This worksheet includes a glossary of all they key terms involved in the water cycle topic at A-level. There is a short summary on air pressure, and then activities to complete that test your understanding.
Answer: A global scale system that describes the cycling of water.
2.
What are stores?
Answer: ‘Reservoirs’ where water is held, such as the oceans.
3.
What are fluxes?
Answer: The rate of flow between the stores.
4.
What are processes?
Answer: The physical mechanisms that drive the fluxes of water between the stores.
5.
What are oceans?
Answer: A saline reservoir of water.
6.
What are cryospheres?
Answer: Water stored as ice or snow.
7.
What is atmospheric moisture?
Answer: Water stored as a vapour or tiny water droplets in clouds.
8.
What is surface water?
Answer: Water stored on the earth’s surface in rivers and lakes.
9.
What is groundwater?
Answer: Water stored deep underground in porous rocks.
10.
What is soil moisture?
Answer: Water stored underground in the pore spaces between soil particles.
Content preview
Water Cycle and Water Insecurity
How do the components of the global scale hydrological cycle interact?
GLOSSARY AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Hydrological cycle A global scale system that describes the cycling of water.
Stores ‘Reservoirs’ where water is held, such as the oceans.
Fluxes The rate of flow between the stores.
Processes The physical mechanisms that drive the fluxes of water between the stores.
Oceans A saline reservoir of water.
Cryosphere Water stored as ice or snow.
Atmospheric moisture Water stored as a vapour or tiny water droplets in clouds.
Surface water Water stored on the earth’s surface in rivers and lakes.
Groundwater Water stored deep underground in porous rocks.
Soil moisture Water stored underground in the pore spaces between soil particles.
Biological water Water stored in vegetation.
Evaporation A process by which water transforms from a liquid to a vapour.
Condensation A process by which water transforms from a vapour to a liquid.
Sublimation A process by which water transforms from a solid to a vapour, or visa-versa, with no
liquid state intervening.
Precipitation A process by which water (rain, snow, hail) falls from the sky to the earth’s surface.
Transpiration A process by which water diffuses from vegetation, often via the stomata on the
underside of leaves, to the atmosphere.
Infiltration A process by which water travels from the surface to underground i.e. it soaks into the
soil.
Percolation A process by which water travels deeper underground, often from the soil to the
bedrock.
Solar radiation One energy input that drives the hydrological cycle; it is required to enable many of the
processes to take place.
Gravitational The second energy input that drives the hydrological cycle: gravity (the force that causes
potential energy the downward movement of water).
Sensible heat energy Energy from the Earth’s surface (heated by the sun) that is used to raise the temperature
of the air.
Latent heat energy Energy, from the sun and Earth’s surface, that is needed for evaporation. This energy is
also released, as heat in the atmosphere, during condensation.
Humidity A measure of the water vapour content of the atmosphere.
Absolute humidity The actual mass of water vapour in a given volume of air, measured in grams per cubic
meter (g/m3).
Relative humidity The amount of water vapour in the air expressed as a percentage of the maximum
amount of water vapour air of that temperature can hold i.e. humidity relative to the
maximum possible humidity for air of that temperature. Warm air can hold more water
vapour than cold air.
Saturation Air is said to be saturated when the relative humidity reaches 100%: it cannot hold any
more water vapour. Soil is said to be saturated when the pore spaces between the soil
particles are filled with water (there is no air in the pore spaces).
Dew point The temperature at which any further cooling of the saturated air will result in
condensation of excess water vapour.
Adiabatic Air temperature changes as a result of a change in atmospheric pressure. A fall in
temperature change atmospheric pressure causes cooling; a rise in atmospheric pressure causes warming.
Convection uplift Air rises in a convection current caused by intense heating of air close to the ground.
Orographic uplift Air rises over a mountain range. Orography refers to the study of mountains.
Cyclonic uplift Warmer air rises over an area of colder air; where they meet is called a front.
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