WATER CYCLE

• Water budget graph


  1. ET exceeds precipitation in summer

  2. Soil moisture content declines, vegetation may wilt

  3. Delay between end of dry weather and reduced soil moisture, as well as between rainfall and runoff
• Water budget in October

  1. Rainfall > evaporation

  2. Storage areas recharged, full by January

  3. Overland flow increases, water surplus raises flood risk
• As temperature rises and rainfall decreases in spring

  Soils lose moisture, deficit exists by late summer
• What are the human factors increasing flood risk

  Deforestation

  Urbanisation-implement of drainage basins bc of buildings and houses

  Climate change

  River management
• Why is the cost of Denmark water so high

  Strict environmental regulations adds to cost of water treatment and distribution

  Taxes for water infrastructure

  Implemented advance tech and management to minimise water loss
• Players win the hydraugical cycle
• Planners have to give weight to environmental consideration and the need for development
• SUDS systems


  Recently introduced to reduce runoff produced from rainfall
• SUDS systems


  • Delay and increase infiltration
  • Man-made structures designed to capture and store runoff
  • Basin filled with permeable materials to allow water to slowly infiltrate into the ground, recharging groundwater
• Rainwater harvesting


  Collecting rainwater from roofs to be recycled
• Permeable pavements


  • Delay runoff by using gaps between pavement joints
• Cumbria flood


  Causes and impacts
• Physical cause- cumbria 


  1. Saturated soil

  2. Steep slopes accelerated process of overland flow

  3. Impermeable surfaces

  4. Sewers and drains blocked by debris meant surface water flowed rapidly directly into the already over filled river channels
• Human cause- cumbria 


  1. Channel straightening

  2. Overgrazing by sheep
• Pantanal


  Example of impact of droughts
• Pantanal in Brazil


  • Aquatic and bird wildlife
  • River floodplain is vital, surrounded by areas with seasonal rainfall which means aquatic and bird life there depend on the permanent wetland for survival
• Restoring the Aral Sea


  1. Government will plant 176 million seedlings in that part of the sea where there has been no water for a long time in order to prevent desertification

  2. Using afforestation along the main roads for land stabilisation around the degraded Aral seabed
• Convection rainfall


  During periods of high temp, the rainfall created often intense and associated with electrical storms and thunder
• World water gap


  Wealthy nations consume more water whilst some poorer nations suffer from severe water shortages
• What were the impacts of the Cumbria flood?

  House prices fell in flood risk area as ppl moved out

  Rivers contaminated with sewage

  Saturated ground decomposed dead plants and animals giving off toxic gas

  Poisons contaminated the food chain

  Business forced to close temporarily

  60 k homes lost power
• The amount of wildfires has increased by 3 times because the ground was so dry
• Farmers are abandoning their fields
• Snowpack levels in California were at low levels due to high temps
• Convection rainfall


  Rainfall that occurs during periods of high temperature
• Israels desalination project 


  Impacts

  
• China's Dams- three gorges Dam


  PRO-electrictry is essential for China's growth

  
• China south-North transfer project

  Impacts

  
• Murray Darling Basin


  Most important agricultural region in Australia, provides a third of national food supply
• Water management in Murray Darling Basin


  1. Water being taken out of the river without enough going back in, making some areas dry

  2. Murray Darling Authority put in place to regulate water use and get all states involved

  3. Authority aimed to ensure no impact on environment, communities had access to water, and adequate water for environment

  4. Government paid farmers to put water from dams back into river when levels were low, restricted amount farmers could take
• Because of bad drought in Australia, the only way to get water for crops was from the Murray Darling Basin
• The Murray Darling Authority was put in place to make sure people weren't taking too much water out of the river and had to get all states involved to agree
• The Murray Darling Authority also wanted to make sure there is no impact on the environment and that communities in the basin had access to adequate water
• The government was going to pay farmers to put water from their dams back into the river when river levels were low, and restricted the amount farmers could take
• Impacts and causes of the Australia drought

  • Environmental impacts: Wildfires destroyed vegetation and natural habitat, mangrove death
  • Physical impacts: Happened in an El Nino year, low rainfall during growing season led to crop failure
  • Human impacts: Australia had to import more food leading to increased food prices, 40% of drinking water drawn from Murray River
• Saltwater encroachment


  The movement of salt-water into underground sources of freshwater, reducing freshwater sources and increasing water insecurity
• The Yukon river has high flow caused by snowmelt and low flow caused when precipitation is frozen
• Physical reasons for differences in the Yukon river's discharge

  • Higher summer temperatures
  • Snowmelt and rainfall
• Human reasons for differences in the Yukon river's discharge

  • Hydroelectric power use for mining industries
• Economic problems caused by inadequate water supply


  • Water needed for manufacturing
  • Agricultural output may fall leading to rising food costs and food insecurity
  • Poor health and falling economic activity
  • Energy production is water intensive, costs of energy may rise or reduce water availability for other users
• Water Framework Directive


  Targets to restore rivers, lakes, canals, and coastal waters to suitable conditions, reporting of river basin management plans every six years, attempt at sustainable use of water resources