The Water CycleThe Water Cycle

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What is the Water What is the Water Cycle?Cycle?

Controls the distribution of Earth’s waterControls the distribution of Earth’s water

Describes the continuous movement of Describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of water on, above and below the surface of the Earththe Earth

Has no starting pointHas no starting point

Water is always changing statesWater is always changing states

Parts of the Water Parts of the Water CycleCycle

EvaporationEvaporation TranspirationTranspiration CondensationCondensation PrecipitationPrecipitation

InfiltrationInfiltration Surface RunoffSurface Runoff GroundwaterGroundwater Absorption Absorption

EvaporationEvaporation

Change from liquid to gas (vapor)Change from liquid to gas (vapor)

Includes vaporization from:Includes vaporization from: Water surfacesWater surfaces Land surfacesLand surfaces Snow fieldsSnow fields http://www.kidzone.ws/water/

TranspirationTranspiration

Water absorbed by plants is Water absorbed by plants is evaporatedevaporated

Water is absorbed through Water is absorbed through rootsroots

Evaporated from the plant Evaporated from the plant surface (leaves)surface (leaves)

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/pictures/wctranspirationleafsoil.jpg

CondensationCondensation

Change from gas to liquidChange from gas to liquid

Opposite of evaporationOpposite of evaporation

Example of condensation:Example of condensation: Cold glass, hot dayCold glass, hot day

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PrecipitationPrecipitation

Any water falling to Earth’s surfaceAny water falling to Earth’s surface

Examples:Examples: RainRain SnowSnow SleetSleet HailHail Dew Dew FrostFrost

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InfiltrationInfiltration

Ground water soaking into the soilGround water soaking into the soil

From the soil:From the soil: Soaked up by rootsSoaked up by roots Becomes ground waterBecomes ground water

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/pictures/wcinfiltration.jpg

Surface RunoffSurface Runoff

Precipitation runoff Precipitation runoff over the landscapeover the landscape

Occurs when:Occurs when: Water falling on Water falling on

ground > infiltration ground > infiltration raterate

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GroundwaterGroundwater

Water located below Water located below the ground’s surfacethe ground’s surface

Consider this:Consider this: Digging in sand close Digging in sand close

to oceanto ocean Water that appears is Water that appears is

groundwatergroundwater http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/pictures/wcgwstoragebeachlores.jpg

AbsorptionAbsorption

Roots removing water from soilRoots removing water from soil

Example:Example: Sponge and waterSponge and water

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