BIO 4214 CLIMATE
CHANGE BIOLOGY
The water Cycle
The Water Cycle
• Water exists in three phases:
- water vapour, liquid, and solid (ice).
-plays a critical role in society and ecosystems
-is a renewable resource.
• The global water cycle consists of the following reservoirs:
-oceans,
-water in the atmosphere
-water in the landscape.
-The water cycle is closed by the fluxes between these reservoirs and is closely
linked to the energy cycle
• Other major reservoirs are glaciers, permanent snow cover, and groundwater.
• The proportion of water stored in the atmosphere, soil, and river channels is
very small, and the residence times are short. Nonetheless, this transient water
is critical in the global hydrological cycle.
• The water cycle is closely related to the Earth’s biogeochemical cycles, mainly
carbon and nitrogen. Water holds and ties these interacting and closely coupled
cycles together.
• Water also interacts with topography and transports sediment to oceans
• Overall the global water cycle is significantly impacted by artificial storage and
water withdrawals for irrigation since they affect river runoff.
• The total volume of water on or near the Earth’s surface is estimated as
approximately 1.4x1018 cubic metres,
- Approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with salty water
(oceans).
-Some of the remaining surfaces are covered by freshwater (lakes and
rivers), solid water (ice and snow), and vegetation (which implies the
existence of water).
-the water content of the atmosphere is comparatively small
(approximately 0.3% by mass and 0.5% by volume of the atmosphere)
THE WORLD WATER RESERVES
Important components of the global water cycle
• Water vapor: is the major absorber of both short- and long-wave radiation in the
atmosphere. Condensation of water vapour releases a large amount of latent heat,
warming the atmosphere and affecting atmospheric circulation.
• Liquid water in the atmosphere (results from condensation). Clouds significantly affect
radiation fluxes in the atmosphere and the Earth’s surface. Precipitation is highly variable
in both space and time. It drives the hydrological cycle on the land surface and changes
ocean surface salinity.
Evapotranspiration is the return flow of water from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere
and provides latent heat flux from the surface. Evapotranspiration is affected by
atmospheric and soil conditions and by vegetation.
• Soil moisture influences the energy balance at the land surface, as a lack of
available water suppresses evapotranspiration and changes surface albedo. Soil
moisture also affects runoff and infiltration.
• Vegetation: can transpire water from deep soil layers, affecting the diurnal and
seasonal evapotranspiration cycle. Vegetation also modifies the surface energy
and water balance by altering the surface albedo and intercepting precipitation.
• Snow cover: has a high albedo. Snow cover may also have a dynamic effect on
atmospheric circulation.
• Groundwater: contributes to runoff, especially during dry periods.
Deep groundwater may also reflect the long-term climate.
• Runoff: returns water to the ocean. The water carried by rivers is
smaller than that carried by the atmosphere and oceans. Runoff into
oceans is important for the freshwater balance and the salinity of the
oceans.
• The Oceans (major sub-systems). The ocean circulation carries huge
amounts of energy and water. Surface winds drive surface ocean
currents, and the atmosphere is sensitive to sea surface
temperatures. Temperature and salinity determine the density of
ocean water, which contributes to overturning and the deep ocean
general circulation.
• What drives the hydrological cycle on land?
• Precipitation drives the hydrological cycle on the land surface.
• There is a high spatial variability of precipitation and the runoff that results from
precipitation.
• The spatial distribution of runoff is influenced by
- the distribution of precipitation
- the seasonal pattern of rainfall
- potential evaporation and
- the characteristics of the land surface, such as topography and land cover.
• The runoff from land is conveyed to the oceans via rivers.
• The hydrological processes over land play a significant role in the overall
global circulation through the exchange of energy and water at the land
surface and also through affecting the water balance of the oceans.
Rivers
-are critical to the global water cycle.
-transport water, sediment, chemicals, and nutrients to the seas.
- Fresh water from rivers enters the ocean and impacts thermohaline
circulation because it changes the salinity and, thus, the density of the oceans,
and it also influences the formation of sea ice.
• Resources used
• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/T-Harrold/publication/2600727
36_The_global_water_cycle/links/5f1798f4299bf1720d58d0eb/The-gl
obal-water-cycle.pdf
