Water+carbon cycles key words

Input

Input

When matter or energy is added to the system eg solar energy

Output

When matter or energy leaves the system

Store

Where matter or energy builds up

Flows

Where matter or energy moves from one store to the other

Boundaries

The limits of the system

Percolation

Water seeping down through soil into the water table

Base flow

Groundwater flow that feeds into rivers through riverbanks and river beds

Interflow

Water flowing downhill through permeable rock above the water table

Channel flow

the water flowing into a river or stream itself - also known as river discharge

Evapotranspiration

The process of evaporation and transpiration together

Cubic metres per second

Shortened to cumecs- unit of measurement

River discharge

Volume of water that flows in a river per second

Biomass

Renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals

Vegetation storage

Water that’s been taken up by plants. It’s all the water contained in plants at any one time

Surface storage

Includes puddles ( depression storage ) , ponds and lakes

Groundwater storage

Water stored in ground, either in soil ( soil moisture ) or in rocks. The water table is the top surface of the zone of saturation - the zone of soil or rock where all the pores in the soil or rock are full of water. Porous rocks that hold water are called aquifers

Channel storage

water held in a river or stream channel

River discharge

Volume of water that flows in a river per second

Carbon budget

Difference between the inputs and outputs of carbon into a subsystem and outputs of carbon from it

Cryosphere

Includes all the parts of the earth system where it’s cold enough for water to freeze eg glacial landscapes

Lithosphere

The lithosphere is the outermost part of the earth. Includes crust and upper mantle

Biosphere

Part of earths system where all living things are found - plants,animals,insects,bacteria

Hydrosphere

Includes all water on earth. Liquid form or solid form or gas form. Can be saline or fresh

Atmosphere

layer of gas between earths surface and space held in place by gravity

Ablation

The removal of surface snow or ice by sublimation,melting or evaporation