WCC

Question 1

what is systems theory

Answer 1

views the world as a complex system of interconnected parts

Question 2

what is a system

Answer 2

a process or collection of processes that transforms inputs into outputs

Question 3

what 3 kinds of properties are found within a systems bounderies

Answer 3

elements - the physical parts that make up a system, eg sand

attributes - characteristics of the elements that can be perceived or measured

relationships - the associations between elements and attributes, based on cause and effect

Question 4

what is an open system?

Answer 4

a system in which both matter and energy are able to transfer across the system boundary

Question 5

what is a closed system?

Answer 5

a system in which only energy, not matter, is able to be transfered across the system boundery

Question 6

what is dynamic equilibrium

Answer 6

the balanced state of a system when it’s inputs and outputs are equal

Question 7

what is a feedback mechanism

Answer 7

a process that uses the conditions of one component to regulate the function of another, in order to regain equilibrium

Question 8

what is a positive feedback mechanism?

Answer 8

when the process tends to increase the change in the system

Question 9

what is negative feedback?

Answer 9

when the process seems to counter the change and maintain equilibrium

Question 10

what are elements

Answer 10

the things that make up the system

Question 11

what are flows/transfers

Answer 11

links between stores or components, along which something moves

Question 12

what is the system boundary?

Answer 12

the edge of the system, the interface between one system and another

Question 13

what is a store/component

Answer 13

a part of a system where something is held for a period of time

Question 14

what are attributes?

Answer 14

the characteristics of the elements of a system (eg. hot/cold)

Question 15

what is an input

Answer 15

a point where something is added to a system

Question 16

what is an output?

Answer 16

a point were something is removed from the system

Question 17

what kind of system is the hydrological cycle?

Answer 17

a closed system, as no water is lost to or gained from space

Question 18

what kind of system is the drainage basin system?

Answer 18

an open system, as water is able to flow into and out of the system boundery

Question 19

where is water stored?

Answer 19

hydrosphere - liquid water
cryosphere - snow or ice
atmosphere - the layer of gas between the earths surface and space
biosphere - water contained in living things

Question 20

what are underground reservoirs known as?

Answer 20

aquifers

Question 21

what percentage of fresh water is contained in aquifers?

Answer 21

30%

Question 22

when does relief rainfall occur?

Answer 22

when warm moist air rises up over mountains, then cools and condenses to form clouds

Question 23

when does frontal rainfall occur?

Answer 23

when a warm front meets a cold front, the heavier cold air sinks to the ground and the lighter warm air rises above it, then could and condenses to form clouds, which bring rain

Question 24

when does conventional rainfall occur?

Answer 24

when the land warms up, it heats the air above it, which then rises, cools and condenses to form clouds, which bring rain

Question 25

what is precipitation

Answer 25

transfer of water from the atmosphere to the ground, in the form of rain, snow, hail sleet or dew

Question 26

what is evaporation

Answer 26

the transfer of water from liquid surface water to the atmosphere

Question 27

what is evapotranspiration

Answer 27

the transfer of water from the earth's surface to the atmosphere by the combined efforts of evaporation and transpiration

Question 28

what is condensation

Answer 28

the transfer of water from a gaseous state to a liquid state, eg cloud formation

Question 29

what is sublimation

Answer 29

transfer of water from a solid state to a gaseous state and vice versa

Question 30

what is interception

Answer 30

water intercepted from precipitation by and stored on the leaves of plants

Question 31

what is overland flow?

Answer 31

flow of water over the land surface, also known as surface run off

Question 32

what is infiltration?

Answer 32

the flow of water from the ground surface into soil

Question 33

what is throughflow?

Answer 33

water flowing through the soil towards a river channel

Question 34

what is percolation?

Answer 34

water flowing downwards from the soil into the underlying rocks

Question 35

what is groundwater flow?

Answer 35

the flow of water very slowly through rocks deep underground

Question 36

how long does water remain in glaciers?

Answer 36

10-10,000 years

Question 37

how long does water remain as soil moisture?

Answer 37

2 weeks to 1 year

Question 38

how long does water remain as shallow groundwater?

Answer 38

100-200 years

Question 39

how long does water remain as deep groundwater?

Answer 39

10,000 years

Question 40

how long is water stored in oceans?

Answer 40

4,000 years

Question 41

how long is water stored in lakes?

Answer 41

10-100 years

Question 42

how long is water stored in the atmosphere?

Answer 42

10 days

Question 43

how long is water stored in rivers?

Answer 43

2 weeks to 6 months

Question 44

how long is water stored in the biosphere?

Answer 44

1 week

Question 45

if all the polar ice sheets melted, how much would sea levels rise?

Answer 45

60m

Question 46

what percentage of water is stored in the hydrosphere (liquid water)?

Answer 46

96.5%

Question 47

what percentage of water is stored in the cryosphere (frozen water)?

Answer 47

1.7%

Question 48

what percentage of water is stored in the atmosphere (gaseous water vapor)

Answer 48

0.001%

Question 49

what percentage of water is stored in the lithosphere (groundwater)

Answer 49

1.7%

Question 50

how does climate change affect the magnitude of water stores?

Answer 50

-melts cryospheric stores -meltwater increases hydrospheric stores -at the peak of the last ice age 1/3rd of the earth's surface was covered by glaciers and ice sheets and sea levels were 100m lower

Question 51

how do cryosphric processes affect the magnitude of water stores?

Answer 51

-snow falling on ice sheets gets compressed and enters long term storage, increasing cryospheric stores -melting ice in the summer decreases cryospheric stores -melting and snowfall are usually in equilibrium but climate change is changing this

Question 52

how does evaporation change the magnitude of water stores?

Answer 52

-transfers water from hydrospheric stores to atmospheric stores -aprox 90% of atmospheric water is from evaporation and 10% is from transpiration -high levels of evaporation can occur in tropical and desert areas - regional scale changes -large regional scale impact

Question 53

how does condensation affect the magnitude of water stores?

Answer 53

-water vapour changes back into a liquid state within the atmospheric water store -no direct change to the magnitude of stores, but leads to cloud formation and precipitation -