KQ1

• Ablation Loss of ice and snow through melting + sublimation
• Albedo Reflectivity of solar radiation by surfaces. A lower score means less reflectivity (more radiation absorbed)
• Anthropogenic emissions Emissions caused or unfluenced by humans
• Artesian basin An aquifer confined between impermeable rock
• Artesian pressure Hydrostatic pressure exerted on groundwater in a confined aquifer
• Chelation Rainwater mixes with dead and decaying organic matter forming humic acids which attack rock minerals
• Cryosphere The frozen water in the earth
• Sequestration The removal and storage of carbon from the atmosphere in cqrbon sinks through physical or biological processes
• Biological (organic) pump The ocean's biologically driven sequestration of carbon from the atmosphereto deep sea waterand sediment driven by marine organisms
• Borehole A deep narrow hole made in the ground to locate water
• Physical (inorganic) pump Mixing of surface and deep ocean waters by vertical currents, creating an even distribution of carbon
• Role of Clouds in the Water Cycle ☆ Help spread energy concentrated in the tropics to the poles (planetary heat regulation) ☆ Move water around the planet ☆ Some reflect energy back to space cooling the earth ☆ Some trap heat and contribute to warming
• Cumuliform formation ☆ Air is heated locally through contact with the Earth's surface ☆ Heated air parcels rise freely through atmosphere ☆ Air expands due to falling pressure with altiture and cools ☆ As cooling reaches the dew point, condensation starts and clouds form ☆ Precipitation occurs
• Stratiform formation ☆ Air mass moves horizontally over a cooler surface (e.g the ocean), this together with mixing and turbulence is called advection ☆ Precipitation occurs
• Cirrus formation ☆ Form at high altitude ☆ Consist of tiny ice crystals ☆ Do not precipitate so have little influence on the water cycle
• Drainage Basin A drainage basin is an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. The largest is the Amazon at 7 million km squared
• Water Balance The balance between inputs and outputs in a drainage basin (the amount of precipitation compared to runoff or evapotranspiration
• What influence does urbanisation have on the water cycle? ☆ Replacement of permeable woodland/farmland for impermeable, artificial surfaces like tarmac for roads lower storage capacity and increase run-off ☆ Drainage systems designed to remove surface water rapidly (gutters or drains) so lots of precipitation flows into streams and rivers meaning rapid rises in water levels ☆ Urban development encroaches on floodplains - natural storage areas for water so it reduces water storage capacity in drainage basins which increases river flow and flood risks
• Where is the majority of fresh water located? 68.7% is in ice caps & glaciers. Only 0.3% is surface water.
• What is infiltration excess flow? Overland flow that occurs simultaneously all over the slope. The volume of water increases downslope due to accumulation, excess water that cannot infiltrate the surface also adds to this water. Common in deserts or urban areas where surfaces are impermeable.
• What is saturated overland flow? Overland flow generated due to the saturation of the soil. In a lengthy rainstorm, the level of saturation will rise higher up the slope and infiltration rates will decrease. SOF works well in vegetated areas and humid regions.
• Factors affecting infiltration rates: Precipitation type, precipitation duration, land cover, soil characteristics, saturation, compaction, evapotranspiration, base flow, gradient.
• How much water do transpiration flows transfer each year? 73,000 km3
• How much water do groundwater flows transfer each year? 15,300 km3
• How is a cumuliform formed? Air is heated locally through contact with the Earth's surface. Heated air parcels rise through the atmosphere (convection). These parcels expand and cool due to lower pressure with rising altitude. As cooling reaches the dew point, condensation occurs and clouds form. Then precipitation can occur. These, on average, do not have a warming or cooling effect because their cloud greenhouse and albedo forcings cancel each other out.
• How are stratiforms formed? Air mass moves horizontally over a cooler surface (like the ocean). This condenses the cloud and this as well as mixing and turbulence (advection) forms a cloud. They can then precipitate. These have a cooling effect on the Earth as they reflect solar radiation.
• How do Cirrus clouds form? Form at high altitude from tiny ice crystals. They do not precipitate and have little impact on the water cycle, little impact on incoming radiation so tends to warm the Earth
• What are the conditions needed for clouds to form? Rising air, water vapour and condensation with hydroscopic aerosols
• What is snow? Snow begins as ice crystals in high clouds. For it to remain snow when it hits the ground, there needs to be a cold atmosphere as snow needs to remain frozen from cloud to surface.
• What is sleet? Sleet begins as ice crystals in high clouds and are formed when snow falls through a layer of warm air near the ground.
• What is freezing rain? Formed when raindrops hit surfaces below freezing and turn into ice.
• Lapse rate The rate of change of temperature with increasing altitude
• Environmental lapse rate The rate of decrease in temperature with altitude at a given time and location
• Dry adiabatic lapse rate The rate at which a parcel of dry air cools (condensation not occurring)
• Wet/saturated adiabatic lapse rate The rate at which a saturated parcel of air (condensation is ocurring) cools with altitude
• Watershed The area of high land forming the edge of a river basin
• Source Where a river begins
• Mouth Where a river meets the sea
• Confluence Where two rivers meet
• Tributary A small river or stream that joins a larger river