Chapter 4, 1c (the water cycle has distinctive processes & pathways that operates within it )
September 13, 2022
3
2021/2022
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Subjects
geography
a level
a level geography
year 12
year 13
sixth form
water cycle
precipitation
transpiration
ocr
ocr geography
condensation
evaporation
cloud formation
lapse rates
earths life support sy
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2.3. How important are water and carbon to life on Earth?
1c. The water cycle has distinctive processes & pathways that operates within it 3.Water
Precipitation: (flow/process) - moisture (e.g. rain, snow, hail) falling from Transpiration: (output)- evaporation of moisture from pores on th
clouds towards the ground
It’s responsible for approx 10% of moisture in the atmosphere
Dew point = critical temp at which condensation occurs It’s influenced by temp, wind speed & water availability to plan
Catchment = area drained by a river & its tributaries of either dry or cold seasons to reduce moisture loss through tr
River discharge = vol of water flowing in a river channel measured in
cubic metre / second Condensation: - phase change of vapour to liquid water
It forms when vapour in the atmosphere cools to its dew point & Advection = horizontal movement of an air mass which often resu
condenses into tiny water droplets or ice particles to form clouds
Occurs when air is cooled to its dew point - at this criti
Eventually these droplets or ice particles aggregate, reach a critical
condensation
size & leave the cloud as precipitation
Condensation at/near ground produces dew & fog (cloud at
Precipitation also varies in character & this impacts the water cycle
large amounts of moisture on vegetation & other surfaces
at the drainage basin scale:
- Temp: most rain that reaches the ground flows quickly into Types of clouds:
streams and rivers. But in high latitude & mountainous
Cumuliform – flat bases, rounded top & lumpy appearance,
catchments, precipitation often falls as snow & may remain on
contact with the Earth’s surface
the ground for several months – there may be a considerable
- This causes heated air particles to rise freely through the
time lag between snowfall & run-off
pressure with altitude, & cool. As cooling reached the dew p
- Intensity: amount of precipitation falling in a given time. High
Stratiform (layer clouds) - develop where an air mass moves h
intensity precipitation (e.g. 10-15 mm/hour) moves rapidly
this process = advection
overland into streams & rivers
Cirrus - wispy clouds which form at high altitude, consist of ti
- Duration: length of time that a precipitation event lasts.
don’t produce precipitation – little influence on the water cycle
Prolonged events, linked to depressions & frontal systems, may
deposit exceptional amounts of precipitation & cause river
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