2.1.1 The concepts of system and mass balance
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What is mass balance in the water cycle?
The principle that the total amount of water entering and leaving a system must balance over time
What are major stores in the water cycle?
Oceans
What percentage of Earth’s total water is stored in the oceans?
About 96.5% (approximately 97%).
What percentage of Earth’s water is freshwater?
About 2.5%.
Where is most of Earth’s freshwater stored?
In glaciers and ice caps (about 68–69% of freshwater).
What percentage of Earth’s freshwater is groundwater?
About 30%.
How much of Earth’s water is stored in lakes
rivers
How much of Earth’s water is stored in the atmosphere?
About 0.001% of Earth’s total water.
Why are oceans unsuitable for direct human use?
Because they primarily store saltwater.
What is the cryosphere?
Glaciers
What is evaporation?
Water turning into vapor from oceans
What is precipitation?
Water vapor condenses and falls as rain
What is transpiration?
Water taken up by plants and released as vapor into the atmosphere.
What is infiltration?
Water moving into the soil and replenishing groundwater stores.
What is runoff?
Water flowing over land into rivers
How long does water stay in the atmosphere on average?
About 9 days.
What is the average residence time of water in oceans?
About 3
How long can water remain in deep groundwater?
Around 10
How long does water typically stay in rivers?
About 2 to 6 months.
How do glaciers affect sea level?
Melting glaciers raise sea levels while accumulation lowers sea levels.
How have sea levels changed over the past century?
They have risen by approximately 20 cm.
How do glacial and interglacial periods affect water storage?
Glacial periods increase ice storage and lower sea levels while interglacial periods melt ice and raise sea levels.
How can the water cycle’s mass balance be disrupted?
By natural factors and human activities such as deforestation
What happens if water inputs exceed outputs?
Flooding can occur.
What happens if water outputs exceed inputs?
Droughts can occur.