hydrological cycle

Question 1

evaporation

Answer 1

process changing water in it liquid state into water vapour which is water in its gaseous state
this occurs due to heat which causes bonds holding molecules together to break

Question 2

transpiration

Answer 2

process by which plants release water vapour through stomata in their leaves

Question 3

condensation

Answer 3

process whereby water vapour in air changes into liquid water
this can occur when either air cools to its due point or becomes so saturated that it cannot hold any more water

Question 4

precipitation

Answer 4

any liquid or frozen water formed in the atmosphere and falls to earth’s surface
this may be in the form of rain sleet snow

Question 5

interception

Answer 5

when precipitation that does not reach soil but instead intercepted by leaves, branches of plants, forest floor

Question 6

throughfall

Answer 6

process whereby water flows from leaves and foliage onto ground

Question 7

stemflow

Answer 7

when intercepted water flows down trunk or stem of the plant

Question 8

infiltration

Answer 8

process by which water on ground surface enters soil

Question 9

percolation

Answer 9

downward movement of water through soil layers due to gravity

Question 10

overland flow or surface run off

Answer 10

flow of water across surface of ground
occurs if excess rain water can no longer infiltrate soil or if the rate and volume of rainfall is faster than the rate of infiltration
also occurs if rock is impermeable and so water cannot flow through

Question 11

throughflow

Answer 11

movement of water diagonally downslope through soil as opposed to percolation which is the vertical movement of water through soil layers

Question 12

groundwater flow

Answer 12

movement of water seeped from earth’s surface and percolated downward until meeting impermeable rock layer where collects as ground water and flows laterally underground
fresh water infiltrates and percolates into soil and stored in pore spaces between rocks and particles of soil
percolates downwards until it meets impermeable layer above this zone occupied by groundwater and is called the zone of saturation or phreatic zone
all saturated with ground water
layer consists of aquifers

Question 13

water table

Answer 13

upper boundary of the phreatic zone and fluctuates
rises when rain falls and falls during dry periods
above water table is an unsaturated zone called the zone of aeration
in this zone of aeration mixture of oxygen and water in soil and so pores in this layer not saturated with water

Question 14

aquifers

Answer 14

underground formation of permeable rock or loose material that can hold and store water
groundwater enters aquifers as precipitation seeps through the soil
aquifers able to hold large quantities of water
which is accessed via well

Question 15

define a well

Answer 15

hole bored into ground from which water obtained

Question 16

artesian basin

Answer 16

cyclonical or basin shaped rock structure consisting of permeable layer of rock or aquifer sandwiched between 2 impermeable rock layers
permeable layer of rock outcrops at rim of basin
depending on shape and dimensions of artesian basin
allows rainfall to percolate down into lower part of basin where large quantity of water can accumulate since impermeable layer prevents water from percolating further downwards
groundwater may reach surface under own pressure when bore hole is drilled down to aquifer from flow of basin called an artesian well
blue waters in trinidad sources its water from artesian basin in orange grove