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What is the hydrological cycle?
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Edexcel IGCSE Geography
Geography: All TopicsComplete deck
01·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is the hydrological cycle?
Answer
The continuous circulation of water between the atmosphere, land and oceans through stores and transfers.
02·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
Why is the global hydrological cycle described as a closed system?
Answer
Water is continually recycled within Earth’s system, with no significant water input or output to or from the system.
03·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is a water store in the hydrological cycle?
Answer
A place where water is held for a period of time, such as an ocean, lake, glacier or aquifer.
04·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is a water transfer (flow) in the hydrological cycle?
Answer
A process that moves water between stores, such as evaporation, precipitation or groundwater flow.
05·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What mainly supplies energy for evaporation in the hydrological cycle?
Answer
The Sun heats liquid water, providing energy for it to change into water vapour.
06·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What force moves water downhill through rivers and underground?
Answer
Gravity drives surface runoff, river flow and much subsurface water movement downslope.
07·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
In what forms is water stored in the atmosphere?
Answer
As water vapour and as tiny liquid droplets or ice crystals within clouds.
08·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is Earth’s largest water store?
Answer
The oceans and seas, containing more than 95% of Earth’s water.
09·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What are the main frozen-water stores?
Answer
Snow, glaciers and ice sheets store freshwater as ice, sometimes for long periods.
10·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What are three examples of surface-water stores?
Answer
Lakes, rivers and reservoirs; water can also be held temporarily in puddles.
11·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is groundwater?
Answer
Water stored below the ground in the pores or fractures of soil and rock.
12·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is an aquifer?
Answer
A permeable layer of rock or sediment that can hold and transmit groundwater, such as sandstone or limestone.
13·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is the water table?
Answer
The upper surface of the saturated ground below which pores and fractures are filled with water.
14·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is evaporation?
Answer
The change of liquid water into water vapour, transferring water from surface stores to the atmosphere.
15·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is condensation?
Answer
The change of water vapour into liquid droplets as air cools, helping clouds to form.
16·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is transpiration?
Answer
The release of water vapour from plants, mainly through their leaves, into the atmosphere.
17·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is evapotranspiration?
Answer
The combined transfer of water vapour to the atmosphere through evaporation from surfaces and transpiration from plants.
18·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is precipitation?
Answer
Water falling from the atmosphere to Earth’s surface, for example as rain, snow, sleet or hail.
19·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is interception?
Answer
Precipitation temporarily caught by vegetation, particularly leaves and branches, before reaching the ground.
20·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is infiltration?
Answer
The movement of water from the ground surface into the soil.
21·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is percolation?
Answer
The downward movement of water through soil into underlying permeable rock and groundwater stores.
22·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is overland flow (surface runoff)?
Answer
Water moving across the land surface towards streams and rivers rather than infiltrating.
23·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is throughflow?
Answer
The lateral movement of water through soil, above the water table, towards a stream or river.
24·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is groundwater flow?
Answer
The movement of water through saturated rock or sediment towards rivers, lakes or the sea.
25·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is stemflow?
Answer
Intercepted rainwater that travels down plant stems or tree trunks to the ground.
26·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is snowmelt as a transfer of water?
Answer
The melting of stored snow or ice to form liquid water that can flow over or through the ground.
27·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
What is advection in the hydrological cycle?
Answer
The horizontal movement of water vapour or cloud droplets in moving air, such as moist air blown from sea to land.
28·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
How do evaporation and transpiration differ?
Answer
Evaporation changes liquid water from surfaces into vapour; transpiration releases water vapour from plants. Both return moisture to the atmosphere.
29·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
How do infiltration and percolation differ?
Answer
Infiltration is water entering soil from the surface; percolation is water moving farther downward into permeable rock or an aquifer.
30·1.1 The world's water supply is contained in a closed system - the hydrological cycle
How do throughflow and groundwater flow differ?
Answer
Throughflow moves laterally through unsaturated soil above the water table; groundwater flow moves through saturated rock or sediment below it.