Higher Geography Hydrosphere Homework- Answers

1. Higher Geography Hydrosphere Homework- Answers • Question 1 • The following points should be mentioned in your answers; • Water flows through the system in the following ways; • Evaporation • Condensation • Advection • Precipitation • Evapotranspiration • Run-off • Throughflow • Groundwater flow.

2. Question 2 • Most water is stored (99%) within the cycle, leaving approximately 1% in circulatory flow. • Solar energy powers the circulation that maintains the balance. • The hydrological cycle is a closed system, which neither loses or gains water. • Water vapour may condense and be suspended in air (cloud/fog 0.01%) or it may be returned as precipitation/ • In its simplest form the circularity of the flow maintains the balance between water lost through evaporation and water returned to the ground (0.62%) and sea (97.2%) through precipitation and run-off. • Even in the situation where water is stored as ice (2.15%) or in deep ground water supplies, the water will eventually return to the sea e.g. ice will melt or sublimation will take place.

3. Question 3 (a) Candidates should account for the four elemnets of the drainage basin Inputs; all forms of precipitation Storage; surface storage lakes, soil moisture, groundwater Transfers; surface run-off e.g. tributaries, throughflow, groundwater flow Outputs; transpiration evaporation, rivers Assess out of 8, must mention 3 parts of system for full marks.

4. Question 4

5. Question 5 • There is a clear connection between rainfall and discharge. Rain begins to fall at 1800 hrs and steadily increases to a peak of 55 cumecs between 0400-0600am. To begin with this has little effect on the discharge with it remaining low and steady at 10 cumecs until hour 2200 when it slowly increases to a peak of 68 cumecs at about 12 noon on the 9 October. The lag time is about 8hrs. As the rainfall steadily decreases from its peak to zero at 2000hrs on the 9 October the discharge correspondingly decreases at a steady rate, until the discharge is almost back to the level it was at before the rainfall event. The shape of this hydrograph would indicate that there is a high drainage density, with impermeable surfaces creating the steep rising limb and short lag time.

6. Question 6 • The description should stress the production of distinctive land forms e.g. upper course; • Erosion-uppersections the faster velocity of flowing water produces downcuttinh and v-shaped valleys • Transportation- upper course the flowing water transports larger debris/weathered material which increases erosion and produces v-shaped valleys. • Deposition- in upper sections the faster flow erodes and transports. Therefore, there is less deposition and the river valley is often straighter and flowing on a steeper gradient. Larger rocks may be deposited in the upper sections. • All three agents must be mentioned for full marks.

7. Question 7 • The following points might refer to each feature Levee • Coarse material built up along banks • Highest ground on floodplain • Coarse material deposited closest to the river channel during flooding • Levees prevent flood water returning to the river. River terrace • Remnants of former floodplain • Present day river cut down through deposits forming a new flood plain below the earlier on. • Energy for downcutting due to changes in sea level and land • Base level change leads to rejuvenation An annotated diagram provided for full marks.