water cycle - mr. goswick's science class€¦ · web viewwater in lakes, streams, and...

This PowerPoint file contains information about the water cycle. The first slide shows a picture that

includes all processes in the water cycle. Subsequent slides discuss each process individually. The last slide provides information on the distribution of water on the earth.

The water cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the

Earth

United States Geological Survey (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html)

Evaporation is the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas. The rate of evaporation

depends on how dry the air is and the temperature difference between air and water.

Water Evaporating from hot springs


Transpiration is the process by which water evaporates from plants

Evaporation and transpiration are often combined into a single term called evapotranspiration.


Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water. As air rises it cools. Cold air holds less water than warm air. Thus, as the air cools, clouds form.

Some clouds form

during the day as the

air temperature

and evaporation increase.

Other clouds are associated with

weather systems, such as a warm or cold front, in

which warm air is forced over colder air.


Precipitation is water released from clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, or hail. It

happens when clouds can no longer hold water. The water then falls to the earth because of gravity.

A thunderstorm in the western United States. Thunderstorms form when air is forced

upward at a very fast rate and therefore cools very quickly.


Infiltration is the process by Water infiltrates much faster and which water

CLAY

SAND

deeper into a soaks into the sand compared to a clay. This is

ground. because the pore Water Infiltration is spaces in the

sand are much faster on dry the clay and can larger than in soils and in therefore sandy soils transport more

water.compared to wet and clay soils.

Surface runoff is precipitation or melted snow that runs off over the landscape. Runoff occurs when the rate of precipitation or snowmelt is greater than the rate of infiltration.

Runoff water flows to sewers in some urban areas (then usually to surface water), to

retention basins in other urban areas (then usually soaks into the

ground), and to rivers, lakes, and wetlands in nonurban areas.

Oregon State University Extension Service (http://extension.oregonstate.edu/streaming/transcripts/after_the_rain/sect3.php)

Water that infiltrates the soil can either be taken up by plants, evaporate, be stored in the soil, or become ground water.


water.saturated with

usually not water but is Soil holds

rockpart of soil or

in the saturated is water stored Ground water

Ground water moves from high to low elevations due to gravity. It eventually flows to a spring, lake, river, wetland, or well.

In this illustration, ground water flows to a

stream and a well


Water in lakes, streams, and wetlands may come from precipitation, surface runoff, and ground water discharge.

Water in lakes, streams, and wetlands can evaporate, flow to a lake, stream, or the ocean, or infiltrate into the ground.

Water in oceans comes from precipitation, runoff, ground water discharge, and streams

Water in the ocean may stay there fore a long time, but some of it evaporates


Water in ice and snow, including glaciers and icecaps, comes from precipitation

Water in glaciers and icecaps is stored for a long time. Some evaporates and glaciers slowly flow toward oceans and lakes.


97% of the earth’s water is in the oceans. Of the remainder, 69% is in glaciers and icecaps, 30% in

ground water, and 1% in lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Very little water is stored in the atmosphere.

United States Geological Survey

(http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html)

Although there are many excellent websites that deal with the Water Cycle,

the United States Geological Survey has by far the most comprehensive information on the Water Cycle

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html

water cycle - mr. goswick's science class€¦ · web viewwater in lakes, streams, and...

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