water cycle

• characteristics of the earth's atmosphere


  • it is breathable
  • it has plenty of oxygen (21% of the air)
  • small amount of carbon dioxide (0.04%)
  • pull of gravity keeps the atmosphere in tact
• characteristics of the earth's climate


  • temperatures are not extreme
  • predictable and stable
• characteristics of the earth's water 


  • most important chemical necessary for life
  • water doesn't burn skin and is drinkable
• characteristics of earth's light


  • sun is needed to grow things through photosynthesis
  • earth takes 24 hours to spin on its axis, providing regular sunlight in all regions
• the earth's sun


  • distance means that earth receives the perfect amount. of heat and light to allow for life to be created and supported
  • the sun's gravity keeps earth in orbit
• why is earth the only planet that can support life


  • food supply
  • interdependent systems
  • good temperature
  • insulation
  • gravity
  • water supply
  • layers of atmospheric protection
• what is the goldilocks zone

  the area that os just the right distance from the sun to allow the presence of liquid water
• how do people, flora and fauna and climate need water

  • photosynthesis
  • hydration
  • agriculture
  • cooling
  • precipitation
  • growth
  • drinking
• what are the earth's atmospheric layers


  • atmosphere
  • hydrosphere
  • cryosphere
  • lithosphere
  • biosphere
• what is the atmosphere


  the envelope of gases surrounding the planet
• what is the hydrosphere


  all the water on earth's surface, such as lakes and seas
• what is the cryosphere


  the frozen part of the earth's surface, including the polar ice caps, continental ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice and permafrost
• what is the lithosphere


  the rigid outer part of the earth consisting of the crust and upper mantle, divided into tectonic plates
• what is the biopshere


  the space at the earth's surface and within the earth's atmosphere occupied by living organisms
• what are the 3 main stores of the water cycle


  • atmosphere
  • oceans
  • land
• what are the main processes of the water cycle


  • precipitation
  • evaporation
  • runoff
  • groundwater flow
• what is a system


  where a set of components work together, featuring inputs, outputs, flows and stores
• what are inputs


  things you need to start making it
• what are flows


  processes you've gone through
• what are stores


  places you've stored things
• what are outputs


  what you have ended up with
• what is a closed system


  input, output and transfer of energy but not matter or mass
• what is an open system


  inputs and outputs of both energy and matter/mass
• what is the global hydrological cycle


  • energy from the sun enters and leaves the system
  • the total amount of water in the cycle is always the same, no water enters or exisrs
  • this means it is a closed system
• what is an example of a large scale closed system


  the global hydrological cycle
• what is a drainage basin hydrological cycle


  • a drainage basin is an area of land drained by a river
  • the energy comes into and leaves the drainage basin
  • but mass also enters and leaves
  • this means it is an open system
• what is an example of a large scale open system

  drainage basin hydrological cycle
• what is dynamic equilibrium


  positive and negative feedback is equal
• how does a system change from dynamic equilibrium to a feedback


  if there are more inputs or outputs
• what is negative feedback


  the level of one thing increases and is counteracted by another, bringing it to its normal level. this keeps things constant
• what is positive feedback


  occurs when something is increased rapidly. this happens when one thing causes A to increase, therefore causing B to increase, causing A to increase further, amplifying a change
• what is the slow carbon cycle


  where carbon takes between 100 and 200 million years to move between rocks, soil, ocean, and atmosphere
• what is the fast carbon cycle


  carbon moves 100s of times fast between the atmosphere, biosphere, oceans and soil
• what % of water storied on earth is saline


  97
• how many cubic kilometres of water is stored in the atmosphere annually


  13
• how many cubic kilometres of water is stored in the land annually


  39 000
• how many cubic kilometres of water is stored in the oceans annually

  1 370 000
• what does it mean for water to be saline


  it is unusable and expensive to desalinate
• how is snow and ice distributed globally


  unevenly, found in areas with colder climates away from the equator
• where is 25% of freshwater stored

  aquifers