Water and Carbon cycles 2

Question 1

Flow / Transfer

Answer 1

A form of linkage between one store/component and another that involves movement of energy or mass

Question 2

Input

Answer 2

The addition of matter and/or energy into a system

Question 3

Store / Component

Answer 3

A part of the system where energy/mass is stored or transformed

Question 4

System

Answer 4

A set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process

Question 5

Elements

Answer 5

The things that make up the system of interest

Question 6

Attributes

Answer 6

The perceived characteristics of the elements

Question 7

Relationships

Answer 7

Descriptions of how the various elements (and their attributes) work together to carry out some kind of process

Question 8

Isolated systems

Answer 8

These have no interactions with anything outside system boundary. There is no input or output of energy or matter

Question 8

Isolated systems

Answer 8

These have no interactions with anything outside system boundary. There is no input or output of energy or matter

Question 9

Closed systems

Answer 9

These have transfers of energy both into and beyond the system boundary but not transfer of matter

Question 10

Open systems

Answer 10

These are where matter and energy can be transferred from the system across the boundary into the surrounding environment. Most ecosystems are examples of open systems

Question 11

Dynamic equilibrium

Answer 11

When there is a balance between the inputs and outputs. This means that the stores stay the same.

Question 12

Positive feedback

Answer 12

Where the effects of an action are amplified or multiplied by subsequent knock-on or secondary effects

Question 13

Negative feedback

Answer 13

Where the effects of an action are nullified by its subsequent knock-on effect

Question 14

Atmospheric water

Answer 14

Water found in the atmosphere; mainly water vapour with some liquid water (cloud and rain droplets) and ice crystals

Question 15

Cryospheric water

Answer 15

The water locked up on the Earth’s surface as ice

Question 16

Hydrosphere

Answer 16

A discountinuous layer of water at or near the Earth’s surface. It includes all liquid and frozen surface waters, groundwater geld in soil and rick and atmospheric water vapour

Question 17

Oceanic water

Answer 17

The water contained in the Earth’s oceans and seas but not including such inland seas as the Caspian Sea.

Question 18

Terrestrial water

Answer 18

This consists of groundwater, soil moisture, lakes, wetlands and rivers

Question 19

Sea Ice

Answer 19

When water in the oceans is cooled to temperatures below freezing.

Question 20

Ice Sheets

Answer 20

Mass of glacial land ice extending more than 50,000km2

Question 21

Ice caps

Answer 21

Thick layers of ice on land that are smaller than 50,000km2

Question 22

Alpine glaciers

Answer 22

Thick masses of ice found in deep valleys or in upland hollows

Question 23

Permafrost

Answer 23

Ground that remains at or below 0oc for at least 2 consecutive years

Question 24

Rivers

Answer 24

Act as both a store and a transfer of water. Streams of water within a defined channel

Question 25

Lakes

Answer 25

Collections of fresh water found in hollows on the land surface. Larger than 2 hectares in area

Question 26

Wetlands

Answer 26

An area of marsh, fen, peatland or water, weather natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing where there is a dominance by vegetation.

Question 27

Groundwater

Answer 27

Water that collects underground in the pore spaces of rock.

Question 28

Groundwater

Answer 28

Water that collects underground in the pore spaces of rock.

Question 29

Soil water

Answer 29

Held together with air in unsaturated upper weathered layers of the Earth

Question 30

Biological water

Answer 30

Constitutes the water stored in all the biomass

Question 31

Atmospheric water

Answer 31

Water that is found in the atmosphere, most commonly as a gas, such as water vapour

Question 32

Evaporation

Answer 32

Occurs when solar radiation hits the surface of water or land and causes liquid water to change state from a liquid to a gas (water vapour)

Question 33

Condensation

Answer 33

Air cools and holds less water vapour. This means that if it cools sufficiently then it will get to a temperature at which it becomes saturated (dew point temperature). Excess water in the air will then be converted to liquid water.

Question 34

Interception storage

Answer 34

The precipitation that falls on the vegetation surfaces (canopy) or human-made cover and is temporarily stored on these surfaces. This type of water can be evaporated directly to the atmosphere, absorbed by the canopy surfaces or ultimately transmitted to the ground surfaces

Question 35

Overland flow

Answer 35

The tendency of water to flow horizontally across land surfaces when rainfall has exceeded the infiltration capacity of the soil and all surface stores are full to overflowing

Question 36

Percolation

Answer 36

The downward movement of water within the rock under the soil surface. Rater vary depending on the nature of the rock.

Question 37

Run-off

Answer 37

All the water that enters a river channel and eventually flows out of the drainage basin

Question 38

Saturated

Answer 38

This applies to any water store that has reached its maximum capacity

Question 39

Stemflow

Answer 39

The portion of precipitation intercepted by the canopy that reaches the ground by flowing down stems, stalks or tree bole.

Question 40

Transpiration

Answer 40

The loss of water from vegetation through pores (stomata) on their surfaces

Question 41

Storm & rainfall event

Answer 41

An individual storm is defined as a rainfall period separated by dry intervals of at least 24 hours and an individual rainfall event is defined as a rainfall period separated by dry intervals of at least 4 hours

Question 42

Water balance

Answer 42

The balance between inputs (precipitation) and outputs (run-off, evapotranspiration, soil and groundwater storage) in a drainage basin

Question 43

Throughfall

Answer 43

The portion of the precipitation that reaches the ground directly through gaps in the vegetation canopy and drips from leaves, twigs and stems. This occurs when the canopy-surface rainwater storage exceeds its storage capacity

Question 44

Through flow

Answer 44

The movement of water down-slope through the subsoil under the influence of gravity. It is particularly effective when underlying permeable rock prevents further downward movement

Question 45

Evapotranspiration

Answer 45

The total output of water from the drainage basin directly back into the atmosphere

Question 46

Groundwater flow

Answer 46

The slow movement of water through underlying rocks

Question 47

Infiltration

Answer 47

The downward movement of water from the surface into soil

Question 48

Cryospheric processes

Answer 48

The processes that affect the total mass of ice at any scale from local patched of frozen ground to global ice amounts. They include accumulation (the build up of ice mass) and ablation (the loss of ice mass)

Question 49

Drainage basin

Answer 49

This is an are of land drained by a river and its tributaries. It includes water found on the surface, in the soil and in near-surface geology

Question 50

Bankfull

Answer 50

The maximum discharge that a river channel is capable of carrying without flooding

Question 51

Base flow

Answer 51

This represents the normal day-to-day discharge of the river and is the consequence of slow moving soil thoughflow and groundwater seeping into the river channel

Question 52

Discharge

Answer 52

The amount of water in a river flowing past a particular point

Question 53

Lag time

Answer 53

The time between the peak rainfall and peak discharge

Question 54

Peak discharge

Answer 54

The point on the flood hydrograph when river discharge is greatest

Question 55

Storm flow

Answer 55

Discharge resulting from storm precipitation involving both overland flow, through flow and groundwater flow

Question 56

Storm hydrograph

Answer 56

A graph of discharge of a river over the time period when the normal flow of the river is affected by a storm event