AQA A Level Geography- Water and Carbon cycles.

An assemblage of interrelated parts that work together by some way of driving force.

They simplify complex things so that we understand how they operate.

Where matter and energy can be transferred across a system boundary.

Where energy can be transferred across a system boundary, but matter can’t.

Where neither energy nor matter can be transferred across the system boundary.

An ecosystem, a drainage basin.

The Earth, the carbon cycle, the water cycle.

The universe, controlled lab experiments.

When the inputs and outputs within a system are equal.

Where the effects of an action are amplified by subsequent effects.

Where the effects of an action are nullified by its subsequent knock on effects.

Part of Earth’s systems where living things are found. Includes all life on earth.

Layer of gas between the Earth’s surface and space. Keeps out UV rays and has a layered structure.

Contains all solid rock, includes upper mantle and crust.

Contains all water found on our planet. Parts of the hydrosphere are the cryosphere.

All parts of Earth that contain ice.

97.5%

68.8%

30.1%

0.9%

0.3%

0.04%

Uneven spread of land to sea and permeable rock which enable aquifers to form.

Occurs when liquid water changes state into a gas, becoming water vapour. It gains energy, usually from solar radiation. Increases the amount of water in the atmosphere.

Location , season, and long-term changes in climate- changes in solar radiation.

Occurs when water vapour becomes a liquid, losing energy to its surroundings. Air containing water vapour cools to its dew point temperature

Warm, moist air passes over cold surfaces. Heat is radiated into space, ground gets cooler, cooling the air in contact with it.

Heat is reduced by a change in air pressure, caused by volume expansion.

Can stay in the atmosphere or flow to other stores, e.g. can condense to form dew on leaves, decreasing the amount of water in the atmosphere.

The amount of water vapour in the atmosphere and temperature.

Warm air cools down, causing water vapour to condense into droplets that gather as clouds. When droplets get big enough, they fall as precipitation.

When warm air meets mountains, it is forced up and over hills, and cools and condenses to form rainfall.

Warm air is forced over cool air as it is less dense, so it loses temperature and condenses, creating rain.

Warm air rises due to heat from the sun, and condenses at higher altitudes. More localised rainfall, whereas frontal and relief rainfall are on a larger scale.

Water needs small particles e.g. dust to act as cloud condensation nuclei, can vary seasonally and locationally.

In the UK, there is more rainfall in winter than in summer.

Precipitation is generally higher in the tropics than at the poles.

Accumulation and ablation. Balance of these vary with temperature.

Periods of global cooling mean inputs are greater than outputs, water is transferred to snow, less is lost as melting. Periods of global warming have more outputs than inputs. The magnitude of the cryosphere decreases due to melting.

21,000 years ago.

Happen over different timescales- changes in global temperatures occur over thousands of years, annual and seasonal fluctuations mean more snow falls in winter than summer.

Global ablation exceeds accumulation- long term changes in water stored in different spheres.

The area surrounding a river where the rain falling on the land flows into that river- the river’s catchment.

The area of land between two drainage basins- the boundary of a drainage basin.

Input to a drainage basin. Includes all the ways moisture leaves the atmosphere.

Water that is taken up by plants- all the water contained in plants at one time.

Includes water in ponds, puddles, and lakes.

Water stored in the ground, in soil or rocks.

Porous rocks that hold water.

The zone of soil or rock where all the pores in the soil or rock are full of water.

The water held in a river or stream channel.

Where some precipitation lands on vegetation or structures, before it reaches the soil.

The water collected may evaporate quickly, or fall from the leaves as throughfall.

Water soaking into the soil. Rates are influenced by soil type, soil structure, and how much water is already in soil.

Runoff- water flowing over the land. can flow over the whole surface or in small channels. Occurs when rain is falling faster than infiltration can occur.

Water moving slowly downhill through the soil. Faster through cracks in soil or animal burrows.

Water seeping down through soil into the water table.

Water flowing slowly below the water table through permeable rock. Moves slowly through most rocks, but can move faster through permeable rocks with many joints e.g. limestone.

Plants and trees take up water water through their roots and transport it to their leaves where it evaporates into the atmosphere.

The processes of evaporation and transpiration together.

12,900 km3

A complex system of marshlands, floodplains, lagoons, and interconnected drainage lines. Provides a water supply, climate stabilisation and economic benefits.

The difference between the inputs and outputs in a drainage basin. Affects how much is stored in the basin.

Inputs are bigger than outputs.

Outputs are bigger than inputs.

The amount of water in a river at any given point (m3/s)

The change in the amount of water stored in the soil throughout the year.

Precipitation and potential evaporation.

Higher temperature means more evapotranspiration.

The amount of evapotranspiration that could occur if there was sufficient water available in the system.

The replenishment of stores of water used during warmer months when evapotranspiration has exceeded precipitation.

Precipitation is higher than evapotranspiration. All space in soil has filled, creating a surplus in groundwater. Overland flow can result in flooding.

Increase in temperature, potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation. Water store is being used by plants.

Soil moisture is used up. Precipitation likely to go straight into the soil, river levels fall/dry up. Plants wilt or adapt.

Water resource management, design of related structures, flood warning schemes, HEP production, ecological/recreational value of land, impacts of climate change.

A graph of river discharge levels around the time of a storm event.

The rising flood water in the river.

Falling flood water in the river.

The time difference between the peak rainfall and peak discharge.

The normal discharge of the river.

Deforestation, afforestation, agriculture, urbanisation.

Size and shape of a drainage basin, topography, rock and soil type, intensity of precipitation.

Temperatures may drop below 0 degrees, causing water to freeze, reducing the size of flows in drainage basins and increasing the store of ice. Flows grow when ice melts.

Many plants die back in the winter, so there is less interception and precipitation is moved into channel storge more quickly.

Breaks up surface soil so more water can infiltrate, reducing the amount of runoff.

Increase infiltration and interception rates compared to bare ground, reducing runoff. Evapotranspiration increases, which can increase rainfall.

Cattle trample and compact the ground, decreasing infiltration and increasing runoff.

Can increase runoff if some of the water cannot infiltrate. Groundwater or river levels fall if water is extracted for irrigation.

Reduces the amount of water intercepted by vegetation, increasing the amount that reaches the surface. Dead material on forest floor can hold water, allowing it to infiltrate soil. When this is removed, infiltration decreases.

Concrete and infrastructure creates an impermeable layer over land, preventing infiltration. Runoff is increased, so water passes through the system more rapidly and flooding is more likely.

Water is taken from stores to meet demand in areas where population density is high. Reduces the amount of water in stores.

Even more water is abstracted, especially from reservoirs and groundwater, for consumption and irrigation, so stores are depleted further and cannot be restored as quickly.

One of the most chemically versatile elements. Basic chemical element that is needed by all plants and animals to survive.

All life forms, as well as sedimentary rocks, diamonds, and graphite.

Biological, living carbon that is found in all life forms.

Geological, non-living carbon, found in sedimentary rocks, gas, and fossil fuels.

Over 99.9%.

0.001%

As carbon dioxide and methane.

In the tissues of living organisms. Is transferred to soil when they die and decay.