The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity exam style questions Exam Solved 100% Correct!! /The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity exam style questions

The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity exam style questions Exam Solved 100% Correct!! /The Water Cycle and Water Insecurity exam style questions What is meant by a store and a flow? - CORRECT ANSW-A store is where water is held for varying amounts of 'residence' time. A flow is the movement of water between stores Droughts are described as 'creeping hazards'. What does this mean? - CORRECT ANSW-Typically they have a long onset period, sometimes several years. This makes it difficult to determine whether a drought has begun or whether it is just a dry period that will end very shortly. So by the time the shortage of rain has been declared a drought, a lot of damage may well have been done Suggest reasons for the changing rainfall situation in the Sahel region since 1985 - CORRECT ANSW-A slight change in climate — perhaps a distant response to El Nino events. Unlikely to be a symptom of global warming as this part of Africa is forecast to become drier Identify the three largest stores in size order - CORRECT ANSW1. The oceans 2. Icecaps and glaciers 3. Groundwater Which two water stores are non-renewable, and why? - CORRECT ANSW-1. Fossil water: old, deep groundwater from former wetter periods 2. Losses from the cryosphere: melting of ice as a result of global warming Distinguish between blue and green water - CORRECT ANSWBlue water is stored in rivers, lakes and groundwater in liquid form — a visible part of the hydrological cycle. Green water is water stored in the soil and vegetation — an invisible part of the hydrological cycle Why is the hydrological cycle a closed system? - CORRECT ANSW-There are no external inputs and outputs. It is a self- contained entity. Some might argue solar energy, which drives the cycle, is an input What is the water budget, and why does it vary from place to place? - CORRECT ANSW-The water budget of a place is the difference between the amount of water gained from precipitation and the amount lost as a result of evapotranspiration. The budget is in surplus when precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration. It is in deficit when the situation is reversed. It varies from place to place because climate (precipitation and temperature) does What are the main inputs of a drainage basin system? - CORRECT ANSW-Precipitation. Also possibly water from a tributary basin What are the main outputs of a drainage basin system? - CORRECT ANSW-Evaporation, transpiration and river discharge How does relief affect the inputs and outputs of a drainage basin? - CORRECT ANSW-Altitude will affect the precipitation input (orographic rain or snow). The steepness of slopes will affect the rate of runoff — the steeper the slope, the faster the rate Distinguish between interception and infiltration - CORRECT ANSW-Interception is the process by which water is stored in the vegetation. Infiltration is the process by which water soaks into, or is absorbed by the soil How does geology affect the flows in a drainage basin? - CORRECT ANSW-Geology affects the balance of the flows by which precipitation reaches a river. Where the geology is hard and impermeable (e.g. granite), there will be much surface runoff and relatively little infiltration and percolation. Where rock is porous, then the balance will be the reverse with little runoff and