Water Cycle

Question 1

Precipitation

Answer 1

Moisture in any form

Question 2

Interception

Answer 2

Temporary storage, as water is captured by plants, buildings and hard surfaces before reaching the soil

Question 3

Vegetation Storage

Answer 3

Any moisture take up by vegetation and held within plants

Question 4

Surface Storage

Answer 4

Any surface water in lakes, ponds, puddles

Question 5

Soil Moisture

Answer 5

Water held within the soil

Question 6

Groundwater Storage

Answer 6

Water held within permeable rocks

Also known as aquifer

Question 7

Channel Storage

Answer 7

Water held in rivers and streams

Question 8

Infiltration

Answer 8

Water entering the topsoil

Most common during slow or steady rainfall

Question 9

Throughflow

Answer 9

Water seeping laterally through soil below the surface, but above the water table
Also known as inter-flow

Question 10

Percolation

Answer 10

The downward seepage of water through rock under gravity, especially on permeable rocks e.g. sandstone and chalk

Question 11

Stem Flow

Answer 11

Water flowing down plant stems or drainpipes

Question 12

Base Flow

Answer 12

Slow-moving water that seeps into a river channel

Also known as groundwater flow

Question 13

Channel Flow

Answer 13

The volume of water flowing within a river channel

Also called discharge, and runoff

Question 14

Surface Runoff

Answer 14

Flow over the surface during an intense storm, or when the ground is frozen, saturated or on impermeable day
Also called overland flow

Question 15

Evaporation

Answer 15

The conversion of water to vapour

Question 16

Transpiration

Answer 16

Water taken up by plants and transpired onto the leaf surface

Question 17

Evapotranspiration

Answer 17

The combined effect of evaporation and transpiration

Question 18

River Discharge

Answer 18

The volume of water passing a certain point in the channel over a certain amount of time

Question 19

Hydrosphere

Answer 19

The combined mass of water below, on and above the earth’s surface

Question 20

Residence Time

Answer 20

The average amount of time a water molecule will stay in a store

Question 21

Blue Water

Answer 21

Visible part of the cycle

Water stored on land in rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater

Question 22

Green Water

Answer 22

Invisible part of the cycle

Water stored in vegetation or the soil

Question 23

Water Surplus (water budget)

Answer 23

Where precipitation is greater than evapotranspiration

Question 24

Soil Moisture Utilisation (water budget)

Answer 24

Soil moisture starts to be used up by plants

Question 25

Soil Moisture Deficit (water budget)

Answer 25

Evapotranspiration is greater than precipitation and any previously available moisture has been used

Question 26

Soil Moisture Recharge (water budget)

Answer 26

Recharge occurs when water is replaced after a dried period

Question 27

Field Capacity (water budget)

Answer 27

The maximum amount of water soil can hold

Question 28

Water Insecurity

Answer 28

When conditions are not met to achieve an adequate quantity of acceptable quality water

Question 29

Water Stress

Answer 29

When renewable water is between 1000-1700m3 per capita

Question 30

Water Scarcity

Answer 30

When renewable water is between 500-1000m3 per capita

Question 31

Absolute Water Scarcity

Answer 31

When renewable water is <500m3 per capita

Question 32

Physical Water Scarcity

Answer 32

Not enough water to meet demand

Question 33

Economic Water Scarcity

Answer 33

Not enough infrastructure/money to obtain water

Question 34

Virtual water

Answer 34

Water transferred by trading in crops and services that require large amounts of water for their production