water and carbon

• What is an open system?

  Both mass and energy transfer across boundaries
• What does a closed system allow?

  Energy flow in or out, but not matter
• What is an isolated system?

  No interaction with surroundings occurs
• When was water formed on Earth?

  4.5 billion years ago
• What does the term cryosphere refer to?

  The planet's frozen areas
• What are extremely high clouds below -30 degrees Celsius composed of?

  Ice crystals (cirrus clouds)
• What is the condensation level?

  The height where clouds form
• What does the hydrosphere encompass?

  All the water on the planet
• What is latent heat?

  Heat absorbed or released during state change
• What is latent heat fusion?

  Change from liquid to solid
• What is vaporization?

  Change from liquid to gas
• What is condensation?

  Change from gas to liquid
• What is freezing?

  Change from liquid to solid
• What happens to temperature during a state change?

  It remains constant
• What is transpiration?

  Water vapor released through plant leaves
• What factors affect the rate of evaporation and transpiration?

  1. Temperature
  2. Wind speeds
  3. Humidity
  4. Vegetation type
  5. Volume and area of surface water
• What are the types of rainfall?

  1. Convectional rainfall
  2. Frontal rain
  3. Orthographic rainfall
• Where is convectional rainfall common?

  Near the tropics, like Brazil and Indonesia
• How does convectional rainfall occur?

  Through rapid evaporation and condensation
• What causes frontal rainfall?

  Warm air meets cold air and rises
• Where is frontal rainfall common?

  In the UK
• What happens to warm air as it rises in frontal rainfall?

  It cools and condenses to form clouds
• What is orthographic rainfall?

  Rainfall caused by air rising over mountains
• Where is orthographic rainfall common in the UK?

  West coast, Cumbria, Lake District
• What creates a rain shadow effect?

  Air descends and warms after rising
• What happens to moisture in descending air?

  It has a greater capacity to hold moisture
• What is the result of the rain shadow effect?

  Little rain on the far side of mountains