water cycle key info Flashcards
what are stores, fluxes and processes and what are examples of each
STORES - stocks of water, where water is held
eg oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers
FLUXES- measurements of the rate of flow between stores
eg precip rate, evapotrasp rate, run off rate
PROCESSES- physical factors that drive the fluxes
eg precip, run off
what are the different ‘spheres’
atmosphere- gasses surrounding earth
cryosphere- water in solid form
biosphere- water in ecosystems
pedosphere- in soil
hydrosphere- total water on earth
lithosphere- crust and upper mantle
what are the three types of rainfall and how do they work
relief/ orographic rainfall - moist warm air forced to rise over hightened land
- condenses and cools as it is pushed up
- causes rain on windward side and no precip on leeward side causing a rain shadow
convectional rain - sun heats grounds warm air rises
- cools and condenses and forms clouds
frontal rain- warm and cold air front meet
- warm air forced to rise
- cools and condenses forming cloud
what are the different global air circuation cells in order
polar, Ferrell, Hadley
what is an inter tropical convergence zone
area commonly associated with tropical rainforest climate
high rates of evapotranspiration and convectional rain
moves during year and leads to wet and dry season
what is the thermohaline circulation system
- water in polar is colder and denser so sinks
- cold sinking water draws warmer water in from surface
- draws water across surface from tropics
- movement of water from tropics draws cold water up to be warmed
