Key terms-water and carbon

Question 1

What does flow and transfer mean?

Answer 1

A form of linkage between one store/ component and another that involves movement of energy or mass.

Question 2

What does Input mean?

Answer 2

The addition of matter and or energy into a system.

Question 3

What does store/component mean?

Answer 3

A part of a system where energy mass is stored or transformed.

Question 4

What does system mean?

Answer 4

A set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process.

Question 5

What is atmospheric water?

Answer 5

Water found in the atmosphere mainly water vapour with some liquid and ice crystals.

Question 6

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 6

A discontinuous layer of water at near the earths surface. It includes all liquid and frozen surface waters, groundwater held in soil and rock atmospheric water vapour.

Question 7

Define oceanic water?

Answer 7

The water contained in the Earths oceans and seas but not including such inland seas as the caspian.

Question 8

Define terrestrial water?

Answer 8

This consists of groundwater, soil moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers.

Question 9

Define condensation?

Answer 9

The process by which water vapour changes to a liquid.

Question 10

What are cyrospheric processes?

Answer 10

Those processes that affect the total mass of ice at any scale from local patches of frozen ground to global ice amounts. They include accumulation and ablation.

Question 11

Define a drainage basin?

Answer 11

This is the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. It includes water found on the surface, in the soil and in near- surface geology.

Question 12

Define evaporation?

Answer 12

The process by which liquid water changes to a gas. This requires energy, which is provided by the sun and aided by the wind.

Question 13

Define Evapotranspiration ?

Answer 13

The total output of water from the drainage basin directly back into the atmosphere.

Question 14

Define ground water flow?

Answer 14

The slow movement of water through underlying rocks.

Question 15

Define infiltration?

Answer 15

The downward movement from the surface to the soil.

Question 16

What is interception storage ?

Answer 16

The precipitation that falls on the vegetation surfaces or human-made cover and is temporarily stored on these surfaces. Intercepted water either can be evaporated directly to the atmosphere, absorbed by the canopy surfaces or ultimately transmitted to the ground surface.

Question 17

Define overland flow?

Answer 17

The tendency of water to flow horizontally across land surfaces when rainfall has exceeded the infiltration capacity of the soil and all surface stores are full to overflowing.

Question 18

Define percolation?

Answer 18

The downward movement of water within the rock under the soil surface. Rates very depending on the nature of the rock.

Question 19

Define run off?

Answer 19

All the water that enters a river channel and eventually flows out of the drainage basin.

Question 20

Define saturated ?

Answer 20

This applies to any water store that has reached maximum capacity.

Question 21

Define stemflow?

Answer 21

The portion of precipitation intercepted by the canopy that reaches the ground by flowing down, stems, stalks or tree bole.

Question 22

What is the storm and rainfall event?

Answer 22

An individual storm is defined as a rainfall period separated by dry intervals of at least 24 hours and an individual rainfall event is defined as a rainfall period separated by dry intervals of at least 4 hours.

Question 23

Define throughfall?

Answer 23

The portion of the precipitation that reaches the ground directly through gaps in the stems. This occurs when the canopy-surface rain water storage exceeds its storage capacity.

Question 24

Define through flow?

Answer 24

The movement of water down-slope through the subsoil under the influence of gravity. It is particularly effective when underlying permeable rock prevents further downward movement.

Question 25

Define transpiration?

Answer 25

The loss of water from vegetation through pores on their surfaces,

Question 26

Define water balance?

Answer 26

The balance between inputs (precipitation) and outputs (run-off, evapotranspiration, soil and ground water storage) in a drainage basin.