IB ESS HL 4.1.2 Hydrological Cycle Questions
Trace evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff and transpiration.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2026
- Course
- ESS HL
- Level
- HL
Exam points
- explain how evaporation, condensation, precipitation and water storage transfer energy and influence climate around Earth
- analyse how ocean heat storage, latent and sensible heat fluxes, clouds, ice albedo, water vapour and ocean currents alter regional or global climate
- interpret hydrological-cycle evidence to evaluate climate feedbacks and consequences including precipitation change, glacier or ice change and carbon-storage effects
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IB ESS HL 4.1.2 Hydrological Cycle Questions question 1
[Maximum number: 7]
Explain how the hydrological cycle influences climate around the Earth.
a. evaporation/evapotranspiration is higher at regions with higher insolation;
b. evaporation absorbs heat from the atmosphere (negative latent heat flux)...;
c. ...water vapour carries (via convection currents/tropical cyclones) heat to higher latitudes/altitudes...;
d. ...condensation of vapour releases heat (positive latent heat flux) to colder latitudes/altitudes...;
e. ...stabilizing the heat deficit between Tropics and Poles;
f. condensation of vapour (as rising air cools) forms clouds...;
g. ...leading to higher precipitation (e.g. in the Equatorial Belt) / snowfall (higher altitudes/latitudes);
h. oceans/inland waters effectively store heat (positive sensible heat flux) during periods of high insolation (day/summer)...;
i. ...and release it back (negative sensible heat flux) during night/winter;
j. ...thus ameliorating regional temperature differences (seasonal/diurnal);
k. overall, oceans warm the planet (by absorbing solar radiation)...;
I. ...due to water's high thermal capacity...;
m. water masses increase humidity of adjacent region (due to higher evaporation);
n. warm ocean currents transfer heat from equator to poles / cold ocean current absorb heat from atmosphere as they move from Poles toward Equator...;
o. ...(warm currents) increasing temperatures in certain regions/e.g. Gulf Stream / (cold currents) decreasing temperatures in certain regions/e.g. Labrador current;
p. warm ocean currents also increase precipitation in coastal regions/e.g. Southwest Monsoon Current / cold ocean currents decrease precipitation in coastal regions/e.g. Peru Current...;
q. ...(warm) due to increased evaporation during the summer (period of higher insolation)/e.g. monsoons in Bay of Bengal, which is helped by...;
r. ...advection of vapor by prevailing onshore winds;
s. ...(cold currents) due to cold air holding less moisture;
t. formation of ice / increased cloud cover increases albedo, thus may stabilize global warming (negative feedback) / reduce regional temperature;
u. melting of ice / reduced cloud formation decreases albedo, thus may contribute to global warming (positive feedback) / increase regional temperature;
v. increased evaporation may contribute to global warming, as water vapour is a greenhouse gas;
w. ocean acts as a carbon sink sequestering CO2, thus reducing global warming;
Note: Description of the tri-cellular model of air circulation should gain marks as above;
i.e. no separate mark for stating e.g. "Hadley cell". No credit for wind effects not linked to water (as, for example, in MPr).
Marking guidance:
Allow up to [2max] for reference to global warming.
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