The Water Cycle

Question 1

What percentage of water on the planet is fresh (not salty)?

Answer 1

2.5%

Question 2

What are the three global stocks of freshwater?

Answer 2

ice caps & glaciers, groundwater and surface water

Question 3

In what form is most freshwater found?

Answer 3

solid- ice caps

Question 4

Evaporation

Answer 4

When the sun heats the surface of a body of water, such as the ocean, its energy “breaks” bonds between water molecules, allowing some water to escape in the form of water vapor.

Question 5

Sublimation

Answer 5

When the sun heats a glacier, ice field, or snow, water can move from a solid form in the snow or ice directly into the atmosphere as vapor.

Question 6

Evapotranspiration

Answer 6

When the sun drives the movement of water from plants and soils

Question 7

Condensation

Answer 7

When (warm) water vapor rises in the atmosphere, it cools and forms clouds. depending on atmospheric conditions, the condensed water molecules will collide and cling to one another.

Question 8

Precipitation

Answer 8

When enough water molecules cling together and become heavy enough to leave a cloud, they fall to the ground as rain, snow or hail.

Question 9

After water lands on the ground as a liquid, what are the three stocks that it could be stored in temporarily before it returns to the ocean?

Answer 9

Ice and snow, soil, freshwater lakes and streams

Question 10

Infiltration

Answer 10

The process of water soaking into soils or ground water formation.

Question 11

Runoff

Answer 11

When water is flowing off a landscape and collecting in rivers and lakes.

Question 12

Is warm water (or air) more or less dense than cool water(or air)

Answer 12

warm water/air is less dense

Question 13

properties of water

Answer 13

Water is a polar molecule, which makes it a universal solvent and capable of moving other elements and molecules. also allows molecules to stick together-form drops of water.

Question 14

What factors drive ocean currents?

Answer 14

energy from the sun, temperature and salinity gradients, atmospheric conditions, the spin of the planet and gravitational forces of the moon.

Question 15

Thermohaline current

Answer 15

Moves water around the entire planet and cycles it back from the surface to the deep ocean and back. Water evaporates at the equator b/c of heat which makes the water colder and saltier so it sinks quickly near greenland

Question 16

Watershed

Answer 16

area of land that drains into a single point.

–a nested areas of land that increase in area as small streams join to become small rivers, to large rivers, to a single river, to the ocean

Question 17

Would a high mountains stream or lowland river have a higher temperature?

Answer 17

lowland river. the water in high mountains streams is often shaded, fast moving and from snowmelt.

Question 18

Would a high Mt stream or lowland river have a higher level of nutrients?

Answer 18

A lowland river because it has had more time to collect nutrients from plants and animals etc.

Question 19

would a high MT. stream or lowland river have a higher amount of dissolved oxygen?

Answer 19

High mt stream because the water is moving quickly/over rocks which helps to aerate the water

Question 20

What would the flow, nutrient, temperature and dissolved oxygen characteristics be like at the end of a large river? Ex) Mississippi to Gulf of Mexico

Answer 20

Flow, temperature and nutrient content would be highest and dissolved oxygen would be low

Question 21

What could hinder the thermohaline current?

Answer 21

if ice melts and adds freshwater it could slow or stop the current