Geogroahy- Hazards, Carbon and water

Drainage basin

The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

Watershed

The boundary separating one drainage basin from another.

Input

Water entering a drainage basin.

Output

Water leaving a drainage basin.

Store

A location where water is held temporarily.

Transfer

A movement of water within a drainage basin.

Interception

Precipitation caught by vegetation before reaching the ground.

Stemflow

Water flowing down plant stems and trunks.

Throughfall

Water dripping from vegetation onto the ground.

Infiltration

The movement of water into soil.

Percolation

The downward movement of water through soil and rock.

Throughflow

The movement of water through soil towards a channel.

Groundwater flow

The movement of water through permeable rock.

Overland flow

The movement of water across the ground surface.

Channel flow

The movement of water within a river channel.

Water balance

The relationship between inputs and outputs in a drainage basin.

Soil moisture store

Water stored within soil.

Groundwater store

Water stored in rock below the water table.

Channel storage

Water stored within a river channel.

Water table

The upper surface of groundwater.

Precipitation

Water falling from the atmosphere.

Evaporation

The conversion of liquid water into water vapour.

Transpiration

The loss of water vapour from plants.

Evapotranspiration

The combined effect of evaporation and transpiration.

Drainage basin system

A system with inputs, outputs, stores and flows.

Open system

A system exchanging energy and matter with surroundings.

Closed system

A system exchanging energy but not matter.

Storm hydrograph

A graph showing river discharge after rainfall.

Peak discharge

The highest river discharge recorded.

Lag time

The delay between peak rainfall and peak discharge.

Rising limb

The section of a hydrograph showing increasing discharge.

Falling limb

The section of a hydrograph showing decreasing discharge.

Flashy hydrograph

A hydrograph with short lag time and high peak discharge.

Factors causing flashy hydrographs

Steep slopes, urbanisation, impermeable rock and saturated ground.

Permeable rock

Rock that allows water to pass through.

Impermeable rock

Rock that prevents water passing through.

Field capacity

The maximum amount of water soil can hold.

River Brock location

Lancashire, North West England.

River Brock catchment size

Approximately 54 km².

River Brock geology

Mainly sandstone and mudstone.

River Brock land use

Predominantly agriculture and woodland.

River Brock significance

Used to study drainage basin processes.

River Brock interception

Woodland increases interception and delays runoff.

River Brock infiltration

Permeable soils encourage infiltration.

River Brock overland flow

Increases during heavy rainfall.

River Brock groundwater flow

Important transfer in permeable areas.

River Brock flood risk

Increases after prolonged rainfall.

River Brock water stores

Soil moisture, groundwater, interception and channel storage.

River Brock management benefit

Woodland reduces flood risk by increasing interception.

Carbon cycle

The movement of carbon between atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.

Fast carbon cycle

Carbon transfers over days to years.

Slow carbon cycle

Carbon transfers over thousands to millions of years.

Carbon store

A location where carbon is held.

Carbon flux

The movement of carbon between stores.

Atmospheric carbon

Carbon stored as carbon dioxide and methane.

Terrestrial carbon

Carbon stored in vegetation and soils.

Oceanic carbon

Carbon stored in oceans.

Lithospheric carbon

Carbon stored in rocks and fossil fuels.

Photosynthesis

Process removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Respiration

Process releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Decomposition

Breakdown of organic matter releasing carbon.

Combustion

The burning of biomass or fossil fuels.

Carbon sequestration

The long-term storage of carbon.

Carbon sink

A store absorbing more carbon than it releases.

Carbon source

A store releasing more carbon than it absorbs.

Weathering

Process removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over long timescales.

Ocean uptake

The absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide by oceans.

Ocean acidification

A decrease in ocean pH caused by carbon dioxide absorption.

Positive feedback

A process that amplifies change.

Negative feedback

A process that reduces change.

Permafrost

Permanently frozen ground storing carbon.

Permafrost melting effect

Releases methane and carbon dioxide.

Methane significance

A greenhouse gas around 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over 100 years.

Anthropogenic carbon emissions

Human-caused carbon emissions.

Natural carbon emissions

Carbon emissions from natural processes.

Amazon Rainforest location

South America across nine countries.

Amazon Rainforest size

Approximately 5.5 million km².

Amazon carbon store

Stores around 100 billion tonnes of carbon.

Amazon role in carbon cycle

Major global carbon sink.

Amazon photosynthesis

Removes large amounts of carbon dioxide.

Amazon biomass store

Largest terrestrial biomass carbon store.

Amazon soil carbon

Soils contain significant carbon reserves.

Deforestation definition

The removal of forest cover.

Main causes of Amazon deforestation

Cattle ranching, farming, mining, roads and logging.

Amazon cattle ranching

Accounts for around 80% of deforested land use.

Effect of deforestation on carbon cycle

Reduces carbon sequestration and increases emissions.

Effect of burning rainforest

Releases stored carbon dioxide.

Effect of climate change on Amazon

Increased drought and wildfire risk.

Amazon tipping point

Possible transition from rainforest to savanna if deforestation continues.

Amazon significance

Global climate regulation and biodiversity conservation.

Afforestation

Planting trees to increase carbon storage.

Reforestation

Replanting trees in previously forested areas.

Natural hazard

A natural event threatening people and property.

Disaster

A hazard causing major impacts on people and infrastructure.

Risk

The probability of a hazard causing harm.

Vulnerability

The susceptibility of people to hazard impacts.