Water & Carbon

• What are the components of a system?

  Inputs, outputs, stores, flows, boundaries
• What defines an open system?

  Receives inputs and transfers outputs
• What characterizes a closed system?

  Energy inputs equal outputs
• What is dynamic equilibrium in a system?

  Inputs equal outputs despite changing conditions
• What is positive feedback in a system?

  Amplifies impacts of the original event
• What does negative feedback refer to?

  Nullifies impacts of the original event
• How are the carbon and water cycles characterized on a local scale?

  Both are open systems
• How are the carbon and water cycles characterized on a global scale?

  Both are closed systems
• What drives changes in the water cycle over time?

  Inputs, outputs, flows, and stores
• What is precipitation?

  Water falling from the atmosphere
• What are the three types of rainfall?

  Convectional, relief, frontal
• How does convectional rainfall occur?

  Warm air rises, condenses, and falls
• What causes relief rainfall?

  Warm air forced upward by mountains
• What happens during frontal rainfall?

  Warm air rises over cool air masses
• What is evapotranspiration?

  Combination of evaporation and transpiration
• How does evaporation occur?

  Water heated by the sun becomes gas
• What is transpiration in plants?

  Water released through leaves during respiration
• What is streamflow?

  Water leaving a drainage basin through streams
• What is infiltration?

  Water moving from above ground into soil
• What does infiltration capacity refer to?

  Speed at which water infiltrates the soil
• How does percolation occur?

  Water moves from soil into porous rock
• What is throughflow?

  Water moving through soil into streams
• How does surface runoff occur?

  Water flows above ground as sheetflow or rills
• What is groundwater flow?

  Water moving through rocks underground
• What is stemflow?

  Water intercepted by plants flowing down stems
• What is soil water?

  Water stored in soil for plant use
• What is groundwater?

  Water stored in pore spaces of rock
• What is river channel storage?

  Water stored in a river
• What is interception in the water cycle?

  Water intercepted by plants before reaching ground
• What is surface storage?

  Water stored in puddles, ponds, lakes
• What is the water table?

  Upper level of saturated pore spaces in ground
• What does the water balance express?

  Water storage and transfer in a drainage basin
• What is the formula for the water balance?

  Precipitation = Total Runoff + Evapotranspiration +/- Storage

  
• How does the water balance change?

  Dependent on physical factors and seasonal variations
• What local factors impact the water cycle?

  Deforestation, storm events, seasonal changes
• How does deforestation impact the water cycle?

  Increases surface runoff and decreases soil water

  
• What happens during storm events?

  Ground saturates quickly, increasing surface runoff
• How do seasonal changes affect the water cycle?

  Impact interception, evapotranspiration, and runoff
• What occurs in spring regarding soil moisture?

  Increased vegetation leads to more interception
• How does summer affect soil water?

  Higher evapotranspiration leads to water depletion