The Water Cycle

Question 1

Is the Hydrological Cycle a Closed or Open System?

Answer 1

The Hydrological Cycle is a closed system because all the water is continually circulated through the stores and there is a constant amount of water in the system. The system does not change because there are no gains or losses to other systems.

Question 2

What is the World’s Largest Store of water and how much does it store?

Answer 2

The Ocean and it stores 96.9% of the Globe’s total water

Question 3

What is a Tributary?

Answer 3

A smaller river flowing into a larger river

Question 4

What is the Watershed?

Answer 4

An area of Highland surrounding a Drainage Basin

Question 5

What is the Source?

Answer 5

The start of a river

Question 6

What are the Key Components of the Hydrological System?

Answer 6

• Stores
• Fluxes
• Flows

Question 7

What is Percolation?

Answer 7

Water that moves from the Soil into Porous Bedrock

Question 8

What is a Drainage Basin?

Answer 8

An area of land that is drained by a river and its tributaries contained by the watershed

Question 9

Name the factors that impact the Drainage Basin

Answer 9

1) Type of Precipitation

2) Basin Size and Shape

3) Drainage Density

4) Relief

5) Temperature and Climate

6) Land Use

7) Soil Type

Question 10

What is Fossil Water?

Answer 10

Water contained in an undisturbed place for longer than 1,000 years

Question 11

Describe the Formation of a Monsoon :

Answer 11

1) The land is heated more than the ocean

2) This is because it has a lower ‘specific heat capacity’

3) The hot air above the land is buoyant so it rises, leaving a low pressure zone

4) Cold moist air then blows in from the sea, bringing intense rains

Question 12

Name the Types of Precipiation:

Answer 12

• Orographic
• Frontal
• Convectional

Question 13

What is El Niño?

Answer 13

The drastic warming of the waters off the coast of Peru and Ecuador