sleet, dew, fog/mist
49
What does intensity and duration mean
Intensity - volume Duration - time frame
50
What is interception levels dependent on
temperature SA of leaves/Species Season -> most trees drop leaves in winter -> evergreens do not
51
list these from highest to lowest in interception rates Coniferous forest, Broad leaves forest (in winter vs summer), natural grassland, crops
Coniferous forest, Broad leaves forest - summer, natural grassland, Broad leaves forest - winter crops vary from highest and lowest, depending on crop type etc..
52
What are the two reasons for overland flow
Saturation excess - soil is completely saturated Infiltration excess - dry soil, that is compacted, so water cannot infiltrate
53
What is an example of floods caused by infiltration excess overland flow
Boscastle, 2004 Flash flood due to period of rainfall and impermeable rock
54
What impacts infiltration rates
Texture of soil / coarseness Size of weathered rock particles Size of pore spaces Compaction of soil Volume / pressure of water Organic matter / trees and vegetation / season Intensity and duration of rainfall Field capacity
55
What is gravitational water. How do trees impact
Pore spaces are fully filled Water will drain due to gravity Tree roots break up soil, roots absorb excess water
56
What is retained/capillary water
Water left after gravitational water drains / water is at field capacity Plants can use
57
What is Hygroscopic water
Water that is bonded with soil particles Minimal amount of water for plants to not wilt. Plants cannot use
58
What effect do trees have on flood risk, why?
Decrease risk Roots absorb water Provide structure for soil More interception - increases lag time Increases transpiration
59
What are impermeable rocks (aquicule)
Rocks that do not let water infiltrate Clay, granite
60
What are permeable rocks (aquifers)
Water that lets water infiltrate Have cracks (pervious) - limestone Have pores (Porous) - Sandstone, chalk
61
Why is groundwater flow important
Maintains normal river flow, keeping rivers flowing, after prolonged periods of dry weather
62
What factors increase evapouration
Higher temperature Increase in wind speed Lower humidity
63
What factors increase transpiration
Higher number of stomata Steeper concentration gradient Wetter soil Higher light intensity - time of day and season Type of vegetation Higher density of vegetation
64
What is Lag time
Period between maximum precipitation and maximum discharge
65
What is Rising limb
Increasing levels of discharge
66
What is Peak flow/discharge
River is at the highest level
67
What is Falling limb
Discharge is decreasing
68
What is Bankfull discharge
level of discharge is at channel capacity, any further increase results in flooding
69
What is Baseflow/ground water flow
Discharge fed from groundwater flow
70
What are flashy hydrographs What are non-flashy hydrographs
Flashy - Short lag times, steep rising and falling limbs, high peak discharge Non-Flashy - long lag times, shallow rising and falling limbs, low peak discharge
71
What are some factors impacting hydrographs
Catchment shape - elongated = non flashy, circular = flashy Drainage density/total length of streams - higher drainage density = flashy Slope gradient - steeper slope = flashy
72
Compare simple and complex river regiemes annually
Simple = clear seasonal difference Complex = discharge has multiple peaks and variable flow
73
Compare oceanic rainfall, glacier melt, and tropical/monsoonal rainfall
Oceanic - rainfall is even, but high levels of evapotranspiration in summer (low runoff) Glacier melt - High period of water during summer, due to ablation Monsoonal - Stable all year, but peaks in wet season
74
EXAMPLE OF COMPLEX RIVER REGIME Why is the river Po in Italy complex river?
Fed by glacial meltwater Has two peaks a year, one in may (high ablation) and one in November (high precipitation (snow))
75
EXAMPLE OF A RIVER IMPACTED BY HUMANS Why is the Colorado river in Arizona managed
Intense convectional rainfall can lead to flash flooding, due to infiltration excess overland flow
76
EXAMPLE OF A RIVER IMPACTED BY HUMANS When was the Hoover Dam constructed, why was it constructed
1936 Hydroelectric power, flood control, water storage
77
EXAMPLE OF A RIVER IMPACTED BY HUMANS How has the Hoover Dam impacted discharge patterns of the Colorado river
Discharge decreases rapidly, with less seasonal variation

GEOGRAPHY (21 decks)

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