1B2 Processes of the Hydrosphere and Atmosphere

Question 1

What is evaporation?

Answer 1

The process where liquid water is heated by the sun and changes into gaseous water vapor.

Evaporation is a key component of the water cycle and is responsible for transferring water from Earth’s surface into the atmosphere.

Question 2

Define condensation in the context of the water cycle.

Answer 2

The process by which gaseous water vapor becomes liquid water.

Condensation is critical for cloud formation and precipitation, helping to regulate Earth’s temperature and climate.

Question 3

What is precipitation?

Answer 3

The process by which water returns from the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface in forms such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Precipitation is essential for replenishing freshwater sources and maintaining ecosystems.

Question 4

What is sublimation in the water cycle?

Answer 4

The process where frozen water, like snow, changes directly into water vapor without becoming liquid first.

Sublimation is most common in cold regions where the air is dry, such as in the polar ice caps.

Question 5

Explain transpiration in the water cycle.

Answer 5

The evaporation of water from plant leaves through openings called stomata.

Transpiration is a major component of the water cycle, contributing to the overall amount of water vapor in the atmosphere.

Question 6

What is runoff in the context of the water cycle?

Answer 6

The flow of water, usually from precipitation, over the ground due to gravity.

Runoff can lead to soil erosion and the transport of nutrients and pollutants into water bodies.

Question 7

Define infiltration.

Answer 7

The process where water on the ground surface enters the soil and percolates into the groundwater system.

Infiltration is important for replenishing aquifers and maintaining groundwater levels.

Question 8

What is the water cycle?

Also known as the hydrologic cycle.

Answer 8

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below Earth’s surface, involving changes between solid ice, liquid water, and gaseous water vapor.

Question 9

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 9

The total amount of water on Earth, including water in oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, underground reservoirs, glaciers, and in the atmosphere as water vapor.

Question 10

Name the three main processes of the water cycle.

Answer 10

• Evaporation
• Condensation
• Precipitation

Question 11

What role does the sun play in the water cycle?

Answer 11

The sun provides the energy that drives the water cycle by causing evaporation, where water turns into vapor and rises into the atmosphere.

Question 12

What forms as a result of condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere?

Answer 12

Clouds

Question 13

What is ocean circulation?

Answer 13

The large-scale movement of waters in the ocean basins.

Question 14

Name two types of ocean currents.

Answer 14

• Surface currents
• Deep-water currents

Question 15

What drives surface ocean currents?

Answer 15

Wind patterns

Question 16

How do ocean currents affect marine life?

Answer 16

By distributing nutrients, regulating temperatures, and transporting organisms to different regions, supporting diverse ecosystems.

Question 17

What causes ocean waves?

Answer 17

Wind blowing across the surface of the water.

Question 18

What are tides?

Answer 18

The regular rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational forces of the moon and the sun.

Question 19

Distinguish between a high tide and a low tide.

Answer 19

• High tide: When the water level is at its highest point.
• Low tide: When the water level is at its lowest point.

Question 20

How often do most coastal areas experience high and low tides?

Answer 20

Twice a day.

Question 21

Describe coastal erosion.

Answer 21

The process where waves and currents remove land along the coastline.

Question 22

What is glacial erosion?

Answer 22

The process by which glaciers carve and shape the land.

Question 23

What is sediment transport?

Answer 23

The process by which particles are moved from one location to another by natural forces such as water flow, air (wind), or glacial action.

This includes the processes of erosion, transportation, and deposition.

Question 24

Name the 5 layers of the atmosphere.

Answer 24

• Troposphere
• Stratosphere
• Mesosphere
• Thermosphere
• Exosphere

Question 25

What **gases** are present in the atmosphere?

Answer 25

* Nitrogen (78%) * Oxygen (21%) * Trace amounts of Argon (0.93%), Carbon dioxide (0.04%) and other gases

Question 26

What is the **troposphere**?

Answer 26

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where most weather events occur and where we live. ## Footnote It extends from the Earth's surface up to about 8-15 kilometers (5-9 miles) high.

Question 27

How does the water cycle influence weather patterns?

Answer 27

By redistributing heat and water vapour around the planet.

Question 28

How do ocean currents affect atmospheric conditions?

Answer 28

By distributing heat around the planet. ## Footnote Warm currents can raise temperatures and humidity in coastal regions, while cold currents can cool them. These interactions influence weather patterns and climate.

Question 29

What is the impact of climate change on the hydrosphere?

Answer 29

* This causes: * Glaciers and ice caps to melt. * Sea levels to rise. * Ocean temperatures to increase. * It also leads to more extreme weather events, such as heavier rainfall and stronger storms, altering the distribution and availability of water.

Question 30

How does climate change affect the atmosphere?

Answer 30

* By increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, leading to global warming. * This results in higher temperatures, altered weather patterns, more extreme weather events, and shifts in atmospheric circulation.

Question 31

How does pollution impact the hydrosphere?

Answer 31

* By contaminating water bodies with harmful substances, harming aquatic life, disrupting ecosystems, and making water unsafe for human use. * It also leads to issues like algal blooms and acidification.

Question 32

What are the effects of deforestation on the atmosphere?

Answer 32

Reduced oxygen production and increased carbon dioxide (& other greenhouse gas) levels.

Question 33

What are **Hadley cells**?

Answer 33

They are low-latitude overturning circulations that have air rising at the equator and air sinking at roughly 30° latitude. ## Footnote They are responsible for the trade winds in the Tropics and control low-latitude weather patterns.

Question 34

Which layer of the Earth's atmosphere (shown in the diagram) contains the **ozone layer**?

Answer 34

The Stratosphere

Question 35

Which layer of the atmosphere contains approximately 75% of the atmosphere's mass and most of the water vapor, leading to weather phenomena?

Answer 35

Troposphere

Question 36

Which layer of the atmosphere is **furthest** from the Earth's surface and what are its characteristics?

Answer 36

The **exosphere**, which is characterized by extremely low densities of particles, which are mostly hydrogen and helium. ## Footnote It gradually transitions into outer space.

Question 37

Which layer of the atmosphere **lies above** the stratosphere and what are its characteristics?

Answer 37

The **mesosphere**, which is the coldest layer of the atmosphere where the temperature decreases with altitude.

Question 38

What is meant by the '**greenhouse effect**'?

Answer 38

The process by which certain gases (such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor) trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to a warming effect. ## Footnote This effect is essential for maintaining Earth's temperature within a habitable range, but human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, have intensified it, contributing to global warming and climate change.