A large river plays many important roles in the water cycle. In some areas, rivers experience seasonal freezing where varying amounts of the upper portion of the water in the river freezes.

Question

How would the complete freezing of the upper 30 cm of water in the river effect the area’s water cycle?
Responses
A There would be more water runoff entering the river.There would be more water runoff entering the river.
B There would be no water evaporation leaving the river.There would be no water evaporation leaving the river.
C There would be more precipitation in the area due to excessive condensation.There would be more precipitation in the area due to excessive condensation.
D There would be no change in the area’s water cycle.There would be no change in the area’s water cycle.

Answer 1

The most accurate response to the complete freezing of the upper 30 cm of water in the river would be:

B: There would be no water evaporation leaving the river.

When the upper layer of the river freezes, it creates a barrier that prevents evaporation from occurring in that portion of the water. This would affect the local water cycle by reducing the amount of moisture released into the atmosphere from that water body. The other options do not directly correlate with the freezing of the river in the context provided.