Water Systems and the Hydrological Cycle

These flashcards cover key concepts related to water systems, the hydrological cycle, and human impacts on water resources.

What is Earth's water budget?

A quantitative estimate of the amount of water in stores and flows of the water cycle.

Is water a renewable or non-renewable resource?

It depends on the turnover time of water in different stores within the water cycle.

What is the turnover time for oceans?

37,000 years.

What is the turnover time for ice caps?

16,000 years.

What is the turnover time for groundwater?

300 years.

What is the turnover time for rivers?

12-20 days.

What is the turnover time for the atmosphere?

Only 9 days.

What components are involved in the hydrological cycle?

Precipitation, evaporation, condensation, infiltration, and transpiration.

What are the storages in the hydrological cycle?

Soil, atmosphere, glaciers & ice caps, earth’s surface, rivers, lakes, oceans, groundwater.

What is meant by 'inputs' in the hydrological system?

Factors like precipitation, interception, infiltration, and percolation that introduce water into the system.

What is meant by 'outputs' in the hydrological system?

Factors like evaporation, transpiration, and river discharge that remove water from the system.

What is evaporation?

The process of water turning into vapor from surface water bodies.

What is infiltration?

Water seeping into the soil from the surface.

What does 'groundwater recharge' refer to?

Water entering underground aquifers.

What are the negative impacts of deforestation on water systems?

Reduced infiltration, increased flooding, soil erosion, lower groundwater recharge, altered rainfall patterns, and water pollution.

How does urbanization negatively affect water systems?

Increased surface runoff, higher flood risk, reduced groundwater recharge, and water pollution.

What is one positive impact of urbanization on water systems?

Rainwater harvesting.

What impact does agriculture have on water systems?

Excessive water consumption and pollution from fertilizers and pesticides.

What are 'transfers' in the hydrological cycle?

Processes that move water without changing its state, such as runoff and infiltration.

Is the hydrological cycle a closed or open system globally?

Considered a closed system.

Is the hydrological cycle a closed or open system locally?

Considered an open system.

What is the role of condensation in the hydrological cycle?

It is when water vapor cools and forms clouds.

What does 'sublimation' mean in the context of the hydrological cycle?

Ice and snow converting directly into water vapor.

What does the term 'evapotranspiration' refer to?

The combined processes of evaporation from the land and transpiration from plants.

What is the heat island effect?

Higher temperatures in urban areas that increase evaporation rates.

What is the importance of ocean currents?

They regulate climate and support marine ecosystems.

What is the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt?

A global system of ocean currents that influences climate and weather patterns.

What is specific heat capacity?

The temperature required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of substance by a given amount.