The global water cycle

Question 1

What is the water cycle?

Answer 1

• Water is essential for life on earth
• Its constantly recycled, stored and transferred
• Some regions have plenty supply, others have shortages

Question 2

Water stores

Answer 2

• Most is stored as saline water in oceans
• Ice sheets and groundwater are the main freshwater stores
• Rivers lakes and atmosphere have small amounts of water

Question 3

Lithosphere

Answer 3

• Refers to water contained on land/ underground
• 30%of freshwater is stored as groundwater

Question 4

Hydrosphere

Answer 4

• Refers to liquid water on Earth’s surface
• Oceans, lakes, reservirs, streams
• 97% of the earth’s water is stored in oceans
• 2.5% is freshwater

Question 5

Cryosphere

Answer 5

• Volume of Earth’s water frozen as ice sheets
• 68.7% of freshwater is stored as snow and ice

Question 6

Atmosphere

Answer 6

• Water contained in the atmosphere as vapour

Question 7

Aquifers

Answer 7

• Permeable/ porous rock that stores water