Water, Clouds Flashcards
What are the 2 main inputs into a drainage basin?
Precipitation
Channel Precipitation
What are the main flows/processes of the water cycle?
Evaporation Transpiration Ablation Interception Percolation Evapotranspiration
What are the main water cycle stores?
Lake Groundwater Rivers Glaciers Vegetation Soil Moisture
Precipitation =
Evaporation + Runoff +/- Storage Change
When is water balance +ve?
Precipitation > Evapotranspiration
Soil Moisture Utilisation:
More evaporation takes place -> More water used from soil
Soil Moisture Recharge:
Rainfall increases so soil charges moisture
Define evaporation
Water liquid turns to vapour using latent heat (without changing temp)
Define transpiration
Diffusion of water from the stomata of plants
Define condensation
Water vapour cools to dew point and changes to a liquid
What are the 3 types of cloud?
Cumuliform
Stratiform
Cirrus
Characteristics of cumuliform clouds
Flat base
Tall
Fluffy
Formation of cumuliform clouds:
Vertically rising air causes air particles to expand (lower air pressure at higher altitude) -> cools to dew point
Characteristics of stratiform clouds:
Layer clouds
Formation of stratiform clouds:
Air moves horizontally across a cooler surface (caused by advection)
Characteristics of cirrus clouds:
Wispy clouds
No precipitation
Formation of cirrus clouds:
Tiny ice crystals forming at very high altitudes
Adiabatic Expansion:
No heat is transferred in or out of the air
Lapse Rate definition:
Vertical distribution of temperature in the lower atmosphere (and the changes in air parcels as they rise)
What are the 3 types of lapse rate?
Environmental Lapse Rate (ELR)
Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DALR)
Saturated Adiabatic Lapse Rate (SALR)
ELR simplified:
As we go up, air gets cooler
DALR simplified:
Dry air cools faster, clouds form quicker
SALR simplified:
Wet air (saturated), cools slower