Types of System: 5.1A
Open systems: have external inputs and outputs of energy and
matter exchange at its boundaries.
Closed systems: only have energy as its input and output, matter
is contained within the system boundary.
The Global Hydrological Cycle as a closed system:
The GHC is ‘the continuous movement of water on, above or below
the Earth’s surface’
Fluxes and the Importance and Size of Stores: 5.1B
Major Stores of Water
Type of Store Fresh Water Total Water
Oceans 96.9%
Cryosphere 68.7% 1.9%
Groundwater 30.1% 1.1%
Surface Water 1.2% <0.01%
Atmosphere 0.04% 0.001%
Biosphere 0.0001%
Flows: the transfer of water from one store to another
Fluxes: the rate of flow between stores
Global Water Budget: 5.1C
Residence time: the time water is held in a store
Why can residence time differ?
Flows/ Changes impact the size of water stores and
transfers residence time
More precipitation generally increases the
availability of water for storage
If rainfall is too intense and surface flow increases,
the opportunity for infiltration and water storage is
less
Climate The last Ice Age increased the cryosphere’s stores
Change Lowered the hydrosphere’s stores as sea levels
were over 100m lower than today
Clouds and Changes in the ITCZ bring differing levels of
Precipitatio precipitation, changing the amount of water an
n area recieves
Non-renewable stores:
Cryosphere – rapid melting is irreversible and the timescale for
refreezing is too long
, Fossil water – ancient groundwater trapped in aquifers and won’t
be replenished by modern precipitation
The Hydrological Cycle: 5.2A
Inputs Precipitation patterns
Flows Interception – water captured and stored
temporarily in the biosphere before evaporating or
reaching the ground
Infiltration – downward movement of water into the
soil
Direct runoff – water entering stream channels
promptly after rainfall or snowmelt
Saturated overland flow – water flowing across the
ground surface into rivers and streams
Throughflow – the horizontal transfer of water
downslope through the soil
Percolation – downward movement of water through
permeable rocks into aquifers
Groundwater flow – slow movement of water
through rocks beneath the surface, feeding rivers and
springs
Outputs Evaporation – process by which liquid water
changes into water vapour using heat energy
Transpiration – release of water vapour from plants
into the atmosphere
Channel flow – water flows into another, larger
drainage basin
, Impact of Physical Factors: 5.2B
Physical factors within drainage basins:
Physical Description Example
Factor
Climate The climate of an area in which Amazon Basin –
a drainage basin is located high rainfall
impacts: input leads to
1. Amount/type of large river
precipitation discharge
2. Extent of evaporation
3. Amount/type of
vegetation
Soils Structure and type of soil can Southeast
impact: England chalk
1. Infiltration and throughflow soils store
2. Surface run off water in
aquifers
Vegetation The amount and type of Amazon
vegetation impacts: deforestation –
1. Interception, infiltration, lost 54.2m
drip flow, and trunk and hectares
stem flow between 2001
2. Surface run off and 2020
Geology Type of rock below the surface
impacts:
1. Percolation
2. The type of soil in the area
Relief The steepness of slopes Himalayas –
impacts: rapid runoff
1. Surface run off into rivers
2. Levels of precipitation
Open systems: have external inputs and outputs of energy and
matter exchange at its boundaries.
Closed systems: only have energy as its input and output, matter
is contained within the system boundary.
The Global Hydrological Cycle as a closed system:
The GHC is ‘the continuous movement of water on, above or below
the Earth’s surface’
Fluxes and the Importance and Size of Stores: 5.1B
Major Stores of Water
Type of Store Fresh Water Total Water
Oceans 96.9%
Cryosphere 68.7% 1.9%
Groundwater 30.1% 1.1%
Surface Water 1.2% <0.01%
Atmosphere 0.04% 0.001%
Biosphere 0.0001%
Flows: the transfer of water from one store to another
Fluxes: the rate of flow between stores
Global Water Budget: 5.1C
Residence time: the time water is held in a store
Why can residence time differ?
Flows/ Changes impact the size of water stores and
transfers residence time
More precipitation generally increases the
availability of water for storage
If rainfall is too intense and surface flow increases,
the opportunity for infiltration and water storage is
less
Climate The last Ice Age increased the cryosphere’s stores
Change Lowered the hydrosphere’s stores as sea levels
were over 100m lower than today
Clouds and Changes in the ITCZ bring differing levels of
Precipitatio precipitation, changing the amount of water an
n area recieves
Non-renewable stores:
Cryosphere – rapid melting is irreversible and the timescale for
refreezing is too long
, Fossil water – ancient groundwater trapped in aquifers and won’t
be replenished by modern precipitation
The Hydrological Cycle: 5.2A
Inputs Precipitation patterns
Flows Interception – water captured and stored
temporarily in the biosphere before evaporating or
reaching the ground
Infiltration – downward movement of water into the
soil
Direct runoff – water entering stream channels
promptly after rainfall or snowmelt
Saturated overland flow – water flowing across the
ground surface into rivers and streams
Throughflow – the horizontal transfer of water
downslope through the soil
Percolation – downward movement of water through
permeable rocks into aquifers
Groundwater flow – slow movement of water
through rocks beneath the surface, feeding rivers and
springs
Outputs Evaporation – process by which liquid water
changes into water vapour using heat energy
Transpiration – release of water vapour from plants
into the atmosphere
Channel flow – water flows into another, larger
drainage basin
, Impact of Physical Factors: 5.2B
Physical factors within drainage basins:
Physical Description Example
Factor
Climate The climate of an area in which Amazon Basin –
a drainage basin is located high rainfall
impacts: input leads to
1. Amount/type of large river
precipitation discharge
2. Extent of evaporation
3. Amount/type of
vegetation
Soils Structure and type of soil can Southeast
impact: England chalk
1. Infiltration and throughflow soils store
2. Surface run off water in
aquifers
Vegetation The amount and type of Amazon
vegetation impacts: deforestation –
1. Interception, infiltration, lost 54.2m
drip flow, and trunk and hectares
stem flow between 2001
2. Surface run off and 2020
Geology Type of rock below the surface
impacts:
1. Percolation
2. The type of soil in the area
Relief The steepness of slopes Himalayas –
impacts: rapid runoff
1. Surface run off into rivers
2. Levels of precipitation
