Hydrologic Cycle: Flashcards
function:
collects, purifies, distributes earth’s fixed water supply
water circulating between atmosphere and ocean:
97%-98%
distribution of fresh water:
- frozen
- surface water
- ground water
evaporation:
conversion of liquid water to water vapor
evaporation is driven by:
energy from the sun
transpiration:
evaporation from the leaves of plants
source of transpiration:
biosphere
sink of transpiration:
atmosphere
source of evaporation:
hydrosphere or geosphere
sink of evaporation:
atmosphere
condensation:
conversion of water vapor into droplets of water
precipitation:
water falling from the sky to the ground
source of precipitation:
atmosphere
sink of precipitation:
geosphere or hydrosphere
fate of precipitation:
- locked into glaciers
- goes into bodies of water
- infiltrates the soil
- surface runoff
infiltration:
movement of water into soil and porous rock
factors that impact infiltration:
- substrate type
- vegetative cover
- degree of saturation
- topography
fate of infiltrated water:
can percolate or evaporate again
porosity:
measurement of void spaces between rocks
permeability:
the measurement which indicates how easily water can flow in between rocks
percolation:
downward flow of water through soil and permeable rock formations
source of percolation:
geosphere
sink of percolation:
hydrosphere
a function of percolation:
dissolves and transports minerals and nutrients (leaching)
runoff:
down sloped surface where water moves back to bodies of water to resume cycle
> doesn’t infiltrate
source of runoff:
geosphere
sink of runoff:
hydrosphere
sink:
where it goes
source:
where it comes from
impacts of runoff:
- erosion
- replenishes surface water
- doesn’t infiltrate
aquifer:
stored as groundwater
human alterations:
- draw large quantities of water from freshwater sources faster than nature can replenish
- clear vegetation from lad for agriculture which increases runoff and decreases infiltration
- drain wetlands which are natural flood control
