Import

• Which cycle is the presented material about?

  Hydrologic Cycle
• According to the diagram, what are the levels of organization in an ecosystem, starting with the broadest?

  Biosphere, Biomes, Ecosystem, Community, Population, Individual
• What are the two main components of an ecosystem?

  Biotic and Abiotic
• What is included in the biotic structure of an ecosystem?

  Living components
• What are biogeochemical cycles?

  Cycles of chemical substances through biotic/abiotic compartments
• What is the overall movement of chemical elements in biogeochemical cycles?

  From environment to organisms and back
• What are the biogeochemical cycles discussed in this material?

  • Water/Hydrologic Cycle
  • Carbon Cycle
  • Nitrogen Cycle
  • Phosphorus Cycle
  • Sulfur Cycle
  • Oxygen Cycle
• What primarily drives the water cycle?

  The sun
• Where does most of Earth's water exist?

  Oceans
• What is the process where ice and snow turn directly into water vapor?

  Sublimation
• What is the combined process of water transpired from plants and evaporated from the soil?

  Evapotranspiration
• What happens to water vapor as it rises into the atmosphere?

  It condenses into clouds
• What causes precipitation to occur?

  Cloud particles colliding and growing
• What can happen to precipitation that falls as snow in warmer climates?

  It thaws and melts into snowmelt
• What happens to most precipitation after falling on land?

  It flows over the ground as surface runoff
• What is the term for the flow of water in streams and rivers?

  Streamflow
• Where does runoff accumulate when it doesn't flow into rivers?

  Freshwater lakes
• What is the process of water soaking into the ground called?

  Infiltration
• What are aquifers?

  Saturated subsurface rock storing freshwater
• How does some infiltrated water return to surface water bodies?

  As groundwater discharge
• What are freshwater springs?

  Groundwater emerging as freshwater
• What is evaporation?

  Liquid changing into gas at boiling point
• What is transpiration?

  Evaporation of water from plant leaves
• What is deposition in the context of the water cycle?

  Water vapor changes directly into ice
• What is condensation?

  Water vapor changing into liquid water
• What is the most visible form of atmospheric water?

  Clouds
• What are the forms of precipitation?

  Rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, or hail
• What role does precipitation play in the water cycle?

  Delivers atmospheric water to Earth
• What is surface runoff?

  Water flowing over the land surface
• What is snowmelt runoff?

  Surface runoff produced from melting snow
• What is streamflow also known as?

  Channel runoff
• What feature is formed when groundwater intersects the land surface?

  A spring
• What is the definition of freshwater?

  Water with less than 1,000 mg/L dissolved solids
• What is the process of infiltration?

  Water entering the soil
• What is groundwater flow?

  Infiltrated water discharged into streams or springs
• Where is groundwater stored?

  In aquifers
• What is an aquifer?

  Geologic formations storing groundwater
• What is the ocean's role in the water cycle?

  It acts as a storehouse of water
• What does "storage in ice and snow" refer to?

  Water locked up for a long period