Abstract
The hydrosphere is one of the key components of the earth’s environment. The unique properties of water make the hydrological system special. For instance, its high latent heat and high specific heat capacity mean it significantly influences the climate system. In the environment, water exists in four states (see Fig. 6.1), namely, as liquid and vapour in the atmosphere (A); surface water (SU) including river, ice, snow and the ocean; soil water (SO); and groundwater (G). The continuing transformation and movement of water between and within these four states, i.e., the hydrological cycle, takes place under the effects of gravity and solar radiation. It is increasingly understood that vegetation strongly modulates the hydrological cycle. Vegetation water (V) is now considered to be the fifth component in the hydrological cycle. Human activities (M) also substantially affect the movement and transformation of water, and hence the hydrological cycle in general should also include a sixth component, M.
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© 2002 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Liu, S. (2002). Hydrological Modelling and Forecasting. In: Peng, G., Leslie, L.M., Shao, Y. (eds) Environmental Modelling and Prediction. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04868-9_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04868-9_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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