Study Guides

Unit Summary

This unit teaches pupils about how river processes shape the land and affect our lives. Pupils will use fieldwork to investigate downstream changes in rivers and use GIS to analyse flood risk across geographical space. Pupils will also evaluate different methods of flood management.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe the hydrological cycle, including the major stores of water and the movement between them.

Key Notes

• The hydrological cycle identifies the flows and stores of water globally.
• The major stores of water are the ocean, ice caps, groundwater, surface water and the atmosphere.
• The global hydrological cycle is a system.
• The movement of water between the water stores are called transfers.
• Climate change has an impact on the size of stores.

Vocabulary To Learn

• hydrological cycle: the continuous movement of water between the ocean, land, rivers and atmosphere
• transfers: the way water moves between the different stores within a cycle
• stores: where water is stored within the hydrological cycle
• atmosphere: the layer of gases that surround the Earth

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Around one quarter of water is found on land.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Drainage basins Study Guide
• Fieldwork: Analysing, concluding and evaluating river data Study Guide
• Fieldwork: Planning a river enquiry and collecting data Study Guide
• Fieldwork: Presenting river data Study Guide
• GIS: Analysing flood risk Study Guide
• Planning river management Study Guide
• River management Study Guide
• River processes Study Guide
• The causes of flooding Study Guide
• The effects of flooding Study Guide
• The middle and lower course of a river Study Guide
• The upper course of a river Study Guide