Geography Exam Practice-1

Spatial Distribution of Water

• Spatial distribution refers to the way something is spread out or arranged over a geographical area.
• On Earth, there is 10^15 liters of water, which has remained the same since its creation.
• Water exists in three phases of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
• All water on Earth is finite, with 96.5% being saltwater and 2.5% being freshwater.
• Only 0.006% of water is stored in clouds, and 2% of freshwater is stored in rivers and lakes.

Classification of Water

• Water can be classified into four main types: saltwater, freshwater, surface water, and groundwater.
• Brackish water is a mix of salt and freshwater, mostly found in deltas.

Composition of Earth's Water

• Most of the world's freshwater is distributed near the equator due to high rainfall and humidity.
• The equator causes more rainfall in countries near it, resulting in more freshwater.

Uses of Saltwater

• Saltwater is not safe for drinking and requires desalination, which is an expensive process.
• Most fish consumed are saltwater fish, and tidal waters are used for hydroelectric dams.
• Salt is used in food and is farmed by salt farms.

Rainfall

• There are three types of rainfall: orographic, frontal, and convectional.
• Orographic rainfall occurs when air is forced to rise over a mountain range, resulting in condensation and precipitation.
• Frontal rainfall occurs when cold and warm air masses meet, causing condensation and precipitation.
• Convectional rainfall occurs in hot places, where warm air rises, condenses, and forms rain.

Water Processes

• Evapotranspiration is the process by which water evaporates from the surface and transpires through plants.
• Infiltration is the process by which water seeps into the ground and becomes groundwater.
• Surface runoff is the process by which water flows over the surface, while subsurface runoff is the process by which water flows underground.
• Accumulation is the process by which water pools in large bodies, such as lakes and oceans.
• Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the air turns into liquid water, forming clouds.
• Evaporation is the process by which liquid water becomes water vapor.