Water Cycle, How It Influences Our World, Processes Of Change Flashcards
Why is the water cycle important
- water vapour is vital to all climates on earth
- water gives life to all living things
- vast majority of water comes from ice
What is flow/transfer
linkage between one store and another that involves energy e.g. river to ocean
What is flow/transfer
linkage between one store and another that involves energy e.g. river to ocean
What is input
the addition of mass to a system
What is store/component
part of the water cycle where energy mass is stored e.g glacier
what is a system
a set of components working together (water cycle)
What percentage of all water on earth is freshwater
3%
What is an isolated system
no interactions with anything outside the systems boundaries
- Swamp
- Pond
What is a closed system
have transfers in and beyond but no transfers of matter
- Canal
what is an open system
where matter and energy can be transferred from the system into the surrounding environment
Where can you find biospheric water
in plants
Where can you find Atmospheric water
The clouds
where can you find cryospheric water
Ice
Where can you find terrestrial water
Rivers and lakes
where can you find groundwater
underground
What is the water cycle
The water cycle is the circulation of water around the word between the oceans, Iand and atmosphere
What can affect the magnitude of water held in a store
Seasonal change
e. g. melting and freezing of ice caps
Process of the water cycle
- water is evaporated from a body of water
- it cools and condenses into clouds
- the clouds then precipitate as rain or snow
- the water then makes it way back to the sea as surface run off
what is the atmosphere
The gases that surrounds our planet
what are clouds
a mass of condensed water vapor that floats in the atmosphere
what is condensation
The process of gas cooling down into liquids
what is evaporation
The process of livid heating up into gas
What is freshwater
water that isn’t salty
what is ground water
water that has soaked into the ground and is stored there
what is polution
harmful Substances that contaminate water and the environment
What is precipitation
water falling from the clouds to the ground, river and ocean
what is water vapour
water in the form of gas
What does a body of water need to be in equilibrium
steady input and steady output
What can too much water cause
flooding downstream
what can too little water cause
Drought downstream
Name 3 Naturally occurring factors that affect water change
Extreme weather
wildfires
seasonal variation
Why does extreme weather cause water change
Tropical storm bring large amounts of water
Why do wildfires cause waterchange
The burning vegetation releases water that then condenses and the clouds move away from the area causing drought
Why does seasonal variation cause water variation
more rainfall can occur in winter and less in summer
Name 4 Human occuring factors that affect water change
Aagriculture
Desertification
Deforestation
urbanisation
How does Agriculture affect water change
Farmers use excessive amounts of crops or not enough so local rivers are not in equilibrium
How does desertification affect the water cycle
This can occur when humans have restricted the natural water cycle
How can deforestation affect the water cycle
Trees hold large amounts of water so when they get cut down we loose large amounts of water storage
How does urbanisation affect water change
It creates impermeable surfaces on large scale meaning no water can be absorbed into the groundwater stores
