Water Systems Overview

What defines a drainage basin?

Which of the following is the largest store of freshwater on Earth?

What is the primary input to the drainage basin system?

In terms of water movement, what is percolation?

What is a major human activity that alters the water cycle?

What process describes the movement of water through vegetation before reaching the ground?

How does urbanization typically affect surface runoff?

What type of feedback does melting ice trigger?

What does evapotranspiration encompass?

What is a watershed?

Water Systems Overview

A system is a set of interconnected components working together as a whole.
The global water cycle is a closed system.
The main water stores are the atmosphere, cryosphere (glaciers & ice caps), and hydrosphere.
The cryosphere holds the largest store of freshwater on Earth.
A drainage basin is the land area drained by a river and its tributaries.
The boundary of a drainage basin is called a watershed.
Precipitation is the main input to a drainage basin.
Outputs include evaporation, transpiration, and river discharge.
The water table is the upper level of saturated ground.
Infiltration is water entering the soil.
Percolation is water moving downward through soil and rock.
Throughflow is water moving laterally within the soil.
Groundwater flow is slow water movement through permeable rock.
Surface runoff is water flowing over land surfaces when saturated.
Transpiration is water lost from plants through leaf pores.
Evaporation involves water loss from surfaces; evapotranspiration includes water loss from plants.
Interception is water caught by vegetation before reaching the ground.
Melting ice triggering further melting is a positive feedback loop.
Deforestation is one human activity altering the water cycle.
Urbanization increases surface runoff and decreases infiltration.

Dive into the essentials of water systems with this quiz, covering the global water cycle, drainage basins, and various processes such as infiltration and evaporation. Explore the interconnected components and major stores of water on Earth while testing your knowledge on groundwater flow and surface runoff.