Water

Question 1

how much of total world’s water is freshwater?

Answer 1

2.5%

Question 2

how much of total world’s water is oceans?

Answer 2

96.5%

Question 3

how much of total world’s water is other saline stores?

Answer 3

0.9%

Question 4

how much of freshwater stores are glaciers/ice caps?

Answer 4

68%

Question 5

how much of freshwater stores are ground water?

Answer 5

30%

Question 6

how much of freshwater stores are surface water?

Answer 6

1.2%

Question 7

how much of surface water is ground ice/permafrost?

Answer 7

69%

Question 8

how much of surface water are lakes?

Answer 8

20.9%

Question 9

how much of surface water is in the atmosphere?

Answer 9

3%

Question 10

how much of surface water is soil moisture?

Answer 10

1.2%

Question 11

how many people rely on young groundwater?

Answer 11

over 2 billion

Question 12

what are aquifers?

Answer 12

natural water stores in rock

Question 13

what are examples of aquifers?

Answer 13

North China Plains aquifer, Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS)

Question 14

what are fossil aquifers?

Answer 14

an aquifer containing groundwater that was trapped underground millions of years ago

Question 15

what is the problem with aquifers?

Answer 15

they are being exploited unsustainably for irrigation
- this leads to seawater infiltrating the rocks, which can turn the aquifer to a saline aquifer

Question 16

why did the Ogallala aquifer form?

Answer 16

due to accumulation of sediment eroded from Rocky Mountains - it hardened over time creating porous rock that held water

Question 17

where is Ogallala aquifer?

Answer 17

USA

Question 18

what are the four stores?

Answer 18

hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere

Question 19

what is the hydrosphere?

Answer 19

surface water on earth - in liquid,

Question 20

what is the lithosphere?

Answer 20

water in the crust of the earth - e.g. groundwater storage

Question 21

what is the cryosphere?

Answer 21

frozen water stores on earth

Question 22

what is the atmosphere?

Answer 22

presence of water in the earth’s atmosphere, mainly as vapour

Question 23

why is oceanic water salty?

Answer 23

input of minerals and salts

Question 24

what is the relationship between pH and salinity?

Answer 24

directly proportional

Question 25

what is the link between oceans and atmospheric carbon?

Answer 25

the ocean acts as a carbon sink and absorbs 30% of Co2 released into atmosphere

Question 26

what is the link between atmospheric carbon and pH of oceans?

Answer 26

as more carbon is absorbed, pH decreases and oceans become more acidic

Question 27

where are the major stores of cryospheric water?

Answer 27

1. ice sheets 2. glaciers 3. ice caps 4. sea ice 5. permafrost

Question 28

what are ice caps? why are they important?

Answer 28

masses of glacial ice maintaining global freshwater storage (can be a source), regulating climate, reflecting solar radiation (keeps planet cooler)

Question 29

what is sea ice?

Answer 29

frozen seawater that floats on earth's surface e.g. Antarctica

Question 30

what is an alpine glacier and why are they important?

Answer 30

a glacier surrounded by mountains source of freshwater, melting provides nutrients for ecosystem

Question 31

what is permafrost and why is it important?

Answer 31

permanently frozen ground acts as a carbon sink, can store up to 1,500 billion tonnes

Question 32

what are the 4 broad classes of terrestrial water?

Answer 32

groundwater, biological water, surface water, soil water

Question 33

wat is the link between temperature and positive feedback into water system?

Answer 33

warmer temps = increased evaporation = more water vapour = water vapour traps heat (greenhouse gas) = higher temps

Question 34

what about clouds?

Answer 34

- mass of tiny water droplets suspended in the air - some are made of ice - water vapour cools and condenses around condensation nuclei, particles like dust