Biogeochemical Cycles: The Water Cycle

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the terminology, distribution statistics, and biological/hydrological processes involved in the Earth's water cycle as presented in the BIO 2207 lecture.

Matrix of life

A term describing water as an integral part of all living tissue, constituting $60\% - 90\%$ of an organism's body weight.

Hydrologic Cycle

Also known as the water cycle, it describes the continuous movements of water on, above, and through the Earth via the land, atmosphere, and oceans.

Thermoregulation

One of the physiological requirements of water in the body, along with transportation of molecules and hydrolytic digestion.

Global water cycle

The hydrological type of water cycle driven by the sun heating water in oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers.

Biological water cycle

The cycle involving the movement of water through living organisms in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Ocean Water Distribution

$96.5\%$ of Earth's water is found in oceans and seas.

Atmospheric Water Distribution

$0.001\%$ of Earth's water exists in the air as vapor, clouds, and precipitation.

Groundwater and Glacier Distribution

Water found as groundwater ($1.7\%$) and in glaciers and ice caps ($1.7\%$).

Total Annual Precipitation

The amount of water that precipitates on Earth every year, totaling $4.46 \times 10^{20}\,gm$.

Land vs. Ocean Precipitation

Of the annual total, $0.99 \times 10^{20}\,gm$ falls on land and $3.24 \times 10^{20}\,gm$ falls on the ocean surface.

Percolation

The process by which some water content from rain moves through the soil.

Sublimation

The process where water from ice and snow storage enters the atmosphere.

Evapotranspiration

The combined process of evaporation and plant transpiration returning water to the atmosphere.

Terrestrial Autotroph Water Source

Underground water absorbed from soil by the roots of plants for use in physiological processes.

Transpiration

The mechanism by which plants return water to the environment.

Animal Water Return Methods

Methods including transpiration, urination, and excretion (such as sweat in mammals) to return water to the air.

Volcanic Eruptions

The event during which small quantities of water locked in the Earth's crust are released.

Infiltration

The movement of surface water into the ground or toward streams.