Geography

S.2 Geography Notes for

C4 – Water in trouble
preparing common test
Chapter 1.1 – 2.2

1.1
1.1
ㄉWhere does water come from?

Definition and

Concepts

Definition
Water cycle:
the process of water moving continuously between the oceans,
the atmosphere, and the land driven by the sun.

River basin:
the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries

Concepts
l In a water cycle,
1. The water on the earth surface is heated and evaporates into water
vapour, this is called as evaporation
2. Forming clouds in condensation, the water vapour condenses into
water droplets
3. When the clouds become too heavy, the water droplets fall as
participation
A. Some of the water droplets are absorbed by the plant in
interception
B. Some of the water droplets are absorbed by the soil in infiltration.
Geography

C. The rest of the water droplets frow on the ground as known as

surface runoff
l Components in river basin
n River source: The starting point of a river
n Main stream: A stream that flow directly to the sea
n Tributaries: A stream that flow to the larger stream
n Watershed: A separate relief between it and others

Geography
Extended

Geographical Significance of Water Cycle:

l Climate
Climate is strongly related to water cycle. As the amount of water vapour
in water cycle is unevenly distributed, some area will be humid, and some
area may be dry. This helps create diverse climate in different part of the
world. Temperature is also affected by the water cycle. Through water
cycles, heat is exchanged continuously to stabilize the temperature in a
specific region.
l Landscape
Glacial melts and erosion(侵蝕作用) are two ways enable water cycles
affect landscape. Glaciers melts can carve entire valley and create lakes.
Erosion can help to carve enormous canyons(峽谷), both of them are high
in ornamental value(觀賞價值).

Land resources provided by river basin

l The large area of land near the river mouth is fertile. The soil there is
very suitable for farming, it is a great area to develop agriculture. It
also can help determine the geopolitical boundaries.
Geography

Test yourself instantly

1. Which of the following(s) is/are the process in the water cycle?

(1) Water condenses into water vapour
(2) The river mouth corrodes(侵蝕) the mountain top
(3) Water droplets fall as participation
A. (2) and (3) only
B. (1) and (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3)

2. Which of the following is the largest river basin in China?

A. Amazon river basin
B. Yenisey river basin
C. Huang He river basin =
D. Changjiang river basin +

3. (a) What is a water cycle?

___________________________________________

(b) State three processes in water cycle.

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

(c) Explain the processes that you answered in (b).

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Ans: 1. C 2. D
Geography

1.2
2How are global water resources
distributed?
Definition and

Concepts

Definition
Water Resources:
The freshwater which is available for human use
It’s scarce and unevenly distributed in the world
Water resources per capita (m cube per year)

A quantity reflet that how many water is available for each person
Total amount of water resources (100M)
use. Can be calculated by
Total population (100M)

Concepts
Types and distribution of water on earth:

Figure 1.2.1 Classification tree of water resources

l A country’s water resources availability is affected by its

population and its rainfall. India has lower water resources per
capita but more water resources is because its population is higher.
Geography

Test yourself instantly

Determine the following statements are true or not. If it’s true,

write ‘T’ in the box. If it’s false, write ‘F’ in the box.

1. More water resources means that more people

have enough water to use

2. Surface water is stored in lakes, swamps, and sea

3. 0.3% of earth’s water is freshwater

4. Population doesn’t affect total amount of water

resources

Fill in the blanks in the following paragraph.

______________ refers to the freshwater that is

______________ for human use. The _____________
_______________ reflets that how much water resources are
available for each person’s use. It is affected by the
______________. A large country which is rich in water
resources may not have a high-water resource per capita.

(5) water resources (6) available (7) water resources per capita (8) population
Ans: (1)F (2)F (3)T (4)T
Geography

2.1
What are the major types of
water resources in China?
Definition and

Concepts

Definition
l Rivers, lakes, and glaciers are the major types of water resources
in China. Rivers are mainly located in eastern and northern China
l Groundwater is water stored in the aquifers. It may be extracted
through wells or bumping, are important to cities in the north
n China has rich reserves of water
l Lakes are in the middle and lower courses of Chang Jiang
l Glaciers is concentrated in the southwestern China.

Concepts
l Main rivers basin in China:
n Large: Changjiang, Zhu Jiang, Huang He, Songhua Jiang
n Normal: Hai He, Huai He, Liao He
l Major lakes in China: Dongting Hu, Poyang Hu, Tai Hu

Map 2.1.1 Main Rivers and Lakes in China

Geography

2.2
How are water resources
distributed in China?

Definition and

Concepts

Definition
l Water resources in China is unevenly distributed more in the
south, less in the north
l Water resources amount of China is ranked 5th in the world
l Water resources per capita of China is lower than world’s average
l Water shortage is the most severe in eastern China. Its water
resources per capita is lower than 500cm3

Geography
Extended

South-North Water Transfer project (南北水調工程)

To solve the problem of water shortage and the uneven distribution
of water resources in China. Chinese government has carried out the
South-North Water transfer project. There are three routes planned to
construct. And two of them is under construction. All of them are used
to transfer the water in south to the north. Some people thinks that it
can bring economic profit in China and solve the problem of water
shortage. Some people think it bring a negative influence on the
migrants and causing the problem of marine animal spices be mixed. It
is a popular issue in Chinese society nowadays.
Geography

Test yourself instantly

Match the term in column A with their definition in B. And fill in

the blanks in column B
Column A Column B
1.Rivers (a) is stored in aquifer. It can be extracted
through _______ and _______.
2.Groundwater (b) is where that the water shortage most
severe. Its water resources per capita is
lower than ____________.
3.Eastern China (c) are concentrated in ____________.
4.Glaciers (d) is one of the major sources of surface
water in China. The other two is
______ and _____.

Ans: 1(d)lakes; glaciers, 2(a) wells; bumping, 3(b) 500m3/year, 4(c) western China

Key Points
Quick Review
l Water cycle keeps the total amount of water remain unchanged.
But the distribution of water resources is uneven
l Fresh water accounts for 0.3% of global water amount. Most of it
is kept in the ice caps and glaciers, groundwater, and surface
water. And surface water is stored in rivers, lakes and swamps
l China is rich in water resources but high in population, it is
facing the problem of water shortage. There are more water
resources in south, but less in north