IB ESS 4.1 Water systems

Front

What is evaporation?

Back

The process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas, typically due to heat from the sun.

Front

What is sublimation?

Back

The process where a solid changes directly into a gas without becoming a liquid first.

Front

What energy source drives the hydrological cycle?

Back

Solar radiation is the primary energy source that drives the hydrological cycle.

Front

What proportion of freshwater is stored as ice?

Back

Approximately 70% of the Earth's freshwater is stored as ice.

Front

What is transpiration?

Back

The process by which water is absorbed by plants and then released as vapor through small pores in their leaves.

Front

What is evapotranspiration?

Back

The combined process of evaporation from the land and transpiration from plants.

Front

What role does solar radiation play in the water cycle?

Back

Solar radiation provides the energy necessary for evaporation and drives the movement of water in the hydrological cycle.

Front

Define the hydrological cycle.

Back

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth, involving processes such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration.

Front

What is condensation?

Back

The process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water, forming clouds.

Front

What is precipitation?

Back

Any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail.