Geography: water and carbon

Sublimation

The change of state of water from solid to a gas, without being a liquid

Storm hydrograph

Variation of river discharge over a short period of time (days).

Smart irrigation

Providing crops with water supply less than optimal, to make crops resistant to water shortages.

Secondary energy

The product of primary energy, mostly electricity

Saltwater encroachment

The movement of salt water into freshwater aquifers or soils, this may be caused by sea level rise, storm surges or over extraction

Salinisation

Where salt water contaminates freshwater stores or soil, creating saline conditions and reducing human use/consumption.

River regime

The patterns of river discharge over the year

Respiration

Process of converting glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide and energy. Some organisms rely on respiration to survive

Renewable

Energy source that cannot runout(eg: wind, waves,biomass,hydroelectric solar etc)

Relief precipitation

When air masses are forced to rise over high land determined by the relief, Morphology of the land.

Primary energy

The initial source of energy, as it is naturally found. This could be the natural ores, water,crops and radioactive material

Phytoplankton

Small organisms that rely on photosynthesis to survive, does intake CO2. From the atmosphere

Physical water scarcity

Physical lack of available freshwater which cannot meet demands

Precolation

Water moving vertically from soil into permeable rock

Outgassing

Release of dissolved carbon dioxide (eg: at plate boundaries, warming the oceans).

Organic carbon

Carbon stored in plant material and living organisms

Open system

System affected by external flows and inputs (such as a drainage basin).

OPEC

Oil and Petroleum exporting countries. An organisation that supports and coordinates fossil fuel exporting countries.

Nuclear fusion

The process of joining atomic nuclei together to produce energy

Non-renewable

Source of energy that can only be used once (coal, gas, oil etc)

Monsoon

The drastic variation between wet and dry seasons for sub-tropical areas, caused by. Changed prevailing wind. Can lead to annual flooding

Meteorological droughts

When long erm precipitation trends are below average

Interception

When rainwater is prevented from hitting the ground due to the leaves of the trees catching them

In-organic carbon

Carbon stored in carbonated rocks

Integrated Drainage basin management

Establishing a frame of coordinated efforts between administration (eg: local governments) and stakeholders (eg: businesses) to achieve balanced management of a basin (world bank).

Hydrological drought

Insufficient soil moisture to meet the demands of vegetation (crops,trees,plants) at a particular time.

Groundwater flow

Water flowing slowly through rocks towards the sea.

Throughflow

Water flows downhill within the soil

Surface runoff

Water flows across the surface of earth becoming a stream.

Infiltration

The downward movement of water from the surface into the soil.

Global hydrological cycle

The continuous transfer of water between land, atmosphere and ocean. The Earth is a closed system.

ENSO-cycles

EL Nino Southern Oscillations-naturally occurring phenomena that involves the movement of warm water in the Equatorial Pacific.

Economic water scarcity

When water resources are available but insufficient economic wealth limits access to it.

Drainage Basin

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

De-sublimation

The change of state of water form gas to solid. Without being a liquid.

Desalination plant

The conversion of seawater to freshwater, suitable for human consumption.

Depression

A system of low pressure, with fronts of precipitation wher low and high pressure air masses meet.

Decomposition

The break down of matter.

Cryosphere

Where water an be stored as ICE or snow

Lithosphere

When a source is stored in the ground/earth.

Biosphere

When a source is stored in a living organism/organic. (Eg: plants, animals)

Hydrosphere

A source is stored in water (eg: rivers,oceans,lakes,streams, etc)

Conventional precipitation

Solar radiation heats the air above the ground, causing it to rise,cool & condense forming precipitation (often as thunderstorms)

Combustion

The process of burning a substance,in the presence of oxygen, to release energy.

Choke points

The process of burning a substance, in the presence of oxygen, to release energy.

Choke point

A location with tactical and strategic importance such as a narrow land or sea passage, a bridge, or a tunnel, the destruction of which would hamper flows of trade and people

Channel flow

Water flows in a rivulet,stream or river

Carbon stores

Places where carbon accumulates for a period of time such as rocks and plant matter.

Carbon neutral

A process that has no net addition of carbon dioxide to the environment.

Carbon fluxes

The movement of carbon between stores

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

The capture of carbon dioxide emissions directly from the factory, pumped into discussed mines rather than being released into the atmosphere.

Biofuel

Burning crops and vegetation for electricity and heat.

Aquifer

A permeable or porous which stores water.

Anticyclone

A system of high pressure, causing high temperatures and unreasonably high evaporation rates

Afforestation

Planting trees an vegetation in aim of increasing forest cover.

Acidification

The gradual reduction of PH of the oceans, due to dissolving carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Evaporation-transpiration

The combined total moisture transferred from the earth to the atmosphere, through evaporation and transpiration