The Water Cycle Arguably the most important natural

The Water Cycle

Arguably the most important natural phenomenon on Earth, the water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the constant movement and endless recycling of water between the atmosphere, land surface, and under the ground. The hydrologic cycle supplies the force needed for most natural processes, thus supporting life itself.

The Water Molecule �H 20 consists of one atom of oxygen bound to two atoms of hydrogen. The water molecule has a positive charge on the side of hydrogen atoms and a negative charge on the other side. Water molecules tend to attract each other because the positive ends attract to the negative ends.

�Water is a “universal solvent” and wherever it goes throughout the water cycle, it takes up valuable chemicals, minerals and nutrients.

Condensation The change from a liquid to a gas. In the water cycle, the change from water to water vapor.

Condensation & Convection �Warm air rises �Air cools and can no longer hold vapor �Process known as CONVECTION

Condensation & Cloud Formation �Cooling of water vapor forms CLOUDS �Other ways clouds are formed �Convergence �Lifting of air by fronts

Precipitation

Snow �Snow is a type of precipitation like rain but at cooler temperatures �Usually reaches the ground and stays �Eventually melts and becomes runoff in streams

Rain�Type of precipitation during warmer weather �Occurs when clouds become too full �Falls to earth in the form of water and runs off to streams & rivers

Freshwater Storage �Water may be stored temporarily in the ground, oceans, lakes, rivers, and ion ice caps and glaciers.

�The world’s two main reservoirs of fresh water are the great polar ice caps, and the ground. �If all of the ice in the ice caps and other glaciers melted, it would raise the sea level by about 260 ft.

�In temperate climates, water is found in depression storage or surface water puddles, ditches, and anywhere else that runoff water can gather. This is a temporary form of storage

Freshwater Flow

�A hydrologist is particularly interested in stream flow -- the 31% of precipitation which runs off into rivers, streams and lakes.

�About 3% of this water will seep underground �About 31% will run off into rivers, streams and lakes �About 66% of the water returns to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration

Surface Runoff �When precipitation rate exceeds infiltration rate, or when soil is saturated, water begins to move down slope on ground surface.

Surface Runoff �surface runoff gradually flows into gullies, streams, lakes, or rivers. Water in streams and rivers flows to the ocean, seeps into the ground, or evaporates back into the atmosphere.

Water Storage in Oceans

�The largest reservoir is the oceans. There is about 50 times as much water in the oceans than in the next largest reservoir, polar ice and glaciers.

Water Storage in Ice and Snow Water precipitates into cooler areas of land freeze into ice and snow.

Snowmelt Runoff to Streams �Precipitation falls in the form of rain and snow �When the snow melts it runs into streams which eventually dump into the ocean

Infiltration

-Rain water soaks into ground through soil and underlying rock layer. -Water cleaned as impurities filtered

� -Some water remains underground as groundwater. -Some water returns to surface at springs or low spots downhill.

Groundwater Storage

- water seeps downward underground into soil and rock crevices -then stored underground in rock crevices and in the pores of geologic materials that make up the Earth's crust

-Water storage under the ground largely depends on the geologic features related to the types of soil and the types of rocks present at the storage locations. -underground storage occurs in the soil, in aquifers, and in the crevices of rock formations

Evaporation �Conversion of water from a liquid into a gas �Water transferred from surface to atmosphere through evaporation

Evaporation & the Sun The sun heats up water in the ocean, rivers, or lakes, turning it into vapor, which then goes into the air

Evaporation Cont. � 80% of evaporation from ocean � 20% of evaporation from inland water and vegetation �Winds transport evaporated water, influencing humidity around the world

Transpiration The process of evaporation from plants. Basically, plants sweating.

Transpiration Cont. Environmental factors that affect transpiration: �Light �Temperature �Humidity �Wind �Soil water

Good For Plants!! �Transpiration is the “engine” of plant life, pulling water up from the roots. This allows for photosynthesis, brings minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant, and cools the leaves.

Water Storage in Atmosphere

-atmosphere holds only very small percentage of Earth’s water supply at any given time -rapid Source % of Supply recycling of Oceans 97. 08 water must Ice Sheets and Glaciers 1. 99 occur Ground Water 0. 62 between Atmosphere 0. 29 earth's Lakes (Fresh) 0. 01 Inland Seas / Salt Water Lakes 0. 005 surface and Soil Moisture 0. 004 atmosphere World Water Supply Rivers 0. 001

- Water stored in the atmosphere can be moved relatively quickly from one part of the planet to another part of the planet

Water Cycle Song Water travels in a cycle, yes it does! (use pointer finger to make a big circle) Water travels in a cycle, yes it does! (repeat finger circle) It goes up as evaporation, (moves hands up to the sky) forms clouds as condensation, (make a cloud overhead with arms) then comes down as precipitation, yes it does! (sprinkle with fingers while bringing arms down in front of you)