earths life support systems

Question 1

where is most of the worlds water stored

Answer 1

oceans hold 71%

Question 2

what are 3 importances of water

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

what is meant by the global water cycle

Answer 3

the way in which water is transferred and recycled around our planet
and exchanged between land, sea and atmosphere

Question 4

what is a drainage basin

Answer 4

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

Question 5

what is an open system

Answer 5

a system with inputs and outputs of water and energy

Question 6

give an example of an input

Answer 6

precipitation

Question 7

give an example of an output

Answer 7

evaporation

Question 8

list the 5 stores in a drainage basin

Answer 8

surface
soil moisture
groundwater (aquifers)
vegetation
river channel

Question 9

list the 6 flows in a drainage basin

Answer 9

surface run-off
river channel flow
infiltration
percolation
groundwater flow
throughflow

Question 10

list the 11 stores in the global water cycle

Answer 10

oceans
rivers
lakes
ponds

ice caps
glaciers
land ice

surface water
groundwater
vegetation
living organisms

Question 11

list the 11 flows in the global water cycle

Answer 11

pricetags ts

percolation
river channel flow
infiltration
condensation
evaporation
transpiration
ablation
groundwater flow
surface run off

throughflow
sublimation

Question 12

list the factors that effect evaporation rates

Answer 12

temperature
humidity
wind

Question 13

how does temperature effect evaporation rates

Answer 13

the warmer it is
the more evaporation

Question 14

how does humidity effect evaporation rates

Answer 14

humid air
is already saturated
so lower concentration gradient
therefore less evaporation

Question 15

how does wind effect evaporation rates

Answer 15

winds can blow saturated air out of an environment
and bring in unsaturated air
increasing evaporation

Question 16

explain cloud formation

Answer 16

air rises
and cools with altitude
condenses once it reaches dew point
forming a cloud

Question 17

list the types of rainfall

Answer 17

convectional
relief
frontal

Question 18

outline convectional rainfall and its patterns

Answer 18

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

Question 19

outline relief rainfall

Answer 19

where air is forced to rise over a mountain
forming clouds

often dry conditions on the other side

Question 20

outline frontal rainfall and its patterns

Answer 20

where a warm and cold air mass meet
the hot air rises above
forming clouds

spacial variation -
found in mid-latitudes e.g. England

Question 21

list the factors that effect transpiration rates

Answer 21

temperature
humidity
wind
surface area of vegetation
type of vegetation

Question 22

how does the type of vegetation effect transpiration and interception rates

Answer 22

evergreen vs deciduous trees
yearly trans and intercep with evergreen
whereas none in winter months with deciduous

Question 23

define infiltration

Answer 23

process by which water moves from the surface to the soil by gravity

Question 24

list the factors that effect infiltration rates

Answer 24

type/ permeability of soil
soil depth
antecedent conditions

Question 25

how does the type of soil effect infiltration rates

Answer 25

• clay
  fewer air spaces
  less infiltration
  (even more compact when wet)
• sandy
  more air spaces
  more infiltration

Question 26

how does antecedent conditions effect infiltration rates

Answer 26

if soil is
- frozen solid from low temps
- baked dry from hot temps
- saturated from recent rainfall event

less infiltration

Question 27

how does soil depth effect infiltration rates

Answer 27

deeper soils have a greater capacity
meaning more infiltration

Question 28

define throughflow

Answer 28

the horizontal movement of water through soil