AQA A-Level Geography - Water Cycle EXAM(Answered;graded A+)

What is a system? - A set of interrelated components which are connected together to form a functioning whole. What are flows/transfers? - Movements of energy and matter within or across the system boundary in the water cycle. What is a flux? - Movement of energy and matter within or across the system boundary in the carbon cycle. What is an input? - Flows, fluxes or transfers into the system. What is an output? - Flows, fluxes or transfers out of the system. What is an isolated system? - Has no interactions with anything outside of the system boundary. There is no input or output of energy or matter. Rare in nature. E.g. controlled lab experiments. What is a closed system? - Has transfers of energy both into and beyond the system boundary but not transfer of matter. E.g. the hydrological cycle What is an open system? - Has transfers of energy and matter from the system, across the boundary and into the surrounding environment. Most ecosystems are open systems. E.g the drainage basin system. What is positive feedback? - When the effects of an action are amplified or multiplied by subsequent knock-on or secondary effects. E.g. an initial cooling of Earth leads to the growth of ice sheets, which are reflective, meaning more solar radiation is reflected away from Earth leading to further cooling of Earth. What is negative feedback? - When the effects of an action and nullified by its subsequent knockon effects. What is dynamic equilibrium? - When there is balance between the inputs and outputs in a system. What are the major stores of water? - 1. Hydrosphere 2. Lithosphere 3. Cryosphere 4. AtmosphereWhat is the hydrosphere? - A discontinuous layer of water at or near the Earth's surface. It includes all liquid and frozen surface waters, groundwater held in soil and rock, and atmospheric water vapour.