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The Hydrological Cycle

The hydrological cycle describes the movement and distribution of water between the Earth and its atmosphere, involving processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. It is a closed system where the total amount of water remains constant, but human activities can disrupt this balance, leading to potential environmental impacts such as flooding and changes in precipitation patterns. Understanding the cycle is essential for managing water resources and mitigating the effects of climate change.

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10 views25 pages

The Hydrological Cycle

The hydrological cycle describes the movement and distribution of water between the Earth and its atmosphere, involving processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. It is a closed system where the total amount of water remains constant, but human activities can disrupt this balance, leading to potential environmental impacts such as flooding and changes in precipitation patterns. Understanding the cycle is essential for managing water resources and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Uploaded by

rheapalmaortego
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The

Higher Geography
The Hydrosphere

Hydrological
Cycle
The Hydrological Cycle
 What you need to know:
 Be able to draw a diagram of the
hydrological cycle.
 Describe its main elements.
 Explain how balance is maintained
within the system.
What is the Hydrological
Cycle?
The hydrological cycle is the system which
describes
the distribution and movement of water between
the
earth and its atmosphere. The model involves the
continual circulation of water between the oceans,
the
atmosphere, vegetation and land.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/teachers/key-stage3/lessonplan-hydrological-
cycle/animation
The Hydrological cycle
Describing the Cycle:

 Evaporation
Solar energy
powers the cycle.
Heat energy from
the sun causes
evaporation from
water surfaces
(rivers, lakes and
oceans) and….
 … transpiration from
plants. Transpiration
is essentially
evaporation of water
from plant leaves.

 Evapotranspiration –
water loss to the
atmosphere from
plants and water
surfaces.
Condensation
 The warm, moist
air (containing
water vapour)
rises and, as it
cools,
condensation
takes place to form
clouds.
Advection

 Wind energy may


move clouds over
land surfaces
where …
Precipitation
 …precipitation
occurs, either as
rain or snow
depending on
altitude.
 Stemflow (red
arrows) –
Precipitation flows
down stems and
branches to ground
 Throughflow
(yellow) Rate at
which precipitation
flows through
branches
Run off / Overland flow

 The rainwater
flows, either over
the ground (run
off) into rivers
and back to the
ocean, or…
Groundwater flow
 … infiltrates
downwards
through the soil
and rocks where it
is returned to the
oceans through
groundwater
flow.
Groundwater flow
Hydrological Cycle Bingo

Split your page into 8 squares and write one word from the list
below in the each square

Condensation Ground Water Infiltration

Evaporation Precipitation Percolation

Run off Evapotranspiration Interception

Saturation The Hydrological Cycle The water table

Also called the hydrological cycle


The water cycle balance
 Usually the water cycle is in balance, and
the amount of precipitation falling will
slowly soak into the ground and eventually
reach the rivers.

 However, if rain falls for a long period of


time or if the ground is already soaked or
saturated with water then the chance of
flooding is increased.
Under the ground
A closed system
 The hydrological cycle is a good example of a
closed system: the total amount of water is the
same, with virtually no water added to or lost from
the cycle.

 Water just moves from one storage type to


another.

 Water evaporating from the oceans is balanced by


water being returned through precipitation and
surface run off.
Your Turn
Write down the meaning of the following
words:
 Infiltrate
 Groundwater flow
 Surface runoff
 Evapotranspiration
 Closed system

Use the New Higher Geography Textbook p.10 to help


you.
Then complete Activity 1 (a) – (c)
Human Inputs to the Cycle
 Although this is a closed system there is a
natural balance maintained between the
exchange of water within the system
 Human activities have the potential to
lead to changes in this balance which will
have knock on impacts.
 For example as the earth warms due to
global warming the rate of exchange in
the cycle (between land and sea and
atmosphere) is expected to increase.
Human Inputs
 Some aspects of the hydrologic cycle can
be utilized by humans for a direct
economic benefit
 Example: generation of electricity
(hydroelectric power stations and
reservoirs)
 These are effectively huge artificial lakes
and this will disrupt river hydrology
(amount of water in a river)
Other Human Activities
 Paving, compacting soils, and altering the
nature of the vegetation (including
deforestation)
 The mining of ground water for use in
agriculture and industry
 Large amounts of water vapour released
into the atmosphere from industrial
activity
 Large changes in vegetation by wildfire,
logging, clearance for agriculture
Impacts
 These human activities can lead to
increase chances of flooding
 Increases in soil erosion
 A cooling effect on the north west of
Europe (climate change)
 Possible higher precipitation levels in
the Arctic but less in the Tropics

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