the sequence of conditions where water passes from vapour in the atmosphere through precipitation upon land or water surfaces
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Flow
Runoff evaporates from the ground and some flows into streams or rivers back into the standard cycle
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Evaporation
water from a liquid to a gas or vapour. The primary pathway that moves from the liquid state back into the water cycle as atmospheric water vapour
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Condensation
water vapour in the air is changed into liquid water. Condensation is vital for the formation of clouds
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Precipitation
Water released from clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow or hail
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Infiltration
The process where precipitation or water soaks into subsurface soils and moves into rock through cracks and pre spaced. It occurs in the upper layers of the ground but may also continue further down in the water table
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Interception
Precipitation that does not reach the soil but is intercepted by the leaves, branches of plants and the forest floor
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Stem flow
Flow of intercepted water down the trunk or stem of a plant
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Surface runoff
Water flowing over the land surface and is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is called overland flow
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Groundwater
Precipitation that lands on the ground surface infiltrates into the subsurface. The part that continues downward through the soil until it reaches rock material that is saturated is groundwater
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Water table
The level below which the ground is saturated with water
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Baseflow
Also called drought flow, groundwater recession flow, low flow, low-water flow, low water discharge and sustained or fair weather runoff is the portion of streamflow delayed shallow subsurface flow
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Percolation
Rainfall seeping underground where water travels downward through tiny spaces between rocks and soil particles. The water will saturate the underlying rock like a sponge
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Throughflow
The lateral unsaturated flow of water in the soil zone, where a highly permeable geologic unit overlays a less permeable geologic unit
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transpiration
The process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leave, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere. Transpiration is essentially evaporation of water from leaves
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Porosity
The porosity of a rock is how many voids/ gaps or pores it contains and their capacity
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High porosity =
Large spaces-volcanic rock
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Low porosity =
small spaces-granite
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permeable
Rock that can transmit water because the pore spraces are concentrated
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Aquifier
It will allow water to travel e.g. chalk under london
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Infiltration capacity
Maximum rate at which soil will absorb water
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Rainfall intensity
The amount of rain in a given time
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Infiltration capcity is greater than
Rainfall intensity
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Flow
Back
Runoff evaporates from the ground and some flows into streams or rivers back into the standard cycle
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