earths life support systems Flashcards
where is most of the worlds water stored
oceans hold 71%
what are 3 importances of water
- regulates atmospheric temperatures
water vapour is a GHG -> increasing surface temp
clouds reflect radiation -> decreasing surface temp - living things are 65-95% water
medium for chemical reactions e.g. respiration
gives plants rigidity and transports minerals - economic uses e.g domestic, industrial and agricultural uses
what is meant by the global water cycle
the way in which water is transferred and recycled around our planet
and exchanged between land, sea and atmosphere
what is a drainage basin
the area of land around a river
where any water that falls on that land will eventually drain into that river
it is an open local water cycle
what is an open system
a system with inputs and outputs of water and energy
give an example of an input
precipitation
give an example of an output
evaporation
list the 5 stores in a drainage basin
surface
soil moisture
groundwater (aquifers)
vegetation
river channel
list the 6 flows in a drainage basin
surface run-off
river channel flow
infiltration
percolation
groundwater flow
throughflow
list the 11 stores in the global water cycle
oceans
rivers
lakes
ponds
ice caps
glaciers
land ice
surface water
groundwater
vegetation
living organisms
list the 11 flows in the global water cycle
pricetags ts
percolation
river channel flow
infiltration
condensation
evaporation
transpiration
ablation
groundwater flow
surface run off
throughflow
sublimation
list the factors that effect evaporation rates
temperature
humidity
wind
how does temperature effect evaporation rates
the warmer it is
the more evaporation
how does humidity effect evaporation rates
humid air
is already saturated
so lower concentration gradient
therefore less evaporation
how does wind effect evaporation rates
winds can blow saturated air out of an environment
and bring in unsaturated air
increasing evaporation
explain cloud formation
air rises
and cools with altitude
condenses once it reaches dew point
forming a cloud
list the types of rainfall
convectional
relief
frontal
outline convectional rainfall and its patterns
sun heats surface of earth
air rises as its heated
forming clouds
spacial variation -
in warm places near the tropics
temporal variation -
in summer seasons
outline relief rainfall
where air is forced to rise over a mountain
forming clouds
often dry conditions on the other side
outline frontal rainfall and its patterns
where a warm and cold air mass meet
the hot air rises above
forming clouds
spacial variation -
found in mid-latitudes e.g. England
list the factors that effect transpiration rates
temperature
humidity
wind
surface area of vegetation
type of vegetation
how does the type of vegetation effect transpiration and interception rates
evergreen vs deciduous trees
yearly trans and intercep with evergreen
whereas none in winter months with deciduous
define infiltration
process by which water moves from the surface to the soil by gravity
list the factors that effect infiltration rates
type/ permeability of soil
soil depth
antecedent conditions
how does the type of soil effect infiltration rates
- clay
fewer air spaces
less infiltration
(even more compact when wet) - sandy
more air spaces
more infiltration
how does antecedent conditions effect infiltration rates
if soil is
- frozen solid from low temps
- baked dry from hot temps
- saturated from recent rainfall event
less infiltration
how does soil depth effect infiltration rates
deeper soils have a greater capacity
meaning more infiltration
define throughflow
the horizontal movement of water through soil
