05 - Factors affecting the water cycle processes

Question 1

What is precipitation?

Answer 1

Precipitation is water and ice that falls from clouds toward the ground.

Question 2

How does mountainous environments affect precipitation?

Answer 2

• Precipitation often falls as snow on mountains and may remain on the ground for several months, and there is a considerable time lag between snowfall and run-off

Question 3

What is the impact of high intensity precipitation?

Answer 3

• Water moves more rapidly overland into streams and rivers (10-15 mm/hour)

Question 4

What is the impact of prolonged precipitation?

Answer 4

• May deposit exceptional amounts of precipitation and cause river flooding

Question 5

What is the impact of seasonal precipitation?

Answer 5

• In some parts of the world (East Africa) precipitation is concentrated in a rainy season → river is discharge is high → leading to flooding

Question 6

What is Transpiration?

Answer 6

• Transpiration is the diffusion of water vapour to the atmosphere from the leaf pores of plants

Question 7

What factors increase the rate of transpiration?

Answer 7

• Increased light intensity
• Increased windiness
• High temperature
• Low humidity

Question 8

What decreases the rate of transpiration?

Answer 8

• Low light levels
• low temperatures
• Low windiness
• High humidity

Question 9

What is interception?

Answer 9

• Interception is when vegetation intercepts a proportion of precipitation, storing it temporarily on branches, leaves and stems

Question 10

What are the 4 factors that affect the rate of interception?

Answer 10

1: Type of Vegetation
2: Wind Velocity
3: Duration of Storm
4: Season of the year

Question 11

What are the different types of precipitation?

Answer 11

Drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, graupel and hail.

Question 12

What are the spatial variations in the rate of transpiration?

Answer 12

Rates of transpiration will be higher in places with higher temperatures like around the equator (Amazon). Also places with lower humidity will have higher rates of transpiration.

Question 13

What is evaporation?

Answer 13

Evaporation is the process of liquid water turning into water vapor.

Question 14

What increases the rate of evaporation?

Answer 14

Higher temperature increases the rate of evaporation.

Question 15

What decreases the rate of evaporation?

Answer 15

Higher humidity decreases the rate of evaporation.

Question 16

How is evaporation important in transferring heat around the globe?

Answer 16

Evaporation is important in transferring heat around the globe as it is the process of liquid water turning into water vapor, which carries heat energy away from the surface.

Question 17

What are the spatial variations in the rate of evaporation?

Answer 17

Rates of evaporation will be higher in places with higher temperatures like around the equator (Amazon). Also places with lower humidity will have higher rates of evaporation.