environmental systems and societies > topic 4 > Flashcards

topic 4 Flashcards

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1
Q

what are the three phases in which water exists in the atmosphere?

A
  1. solid as tiny ice crystals
  2. liquid as water droplets
  3. gas as water vapour
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2
Q

what processes are involved in the hydrological cycle?

A
  1. solar radiation is needed for evaporation and evapotranspiration, which move water from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere
  2. heat is released when water condenses
  3. precipitation moves water from the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface due to gravity
  4. Air movements, including winds and weathering systems, redistribute water from place to place
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3
Q

what drives the hydrological cycle?

A

solar radiation drives the water cycle

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4
Q

what is it called when water goes from liquid to solid?

A

freezing

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5
Q

what is it called when water goes from solid to liquid?

A

melting

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6
Q

what is it called when water goes from liquid to gas?

A

evaporation

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7
Q

what is it called when water goes from gas to liquid?

A

condensation

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8
Q

what is it called when water goes from solid to gas?

A

sublimation

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9
Q

what is it called when water goes from gas to solid?

A

deposition

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10
Q

what are the two divisions of stores in the hydrological cycle?

A

saltwater and freshwater stores

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11
Q

what are examples of saltwater stores

A

oceans and seas

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12
Q

what are examples of freshwater stores

A
  • glaciers
  • ice caps
  • rivers, lakes
  • soil water
  • ground water in aquifers
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13
Q

what percentage of the Earth’s water do oceans hold?

A

the oceans hold 96.5% of the water on Earth and are therefore the largest component of the hydrological cycle

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14
Q

what is precipitation?

A

precipitation is the conversion and transfer of moisture in the atmosphere to the land and includes all forms of rainfall, snow, frost, hail, and dew

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15
Q

what is interception?

A

interception refers to the water that is caught and stored by vegetation

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16
Q

water not stored by plants may be lost through?

A
  1. interception loss, where the water is retained by plant surfaces and is later evaporated away
  2. throughfall, where the water either falls through gaps in the vegetation or drops from leaves, twigs, or stems
  3. stemflow, where the water trickles along twig and branches and finally down the main trunk
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17
Q

what factors affect evaporation?

A
  1. meteorological factors
    - temperature
    - humidity
    - windspeed
  2. amount of water available
  3. vegetation cover
  4. colour of the surface
    - ex: bare coloured surfaces such as ice are more reflective then bare soil
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18
Q

evaporation does what under warm, dry, and windy conditions?

A

increases

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19
Q

evaporation does what under cold, calm conditions?

A

decreases

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20
Q

what is transpiration?

A

transpiration is the process by which water vapour escapes from living plants and enters the atmosphere

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21
Q

what is infiltration?

A

infiltration is the process by which water soaks into, or is absorbed by, the soil

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22
Q

what are the factors that influence infiltration?

A
  1. duration of rainfall
  2. antecedent levels of soil moisture
  3. soil porosity
  4. vegetation cover
  5. raindrop size
  6. slope angle
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23
Q

what is overland flow?

A

also known as surface run-off, overland flow is water that flows over the land’s surface

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24
Q

when does overland flow occur?

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A

overland flow occurs when precipitation exceeds the infiltration rate and when the soil is saturated (all the pore spaces are filled with water)

25
when does condensation occur?
condensation occurs when air is cooled to its dew point or becomes saturated by evaporation into it. further cooling leads to condensation on surfaces to form water droplets or frost
26
an example of sublimation?
under conditions of low humidity, snow can be evaporated directly into water vapour without entering the liquid state
27
what is advection?
advection is the movement of air and water in a horizontal direction, such as the transfer of heat and water vapour from low latitudes to high latitudes
28
what is percolation?
percolation refers to the downward vertical movement of water within a soil into the underlying rocks
29
what are rocks that contain stores of water called?
aquifers
30
what is the transfer of water within rocks known as?
groundwater flow
31
what is stream flow?
stream flow refers to the run-off of surface water in a defined channel (rather than flood flow where the water spreads out over a wide area)
32
what human activities can alter stores and flows?
agriculture, deforestation, and urbanisation
33
how do different agricultural practices impact stores and flows?
- crop farming removes vegetation cover during the harvest and so leaves the land vulnerable to erosion - livestock farming may leave a grass cover throughout the year, but this could mean replacing a diverse, forested surface, leading to lower rates of interception, reduced storage, and decreased infiltration
34
what determines interception?
interception is determined by vegetation type and density
35
what impacts does deforestation have on hydrological processes?
- increased volume of sediment being transported by rivers - increased overland flow leading to more frequent erosion - reduced interception - reduced infiltration - reduced evapotranspiration
36
how does urbanisation influence the hydrological cycle?
- increased erosion due to an increase in the volume of water getting into rivers - increased speed of flow and transport of materials in rivers due to enlarged channels - less erosion due to riverbank protection schemes
37
what response might the hydrological cycle have in response to removing trees and vegetation?
- decreased evapotranspiration and interception - increased stream sedimentation
38
what response might the hydrological cycle have in response to initial construction of houses, streets, and culverts?
- decreased infiltration and lowered groundwater table - increased storm flows and decreased base flows during dry periods - sedimentation continues while bare ground is still exposed
39
what response might the hydrological cycle have in response to complete development of residential, commercial, and industrial areas
- decreased porosity, reducing time of run-off concentration, thereby increasing peak discharges and compressing of the time distribution of the flow - greatly increased volume of run-off and flood damage potential
40
what response might the hydrological cycle have in response to construction of storm drains and channel improvements?
- local relief from flooding - concentration of floodwaters may aggravate flood problems downstream
41
examples of input of water into drainage basin
- mostly occurs through precipitation - other drainage basins - groundwater
42
examples of outputs
- evaporation - transpiration - discharge out of the basin - groundwater flow into other drainage basins
43
what renders water use sustainable?
in order for water use to be considered sustainable, the volume of the water used needs to be lower than the volume of precipitation left after losses due to evapotranspiration
44
real life example of the use of water for farming depleting water resources beyond natural recharge
the Ogallala Aquifer under the High Plains is close to depletion in parts of Kansas because the water level has fallen so much
45
what is water security?
water security is having access to sufficient amounts of safe drinking water
46
what does water security depend on?
- water availability - clean water - sufficient funding to develop water resources - political stability
47
what is water insecurity?
water insecurity refers to a lack of availability of sufficient amount of good quality water for livelihood, health, and the production of goods
48
what causes water insecurity?
- water scarcity - pollution - climate change impacts - natural disasters - poverty - political conflicts
49
what is increasing global climate change leading to?
- heavier precipitation in some areas - drier conditions in others - changes in the frequency and magnitude of floods - increased severity of droughts - increased hurricane activity - increase occurrence of wildfires - accelerated melting of glaciers and permafrost - rising sea levels (which can contaminate freshwater supplies)
50
what are some factors that affect water supply?
- population growth - increased standards of living - increased demand for water from farming - industry and increased population from farming, industry, and transport
51
what are 4 factors which affect availability and access to freshwater?
- social - cultural - economic - political
52
how do social factors impact access to water?
as the world's population grows, and becomes increasingly middle-income, the demand for water increases. also education influences water use (greater awareness about WASH services increases the demand for clean water)
53
how do economic factors impact access to water?
wealthier people use more water, not just for cooking and washing, but for recreation, watering gardens, washing cars. most of the world's water is used for agriculture so in areas where farming is of high importance, availability may decline
54
how do cultural factors impact access to water?
- the major cultural factor of our time is climate change. rise in global temperatures has increased droughts and reduced water access in many areas. - another example is gender inequality
55
how do political factors impact water access?
some water resources are shared by different countries which can lead to disputes over the allocation of water
55
what are phytoplankton?
phytoplankton are autotrophs which are found in the well-lit surface layers (euphotic zone) of oceans and lakes
55
what are the 4 main ways in which water is used?
1. domestic purposes 2. irrigation (agriculture) 3. raising livestock (agriculture) 4. industrial purposes
55
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