Topic 4 Study Guide
Words colored/highlighted in…
Red = Important
Blue = Essential Vocabulary
Highlighted = Must Know 100%
Topic 4.1
Hydrological Cycle
● Hydrological Cycle: the movement of water around the planet, run by the sun
● About 2.5-3% of the water on Earth is freshwater
○ 68.7% = Glaciers and ice caps
○ 0.4% = surface water (lakes, rivers, etc.)
○ 30.1% = groundwater
○ 0.8% = permafrost
● Storages (Inputs)
○ Examples of storage can be: (know at least 3 by heart)
■ Oceans
■ Surface waters, such as streams, rivers and lakes
■ Ice caps and glaciers
■ Soil moisture
■ Water vapor and clouds within the atmosphere
■ Groundwater within aquifers
■ Organisms, such as plants and animals.
● Flows (Outputs)
○ Transformations = a change in the state of water
■ Ex. Water → Steam
● Evaporation: the process that changes liquid water to gaseous
water (water vapor).
● Transpiration: the process where water evaporates into the
atmosphere through plants
● Evapotranspiration: the sum of all processes by which water moves
from the land surface to the atmosphere via evaporation and
transpiration
● Sublimation: the conversion between the solid and the gaseous
phases of matter, with no intermediate liquid stage
, ● Condensation: the process by which water vapor in the air is
changed into liquid water
● Melting: When solid ice gains heat, it changes state from solid ice
to liquid water
● Freezing: When liquid water grows cold, it changes state from
liquid water to solid ice
● Deposition: occurs when water vapor changes state directly from a
gas to a solid
○ Transfers = a change in the location of water
■ Ex. River water → Lake water
● Advection: The movement of water — in solid, liquid, or vapor
states — through the atmosphere
● Precipitation: When water that falls from the atmosphere to the
Earth's surface
● Surface run-off: precipitation that runs off the landscape
● Infiltration: is the process of water being absorbed into the ground
● Absorption: in the water cycle refers to the process by which water
is taken up by the soil, plants, or other surfaces, contributing to
groundwater recharge or plant growth.
● Percolation: the water cycle involves the downward movement of
water through soil or porous rock layers.
● Groundwater flow: describes the movement of water underground,
typically through permeable rock layers or aquifers.
● Stream flow: refers to the movement of water in a natural channel,
such as a river or creek, due to gravity.
● Flooding: occurs when an area is inundated with water, often due
to excessive rainfall, snowmelt, or the overflow of bodies of water
like rivers or lakes.
, ○
Example of Hydrological Cycle of Storages and Flows^^^
Global Conveyor Belt
● About the GCB
○ Also known as thermohaline circulation
○ Thermo = the colder the water the more dense it is. (temperature)
○ Haline = the greater the salinity the more dense the water becomes. (salt)
○
● How it Works
Words colored/highlighted in…
Red = Important
Blue = Essential Vocabulary
Highlighted = Must Know 100%
Topic 4.1
Hydrological Cycle
● Hydrological Cycle: the movement of water around the planet, run by the sun
● About 2.5-3% of the water on Earth is freshwater
○ 68.7% = Glaciers and ice caps
○ 0.4% = surface water (lakes, rivers, etc.)
○ 30.1% = groundwater
○ 0.8% = permafrost
● Storages (Inputs)
○ Examples of storage can be: (know at least 3 by heart)
■ Oceans
■ Surface waters, such as streams, rivers and lakes
■ Ice caps and glaciers
■ Soil moisture
■ Water vapor and clouds within the atmosphere
■ Groundwater within aquifers
■ Organisms, such as plants and animals.
● Flows (Outputs)
○ Transformations = a change in the state of water
■ Ex. Water → Steam
● Evaporation: the process that changes liquid water to gaseous
water (water vapor).
● Transpiration: the process where water evaporates into the
atmosphere through plants
● Evapotranspiration: the sum of all processes by which water moves
from the land surface to the atmosphere via evaporation and
transpiration
● Sublimation: the conversion between the solid and the gaseous
phases of matter, with no intermediate liquid stage
, ● Condensation: the process by which water vapor in the air is
changed into liquid water
● Melting: When solid ice gains heat, it changes state from solid ice
to liquid water
● Freezing: When liquid water grows cold, it changes state from
liquid water to solid ice
● Deposition: occurs when water vapor changes state directly from a
gas to a solid
○ Transfers = a change in the location of water
■ Ex. River water → Lake water
● Advection: The movement of water — in solid, liquid, or vapor
states — through the atmosphere
● Precipitation: When water that falls from the atmosphere to the
Earth's surface
● Surface run-off: precipitation that runs off the landscape
● Infiltration: is the process of water being absorbed into the ground
● Absorption: in the water cycle refers to the process by which water
is taken up by the soil, plants, or other surfaces, contributing to
groundwater recharge or plant growth.
● Percolation: the water cycle involves the downward movement of
water through soil or porous rock layers.
● Groundwater flow: describes the movement of water underground,
typically through permeable rock layers or aquifers.
● Stream flow: refers to the movement of water in a natural channel,
such as a river or creek, due to gravity.
● Flooding: occurs when an area is inundated with water, often due
to excessive rainfall, snowmelt, or the overflow of bodies of water
like rivers or lakes.
, ○
Example of Hydrological Cycle of Storages and Flows^^^
Global Conveyor Belt
● About the GCB
○ Also known as thermohaline circulation
○ Thermo = the colder the water the more dense it is. (temperature)
○ Haline = the greater the salinity the more dense the water becomes. (salt)
○
● How it Works
