Water & Carbon - Processes in the water cycle

Question 1

What are the four global stores of water?

Answer 1

1) Hydrosphere - liquid water on the Earth’s surface
2) Cryosphere - frozen areas of the planet
3) Lithosphere - water stored in rocks 4) Atmosphere - water stored in the air

Question 2

What percentage of water is stored in the hydrosphere?

Answer 2

96.5%

Question 3

What percentage of water is stored in the cryosphere?

Answer 3

1.7%

Question 4

What percentage of water is stored in the lithosphere?

Answer 4

1.7%

Question 5

What percentage of water is stored in the atmosphere?

Answer 5

0.001%

Question 6

Whata are some examples of inputs/outputs to the water cycle?

Answer 6

Precipitation
Evaporation
Transpiration
Condensation

Question 7

What is precipitation?

Answer 7

Any form of water falling from the atmosphere to the earth’s surface - includes rain, snow, sleet and hail.

Question 8

What is evaporation?

Answer 8

Sun heats the surface of water changing it from a liquid to a gas.

Question 9

What is transpiration?

Answer 9

Water released from plants into the air. When combined with evaporation, it forms evapotranspiration.

Question 10

What is condensation?

Answer 10

Water vapour in the air cools (dew point) and changes into liquid water - this leads to cloud formation.

Question 11

Is the water cycle an open or closed system?

Answer 11

Closed

Question 12

Is a drainage basin an open or closed system?

Answer 12

Open

Question 13

What are some examples of stores and flows in the water cycle?

Answer 13

Surface stores, groundwater, water table, interception, absorption

Question 14

What are surface stores?

Answer 14

Water stored in lakes and river channels.

Question 15

What is groundwater?

Answer 15

Water stored within porous rock underground.

Question 16

What is the water table?

Answer 16

The upper level of saturated rock.

Question 17

What is interception?

Answer 17

Leaves, stems and trunks can stop water from reaching the ground - temporary hold water.

Question 18

What is absorption?

Answer 18

Vegetation takes up water through the root system.

Question 19

What are some examples of transfers in the water cycle?

Answer 19

Surface run-off, infiltration, percolation, throughflow, groundwater flow, stem flow, channel flow

Question 20

What is surface run-off?

Answer 20

Water flowing over the earth’s surface (overland flow) - when ground is waterlogged or impermeable

Question 21

What is infiltration?

Answer 21

Downward movement of water into soil - affected by the soil type, vegetation type, land use

Question 22

What is percolation?

Answer 22

Downward movement of water through rocks underground - important for replenishing groundwater stores

Question 23

What is throughflow?

Answer 23

Horizontal movement of water through soil to return to a river, can be accelerated by plant roots or animal activity.

Question 24

What is groundwater flow (base flow)?

Answer 24

Slow, horizontal flow of water through sub-surface rock - helps maintain river flow during dry periods

Question 25

What is stem flow?

Answer 25

Water dripping from leaves or flowing down stems and trunks to reach the ground.

Question 26

What is channel flow?

Answer 26

Movement of water within the river channel - driven by gravity and influenced by channel gradient, shape and roughness.

Question 27

What are the three types of rainfall?

Answer 27

1) Frontal rainfall 2) Convectional rainfall 3) Orographic (Relief) rainfall

Question 28

When does frontal rainfall occur?

Answer 28

Occurs when two air masses of different temperatures meet.. The warmer, less dense air is forced to rise over the cooler, denser air. As the warm air rises, it cools and condenses to form clouds, leading to rainfall.

Question 29

When does convectional rainfall occur?

Answer 29

Occurs when the ground is heated by the sun, causing warm air to rise rapidly. As the air rises, it cools and condenses to form clouds, leading to heavy rain.

Question 30

When does orographic (relief) rainfall occur?

Answer 30

Occurs when moist air is forced to rise over a mountain range. As the air ascends, it cools and condenses to form clouds, resulting in precipitation on the windward side of the mountains. The windward side recieves heavy rainfall, while the leeward side (rain shadow) remains dry.