1 water cycle

Question 1

systems approach

Answer 1

systems approaches study hydrological phenomena by looking at

the balance of inputs and outputs
how water is moved between stores by flows

Question 2

stores

Answer 2

reservoirs where water is held

eg ocean

Question 3

fluxes

Answer 3

the rate of flow between the stores

Question 4

processes

Answer 4

physical mechanism that drives the fluxes of water between the stores

Question 5

cryosphere

Answer 5

areas of the earth where water is frozen into snow or ice

Question 6

blue water

Answer 6

water stores in rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater in liquid form

(the visible part of the hydrological cycle)

Question 7

green water

Answer 7

water stored in soil and vegetation

Question 8

precipitation

Answer 8

the movement of water from the atmosphere to the ground

Question 9

evaporation

Answer 9

change in state of water from a liquid to a gas

Question 10

residence time

Answer 10

the average time a water molecule will spend in a reservoir or store

Question 11

fossil water

Answer 11

ancient groundwater from former pluvial periods

Question 12

transpiration

Answer 12

diffusion of water from vegetation into the atmosphere, involving change from gas to liquid

Question 13

groundwater flow

Answer 13

the slow transfer of percolated water underground through porous rocks

Question 14

catchment

Answer 14

area of land drained by a river

Question 15

watershed

Answer 15

the highland which divides and separated waters flowing to different rivers

Question 16

condensation

Answer 16

the change from a gas to a liquid

eg water vapour into water droplets

Question 17

dew point

Answer 17

temperature at which dew forms

it is a measure of atmospheric moisture

Question 18

convectional rainfall

Answer 18

the earths hot surface heats the air above it

often associated with intense thunderstorms which occur widely in areas with ground heating such as the Tropics

Question 19

cyclonic rainfall

Answer 19

warm air is forced to rise when it is undercut by colder air

a period of sustained rain which is associated with the passage of depressions

Question 20

orographic rainfall

Answer 20

when air is forced to rise over a barrier such as a mountain, it cools and condensation takes place

Question 21

through fall

Answer 21

rainfall persists or is relatively intense and the water drops from leaves/neadles etc

Question 22

stem flow

Answer 22

when water tickles down along twigs and branches and then down the trunk

Question 23

infiltration

Answer 23

the movement of water from the ground surface into the soil

Question 24

infiltration capacity

Answer 24

maximum rate at which rain can be absorbed by soil

Question 25

surface run off

Answer 25

movement of water that is unconfined by a channel across the surface of the ground