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Component 1: Physical Systems - Earth's Life Support Systems
Quick questions on The water cycle: global stores, drainage basins and the water balance - OCR A-Level Geography
5short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is the global water cycle as a closed system?Show answer
The cycle is driven by solar energy and gravity. The main global flows are evaporation (and transpiration) lifting water vapour into the atmosphere, condensation forming cloud, precipitation returning water to the surface, and cryospheric exchange as snow and ice accumulate and melt. The relative size of the stores matters: the oceans and ice caps are vast, slow-turnover stores, while the atmosphere is tiny but turns over in days. Because the system is closed, changes are about redistribution, for example a warming climate shrinking the cryosphere and raising ocean and atmospheric stores, rather than any net gain or loss of water.
What is the drainage basin as an open sub-system?Show answer
Within the closed global cycle, the drainage basin is the key open sub-system. Its boundary is the watershed. The single input is precipitation. Stores include interception (on vegetation), surface storage, soil moisture storage, groundwater storage in aquifers, and channel storage.
What is the water balance?Show answer
The stores and flows of a basin are tied together by the water balance, the annual accounting of inputs against outputs and storage change. It is usually written
What is q1?Show answer
State the water balance equation and define each term. [4 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Explain why urbanisation produces a flashier storm hydrograph. [4 marks]
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