EQ1- what are the processes operating within the hydrological cycle from global to local scale Flashcards
what is the cryosphere?
describes the set of all locations on Earth where water is found in solid form
what is a flux
a flow of liquid
what is orographic rainfall?
rain produced from the uplift of moist air over a mountain
what is evapotranspiration?
combined loss of water to the atmosphere via the processes of evaporation and transpiration
what is relief
the range of topographic elevation within a specific area
what is saturated overland flow
occurs when soil becomes saturated, and any additional precipitation causes runoff
what is run-off
water (from rain, snowmelt or other sources) that flows over the land surface.
what is percolation?
a process similar to infiltration but travelling through rock surfaces towards the water table.
what is porosity?
a surface that allows water to pass through it such as sand
what is permeability?
a measure of the ability soil, sediment and rock can transport water horizontally and vertically. depends on the porosity of what the water is flowing through.
what is our hydrological cycle made up of and what is the driving force?
inputs (rainwater), outputs and flows
it is driven by solar and gravitational potential energy
what is a drainage basin?
an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries
how do outputs occur in the water cycle?
through evaporation, transpiration and channel flow
what is a water budget?
a water budget is the annual balance between precipitation, evapotranspiration and runoff (the annual balance between the inputs and outputs) and their impact on soil availability
water budgets are influenced by what climate types?
temperate- faces mild temperatures and steady climates
polar-Tundra and ice caps climates. Tundra summers are short and in ice cap seasons, temperatures are seldom above freezing.
tropical- Can be tropical wet, tropical monsoon or tropical wet and dry seasons.
