global water cycle

oceanic water

water contained in the Earth’s oceans not including inland seas making up 72% of the Earth

cryospheric water

the frozen water of the global water cycle

e.g. sea ice, ice sheets, ice caps, alpine glaciers, permafrost

sea ice

ocean water cooled to below freezing. it is linked to the planets climate and is mostly Arctic and Antarctic

ice sheets

mass of glacial land ice more than 50,000km². this covers most of Greenland, Antarctica

ice caps

thick layers of ice on land that is smaller than 50,000km²

alpine glaciers

thick masses of ice found in deep valleys and upland hollows

permafrost

ground that remains below 0°C for at least 2 consecutive years

terrestrial water

surface water, groundwater, soil water and biological water

surface water

free-flowing water of rivers, ponds and lakes

groundwater

water that collects underground in the pore spaces of rock

soil water

water that is held together with air, in unsaturated upper weathered layers of the earth

biological water

water stored in all the biomass

atmospheric water

water found in the atmosphere