The Water Cycle
Processes in the Water Cycle Water keeps changing state as it goes through the water cycle. This means that it can be a solid, liquid, or gas. How does water change state? How does it keep moving through the cycle? As the Figure above shows, several processes are involved.
Evaporation changes liquid water to water vapor. Radiant Energy (heat) from the sun causes water to evaporate. The water vapor rises into the atmosphere. THAT is the sun’s energy heated the water up and turned it into water vapor – it evaporated into the air!
Transpiration is like evaporation because it changes liquid water to water vapor. In transpiration, plants release water vapor through their leaves.
Condensation changes water vapor to liquid water. As air rises higher into the atmosphere, it cools. Cool air can hold less water vapor than warm air. So some of the water vapor condenses into water droplets. Water droplets may form clouds.
Precipitation is water that falls from clouds to Earth’s surface. Water droplets in clouds fall to Earth when they become too large to stay aloft. The water falls as rain if the air is warm. If the air is cold, the water may freeze and fall as snow, sleet, or hail. Most precipitation falls into the oceans. Some falls on land.
Runoff is precipitation that flows over the surface of the land. This water may travel to a river, lake, or ocean.
Infiltration is the process by which water soaks into the ground. Some of the water may seep deep underground. Some may stay in the soil, where plants can absorb it with their roots. Water that stays deep in the ground in a large collection is called GROUND WATER.
Summary
Water exists on Earth in all three states of matter: liquid, gas, and solid. As a gas, water is called water vapor. As a solid, water is called ice.
Oceans of salt water cover much of Earth’s surface. Freshwater is water that contains little or no salt. Most of Earth’s freshwater is frozen in ice caps and glaciers.
Earth’s water is constantly recycled through the water cycle. Water keeps changing state as it goes through the cycle. The water cycle includes processes such as evaporation, condensation, transpiration, and precipitation.
WATER CYCLE:
Water in streams/rivers/lakes/oceans (all bodies of water) is heated by the sun’s energy
EVAPORATION: and it evaporates into water vapor (gas) and rises into the air
TRANSPIRATION: other water vapor comes from trees/plants and also rises into the air
CONDENSATION: as the water vapor rises into cooler air temperatures, the water will condense around microscopic dust particles and form water droplets
The water droplets will gather together in large groups of different forms and sizes to create clouds
PRECIPITATION: when these water droplets in clouds get heavy, they fall as rain/snow/hail/sleet – they precipitate - precipitation!
The water that lands on the ground will either collect into RUNOFF (streams, rivers) and travel toward lakes / oceans…. OR the fallen water will seep into the ground to add to the ground water or soaked into the roots of plants
Evaporation changes liquid water to water vapor. Radiant Energy (heat) from the sun causes water to evaporate. The water vapor rises into the atmosphere. THAT is the sun’s energy heated the water up and turned it into water vapor – it evaporated into the air!
Transpiration is like evaporation because it changes liquid water to water vapor. In transpiration, plants release water vapor through their leaves.
Condensation changes water vapor to liquid water. As air rises higher into the atmosphere, it cools. Cool air can hold less water vapor than warm air. So some of the water vapor condenses into water droplets. Water droplets may form clouds.
Precipitation is water that falls from clouds to Earth’s surface. Water droplets in clouds fall to Earth when they become too large to stay aloft. The water falls as rain if the air is warm. If the air is cold, the water may freeze and fall as snow, sleet, or hail. Most precipitation falls into the oceans. Some falls on land.
Runoff is precipitation that flows over the surface of the land. This water may travel to a river, lake, or ocean.
Infiltration is the process by which water soaks into the ground. Some of the water may seep deep underground. Some may stay in the soil, where plants can absorb it with their roots. Water that stays deep in the ground in a large collection is called GROUND WATER.
Summary
Water exists on Earth in all three states of matter: liquid, gas, and solid. As a gas, water is called water vapor. As a solid, water is called ice.
Oceans of salt water cover much of Earth’s surface. Freshwater is water that contains little or no salt. Most of Earth’s freshwater is frozen in ice caps and glaciers.
Earth’s water is constantly recycled through the water cycle. Water keeps changing state as it goes through the cycle. The water cycle includes processes such as evaporation, condensation, transpiration, and precipitation.
WATER CYCLE:
Water in streams/rivers/lakes/oceans (all bodies of water) is heated by the sun’s energy
EVAPORATION: and it evaporates into water vapor (gas) and rises into the air
TRANSPIRATION: other water vapor comes from trees/plants and also rises into the air
CONDENSATION: as the water vapor rises into cooler air temperatures, the water will condense around microscopic dust particles and form water droplets
The water droplets will gather together in large groups of different forms and sizes to create clouds
PRECIPITATION: when these water droplets in clouds get heavy, they fall as rain/snow/hail/sleet – they precipitate - precipitation!
The water that lands on the ground will either collect into RUNOFF (streams, rivers) and travel toward lakes / oceans…. OR the fallen water will seep into the ground to add to the ground water or soaked into the roots of plants