Option A- Freshwater

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Hydrological Cycle

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19 Terms

1

Hydrological Cycle

  • evapotranspiration

    • evaporation of water into vapour

    • water vapour escaping plants

  • water condenses in clouds

  • precipitation = rainfall

  • infiltration- water runs underground

  • runoff- water travels along surface to reservoirs

<ul><li><p>evapotranspiration</p><ul><li><p>evaporation of water into vapour</p></li><li><p>water vapour escaping plants </p></li></ul></li><li><p>water condenses in clouds</p></li><li><p>precipitation = rainfall</p></li><li><p>infiltration- water runs underground</p></li><li><p>runoff- water travels along surface to reservoirs</p></li></ul>
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2

Flood hydrographs

  • rising limb- rising discharge after a storm

  • falling limb- falling discharge after peak

  • peak discharge- max river flow after event

  • lag time- time between peak rainfall and peak discharge

  • peak rainfall- max rainfall during storm

  • drainage density- total length of all streams and rivers divided by total area of drainage basin

  • bankful capacity- how much water the river can hold

    • if discharge exceeds bankful, the river floods

flatter curves with a longer lag time are well managed areas, such as gentle slopes, permeable soil, forest, rural area.

Sharp curves with a shorter lag time indicate poorly managed areas with nowhere for the water to go, eg concrete, saturated ground, heavy + quick storm, rock.

<ul><li><p>rising limb- rising discharge after a storm</p></li><li><p>falling limb- falling discharge after peak</p></li><li><p>peak discharge- max river flow after event</p></li><li><p>lag time- time between peak rainfall and peak discharge</p></li><li><p>peak rainfall- max rainfall during storm</p></li></ul><p></p><ul><li><p>drainage density- total length of all streams and rivers divided by total area of drainage basin</p></li><li><p>bankful capacity- how much water the river can hold</p><ul><li><p>if discharge exceeds bankful, the river floods</p></li></ul></li></ul><p>flatter curves with a longer lag time are well managed areas, such as gentle slopes, permeable soil, forest, rural area.</p><p>Sharp curves with a shorter lag time indicate poorly managed areas with nowhere for the water to go, eg concrete, saturated ground, heavy + quick storm, rock.</p>
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3

Flood prediction

  • riverine flooding- river systems flood due to heavy water flow

  • flash flooding- quick and dangerous, caused by lack of drainage

  • storm surge- low pressure systems raise sea levels, swamp coast

  • snow melt- rapid snow melt enters river systems in mountains

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4

Flood mitigation- dams

  • larger than 15m, 2 completed each day

  • hold water until less risky times

  • reservoirs- store excess rainwater in upstream drainage basins

Example: Aswan High Dam on Nile, Egypt- agriculture, tourism, recreation, navigation, hydroelectricity. yet, causes water loss downstream.

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5

Flood mitigation- afforestation

  • flood abatement- decreases runoff to mitigate flood’s peak

  • includes: revegetation, contour ploughing slopes, sediment clearance, preservation of water reserves

    • increases interception

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6

Flood mitigation- channel modification

  • includes: raising banks, straightening river, creating new channels, steel and concrete fortifications

  • artificial levees- raising banks such as on Mississippi River, USA

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7

Flood mitigation- Planning

  • personal insurance/preparation

    • sandbags, flood safe home

  • loss sharing

    • disaster aid, insurance

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8

Riperian Zone

vegetated area around a river system

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9

Water scarcity

  • physical- water consumption > 60% of useable supply

  • economic- physically enough water, requires more storage and transport options

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10

Drought

  • dry weather, environment

  • absolute- 15 consecutive days of less than 0.2mm of rainfall

  • partial- 29 consecutive days of average daily rainfall less than 0.2mm

    • impacts- reduced yield, mortality and morbidity, fire and water bans

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11

Water quantity

amount = rate of rainfall, evapotranspiration, river/groundwater

  • <1% of freshwater is available for human use

  • ~6600 m3 per person per year used → increasing to 4800 by 2025

  • ¾ of rainfall falls on 1/3 of the population

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12

Water use and stress

  • water stress = <1700 m3 per capita per year in an area

  • in 2016, 2.3 billion people experienced water stress

  • since 1922 world population has tripled and water use increased six fold

    • rivers no longer reach sea, 1/3 of wetlands gone, 20% freshwater species endangered, aquifers and water tables falling

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13

Water Quality

  • WHO- 4 million deaths per year from water related disease

  • poorer people who must buy water from vendors end up paying more than richer households who are connected to town water

  • areas in Asia, Latin America, Carribbean, Africa

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14

Eutrophication → Pollution

  • too many nutrients run off into water, providing food for algae to grow

  • algae block out sunlight, killing plants

  • algae run out of food and die

  • bacteria eat dead algae, use up oxygen in water

  • anoxic water cannot support life

<ul><li><p>too many nutrients run off into water, providing food for algae to grow</p></li><li><p>algae block out sunlight, killing plants</p></li><li><p>algae run out of food and die</p></li><li><p>bacteria eat dead algae, use up oxygen in water</p></li><li><p>anoxic water cannot support life</p></li></ul>
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15

Salinisation → Irrigation

  • salty groundwater seeps into river

  • clearing native vegetation decreases water absorption → increases water going into groundwater → more salty water exists

    • worse crops, low water quality, eroded equipment

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16

human pressures on water systems

  • bigger population needs more water

  • water use exceeds 3,700 km3 annually

  • agriculture consumes 2/3 of water drawn from resources, industry uses 20% of water, municipal 10%

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17

Case Study: Drainage Basin Management

Mekong River System Facts

  • runs through China, Cambodia, Laos PDR, Thailand, Vietnam, Tibet

  • 7th longest river in Asia, 12th in world

  • Drains more than 810,000 km2 of land from Plateau of Tibet to South China Sea

<p>Mekong River System Facts</p><ul><li><p>runs through China, Cambodia, Laos PDR, Thailand, Vietnam, Tibet</p></li><li><p>7th longest river in Asia, 12th in world</p></li><li><p>Drains more than 810,000 km2 of land from Plateau of Tibet to South China Sea</p></li></ul>
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18

Case Study: Water Security in Remote Areas

Ladakh’s Ice Stupa Project

  • to cope with water pressure in the Himalayas (eg glaciers melting due to climate change)

  • freezing abundant water in the off season in pyramid shapes made of buckthorn branches to melt in the spring

  • provides off season access to fresh water

Integrated Water Resources Management Project

  • GOAL: to reduce social conflicts from competing countries’ water needs

  • Mekong River Commission adapted IWRM through 1995 Mekong Agreement Principles

<p>Ladakh’s Ice Stupa Project</p><ul><li><p>to cope with water pressure in the Himalayas (eg glaciers melting due to climate change)</p></li><li><p>freezing abundant water in the off season in pyramid shapes made of buckthorn branches to melt in the spring</p></li><li><p>provides off season access to fresh water</p></li></ul><p>Integrated Water Resources Management Project</p><ul><li><p>GOAL: to reduce social conflicts from competing countries’ water needs</p></li><li><p>Mekong River Commission adapted IWRM through 1995 Mekong Agreement Principles</p></li></ul>
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