Human effects on the Water Cycle

What has happened to the aquifer in London?

• It is depleted and there is inflowing saltwater

• It is filling up

• It is a fossil aquifer that is being depleted

• The population is low here and there is too much water

During dry seasons...

• there is lots of overland flow

• there can be too much abstraction from aquifers

• there is salt water in aquifers

• aquifers recharge

Fossil aquifers are in danger because..

• We use the area for farming

• We build on top of them

• The rate of recharge is faster than the rate of use

• The rate of recharge is slower than the rate of use

Construction of new buildings and roads creates an impermeable surface which..

• prevents stem flow

• prevents evaporation

• prevents infiltration

• prevents overland flow

Urbanisation ..

• depletes soil water and ground stores

• increases soil water and ground stores

• leads to less surface runoff

• creates less soil erosion

Deforestation leads to...

• increased surface runoff and increased soil stores

• increased surface runoff and decreased soil stores

• more transpiration

• More stemflow

Ploughing...

• increases evaporation

• increases interception rates

• breaks up the soil and allows more infiltration

• increases runoff

Irrigation can..

• cause deforestion

• reduce flood risk

• decrease runoff

• increase runoff

Draining peat bogs for farmland...

• increases soil stores

• increases flooding downstream

• decreases flooding downstream

• helps infiltration

In _____________ they reduce evaporation by netting their bananas

• France

• UK

• Israel

• Iceland