The Global Hydrological Cycle

Question 1

GHC

Answer 1

There’s = fixed amount of water on the Earth
Called a closed system because water can’t enter/leave the Earth + it’s atmosphere
3 components of the cycle = stores, flows, processes

Question 2

Global stores

Answer 2

Include all water stored as either water vapour, ice, saline, fresh water
E.g. = global stores:
- oceans
- lakes
- aquifers (unground lakes)
- cryosphere (glaciers + ice sheets)

Question 3

Local stores

Answer 3

E.g. of local stores of water inc:
- vegetation storage
- surface stores
- soil moisture
- groundwater storage

Question 4

Flows

Answer 4

How water moves from one store to another
- infiltration
- throughflow
- percolation
- stem flow
- base flow
- channel flow
- surface runoff

Question 5

Processes

Answer 5

Following processes drive the flows b/ the stores
- precipitation
- evapo
- transpiration
- crysophere (glaciers + ice sheets) exchanges
- runoff

Question 6

Sizes of water stores

Answer 6

Water is found on earth as a gas called water vapour = liquid, water, solid ice
Although the amount of water in each store changes over the yr - each store has a relative size

Question 7

Total global water supply

Answer 7

96.5% of earths water = oceans + seas
2.5% of earths water = freshwater (not salty)
0.9% of earths water = saline (salty) water sources

Question 8

Freshwater

Answer 8

Water that is not salty
- 68.8% = earths freshwater = cryosphere (glaciers, ice caps)
- 30% of earths freshwater = groundwater
1.2% of earths fresh water = surface water

Question 9

Surface water

Answer 9

Water on earths surface is split between the following places
- 69% = earths SW = ground ice + permafrost
- 20% = earths SW = lakes
- 3% = earths SW = atmosphere
- 0.5% = earths = SW = rivers
- 0.26 = earths = SW = biosphere