presentation on topic water cycle

The Water Cycle

Sep 06, 2014

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The Water Cycle. The Water Cycle. Describes the movement of water on, in, and above the earth Water is always changing and moving from one place to another This cycle is made up of a few main parts: Precipitation Infiltration Runoff Transpiration Evaporation Water Vapor Condensation

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The Water Cycle • Describes the movement of water on, in, and above the earth • Water is always changing and moving from one place to another • This cycle is made up of a few main parts: • Precipitation • Infiltration • Runoff • Transpiration • Evaporation • Water Vapor • Condensation • Collection

What is the water cycle? • The repeating change of water on the Earth creates a cycle • As water goes through its cycle, it can be a solid (ice), a liquid (water), or a gas (water vapor) • Ice can change to become water or water vapor • Water can change to become ice or water vapor • Water vapor can change to become ice or water.

Precipitation • Happens when the temperature and the atmospheric pressure are right • The small droplets of water in clouds form larger droplets and precipitation occurs. The raindrops fall to earth. • Occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore • The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow • Click the speaker below to hear rain falling

Forms of Precipitation • Rain: Sleet: • Snow: Hail:

Infiltration • Important process where • rain water soaks into the • ground, through the soil and underlying rock layers • The flow of water from the • ground surface into the ground • Once infiltrated, the water • becomes soil moisture or • groundwater

Groundwater Flow • Movement of water underground is called groundwater flow • Groundwater slowly moves through the spaces and cracks between the soil particles on its journey to lower elevations

Runoff • The movement of land water to the oceans, mainly in the form of rivers, lakes, and streams • Consists of precipitation that neither evaporates, transpires nor penetrates the surface to become groundwater • Excess runoff can lead to flooding, which occurs when there is too much precipitation

Transpiration • Process that happens through plants • As plants absorb water from the soil, the water moves from the roots through the stems to the leaves • Once the water reaches the leaves, some of it evaporates from the leaves, adding to the amount of water vapor in the air.

Evaporation • The process where a liquid, in this case water, changes from its liquid state to a gaseous state. • The sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. • The water vapor or steam then leaves the river, lake, or ocean and goes into the air.

Water Vapor • Water in its gaseous state-instead of liquid or solid (ice) • Totally invisible • Extremely important to the weather and climate • Without out it, there would be no clouds or rain or snow • All of the water vapor that evaporates from the surface of the Earth eventually returns as precipitation - rain or snow

Condensation • Formation of liquid drops from water vapor • Occurs when a parcel of rising air expands and cools • Responsible for the formation of clouds • These clouds may produce precipitation, which is the primary route for water to return to the Earth's surface within the water cycle

Collection • When water falls back to earth as precipitation, it may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land • When it ends up on land, it will either soak into the earth and become part of the “ground water” that plants and animals use to drink. • It may run over the soil and collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers where the cycle starts all over again.

How Do These Changes Happen? • Adding or subtracting heat makes the cycle work. • If heat is added to ice, it melts. If heat is added to water, it evaporates. • Evaporation turns liquid water into a gas called water vapor. • If heat is taken away from water vapor, it condenses. • Condensation turns water vapor into a liquid. • If heat is taken away from liquid water, it freezes to become ice.

Why the water cycle is important • Humans use water for drinking, respiration, perspiration, and elimination of wastes are all part of this cycle • Large amounts of water are needed for most economic activities: agriculture and mining, food processing, manufacturing • Lakes and rivers provide towns and cities with a means of discharging wastes

Why the Water Cycle is Important… Continued • Generation of electricity from thermal power plants • Waterways provide transportation • Recreational activities • Some people view the rivers and large lakes of this country as a part of their own identity • AND MUCH MORE!!!

Watch This Video To Learn More About The Water Cycle! Click the link below http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1oCoKj7b2o

You can sing along! Click the link below to sing about the water cycle. http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=53bdf2518c53ddf3bce6

The Summary of the Hydrologic Cycle • The water cycle is called the hydrologic cycle. In the hydrologic cycle, water from oceans, lakes, swamps, rivers, plants, and even you, can turn into water vapor. • Water vapor condenses into millions of tiny droplets that form clouds. • Clouds lose their water as rain or snow, which is called precipitation. • Precipitation is either absorbed into the ground or runs off into rivers. • Water that was absorbed into the ground is taken up by plants. • Plants lose water from their surfaces as vapor back into the atmosphere. • Water that runs off into rivers flows into ponds, lakes, or oceans where it evaporates back into the atmosphere. • The cycle continues.

Now it’s your turn! Lets label the Water Cycle together! Condensation Evaporation Precipitation Runoff Infiltration Groundwater flow

Bibliography • The Water Cycle. Enchanted Learning. 1999-2008. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/watercycle.shtml • Water Cycle. Wikipedia. 2008. http://en.wkipedia.org/wiki/water_cycle • The Water Cycle. DLTK’s Sights. 1998-2007. http://www.kidzone.ws/water/ • You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Water cycle.

The water cycle is the endless process that connects all of the water on Earth.

Conservation, Earth Science, Meteorology

Deer Streams National Park Mist

A misty cloud rises over Deer Streams National Park. The water cycle contains more steps than just rain and evaporation, fog and mist are other ways for water to be returned to the ground.

Photograph by Redline96

Water is one of the key ingredients to life on Earth. About 75 percent of our planet is covered by water or ice. The water cycle is the endless process that connects all of that water. It joins Earth’s oceans, land, and atmosphere.

Earth’s water cycle began about 3.8 billion years ago when rain fell on a cooling Earth, forming the oceans. The rain came from water vapor that escaped the magma in Earth’s molten core into the atmosphere. Energy from the sun helped power the water cycle and Earth’s gravity kept water in the atmosphere from leaving the planet.

The oceans hold about 97 percent of the water on Earth. About 1.7 percent of Earth’s water is stored in polar ice caps and glaciers. Rivers, lakes, and soil hold approximately 1.7 percent. A tiny fraction—just 0.001 percent—exists in Earth’s atmosphere as water vapor.

When molecules of water vapor return to liquid or solid form, they create cloud droplets that can fall back to Earth as rain or snow—a process called condensation . Most precipitation lands in the oceans. Precipitation that falls onto land flows into rivers, streams, and lakes. Some of it seeps into the soil where it is held underground as groundwater.

When warmed by the sun, water on the surface of oceans and freshwater bodies evaporates, forming a vapor. Water vapor rises into the atmosphere, where it condenses, forming clouds. It then falls back to the ground as precipitation. Moisture can also enter the atmosphere directly from ice or snow. In a process called sublimation , solid water, such as ice or snow, can transform directly into water vapor without first becoming a liquid.

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Find even more resources on the water cycle in our searchable resource database.

The water cycle is often taught as a simple circular cycle of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Although this can be a useful model, the reality is much more complicated. The paths and influences of water through Earth’s ecosystems are extremely complex and not completely understood. NOAA is striving to expand understanding of the water cycle at global to local scales to improve our ability to forecast weather, climate, water resources, and ecosystem health.

The water cycle. (Image credit: Dennis Cain/NWS)

The water cycle on Earth

Water is essential to life on Earth. In its three phases (solid, liquid, and gas), water ties together the major parts of the Earth’s climate system — air, clouds, the ocean, lakes, vegetation, snowpack offsite link , and glaciers offsite link .

The water cycle shows the continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere. It is a complex system that includes many different processes. Liquid water evaporates into water vapor, condenses to form clouds, and precipitates back to earth in the form of rain and snow. Water in different phases moves through the atmosphere (transportation). Liquid water flows across land (runoff), into the ground (infiltration and percolation), and through the ground (groundwater). Groundwater moves into plants (plant uptake) and evaporates from plants into the atmosphere (transpiration). Solid ice and snow can turn directly into gas (sublimation). The opposite can also take place when water vapor becomes solid (deposition).

See how NOAA science is safeguarding lives, economies, and a healthy water supply.

Water, society, and ecology

Water influences the intensity of climate variability and change. It is the key part of extreme events such as drought and floods . Its abundance and timely delivery are critical for meeting the needs of society and ecosystems.

Humans use water for drinking, industrial applications, irrigating agriculture, hydropower, waste disposal, and recreation. It is important that water sources are protected both for human uses and ecosystem health. In many areas, water supplies are being depleted because of population growth, pollution, and development. These stresses have been made worse by climate variations and changes that affect the hydrologic cycle.

A series of atmospheric rivers starting in late December 2022 through mid-January 2023 dropped feet of rain and snow across California and other parts of the West Coast.

Water and climate change

Climate change is affecting where, when, and how much water is available. Extreme weather events such as droughts and heavy precipitation , which are expected to increase as climate changes, can impact water resources. A lack of adequate water supplies, flooding, or degraded water quality impacts civilization — now and throughout history. These challenges can affect the economy, energy production and use, human health, transportation, agriculture, national security, natural ecosystems , and recreation.

An airborne mission finds a global belt of particle formation is making clouds brighter.

EDUCATION CONNECTION

The water cycle impacts ecosystems, economies, and our daily lives. The resources in this collection help teachers guide their students beyond the classic water cycle diagram and through the complex social and environmental issues that surround water. The water cycle provides the opportunity to explore the nature of science using models and empirical evidence. 

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Water cycle.

An illustration of how water moves through the land, atmosphere, and ocean.

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Education Standards

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Learning Domain: Earth Systems, Structures & Processes

Standard: Explain how the cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere and atmospheric conditions relate to the weather patterns on Earth.

Water Cycle Lesson Google Slides presentation

Water cycle lessons & project (nces7e1.2).

This water cycle lesson includes a 3-day module on the water cycle with formative assessments (warm-ups & exit tickets), flashcards, and a project. The project helps students recognize local water cycle stages that happen in/around their home, community, or state. The project also challenges students to collaboratively create their own water cycle diagram. The  Google Slides format  allows educators to copy and modify the materials to fit their needs and can be accessed here:  http://bit.ly/localwatercycle .

This water cycle lesson includes a 3-day module on the water cycle with formative assessments (warm-ups & exit tickets), flashcards, and a project. The project helps students recognize local water cycle stages that happen in/around their home, community, or state. The project also challenges students to collaboratively create their own water cycle diagram. The Google Slides format allows educators to copy and modify the materials to fit their needs and can be accessed here:  http://bit.ly/localwatercycle .

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• Biology Article

Water Cycle

What is the Water Cycle? Water Cycle Diagram Stages of Water Cycle Implications of Water Cycle Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Water Cycle?

The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.

Water Cycle Diagram

During this process, water changes its state from one phase to another, but the total number of water particles remains the same. In other words, if it were possible to collect and boil 100 gms of water, it will still retain a mass of 100 gms as steam. Likewise, if 100 gms of steam is collected and condensed, the resultant water would still weight 100 gms.

Water changes its state through a variety of processes from evaporation, melting and freezing, to sublimation, condensation, and deposition. All these changes require the application of energy.

Stages of Water Cycle

There are many processes involved in the movement of water apart from the major steps given in the above water cycle diagram. Listed below are different stages of the water cycle.

1. Evaporation

The sun is the ultimate source of energy, and it powers most of the evaporation that occurs on earth. Evaporation generally happens when water molecules at the surface of water bodies become excited and rise into the air. These molecules with the highest kinetic energy accumulate into water vapour clouds. Evaporation usually takes place below the boiling point of water. Another process called evapotranspiration occurs when evaporation occurs through the leaves of plants. This process contributes to a large percentage of water in the atmosphere.

2. Sublimation

Sublimation occurs when snow or ice changes directly into water vapour without becoming water. It usually occurs as a result of dry winds and low humidity. Sublimation can be observed on mountain peaks, where the air pressure is quite low. The low air pressure helps to sublimate the snow into water vapour as less energy is utilised in the process. Another example of sublimation is the phase where fog bellows from dry ice. On earth, the primary source of sublimation is from the ice sheets covering the poles of the earth.

3. Condensation

The water vapour that accumulated in the atmosphere eventually cools down due to the low temperatures found at high altitudes. These vapours become tiny droplets of water and ice, eventually coming together to form clouds.

4. Precipitation

Above 0 degrees centigrade, the vapours will condense into water droplets. However, it cannot condense without dust or other impurities. Hence, water vapours attach itself on to the particle’s surface. When enough droplets merge, it falls out of the clouds and on to the ground below. This process is called precipitation (or rainfall). In particularly cold weather or extremely low air pressure, the water droplets freeze and fall as snow or hail.

5. Infiltration

Rainwater gets absorbed into the ground through the process of infiltration. The level of absorption varies based on the material the water has seeped into. For instance, rocks will retain comparatively less water than soil. Groundwater can either follows streams or rivers. But sometimes, it might just sink deeper, forming aquifers.

If the water from rainfall does not form aquifers, it follows gravity, often flowing down the sides of mountains and hills; eventually forming rivers. This process is called runoff. In colder regions, icecaps form when the amount of snowfall is faster than the rate of evaporation or sublimation. The biggest icecaps on earth are found at the poles.

All the steps mentioned above occur cyclically with neither a fixed beginning nor an end.

Also Read:  Back to the Oceans

Implications of Water Cycle

• The water cycle has a tremendous impact on the climate. For instance, the greenhouse effect will cause a rise in temperature. Without the evaporative cooling effect of the water cycle, the temperature on earth would rise drastically.
• The water cycle is also an integral part of other biogeochemical cycles.
• Water cycle affects all life processes on earth.
• The water cycle is also known the clean the air. For instance, during the process of precipitation, water vapours have to attach themselves on to particles of dust. In polluted cities, the raindrops, apart from picking up dust, also pick up water-soluble gas and pollutants as they fall from the clouds. Raindrops are also known to pick up biological agents such as bacteria and industrial soot particles and smoke.

Read more about the water cycle with diagram by registering @  BYJU’S Biology

• Biogeochemical cycles
• Oxygen Cycle
• Carbon Cycle
• Nitrogen Cycle

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the major 4 steps in the water cycle.

The major 4 steps are evaporation of water, then condensation, precipitation and collection. The sun evaporates water sources and contributes to the formation of water vapor. These water vapour accumulate in the atmosphere as clouds. The vapours condense into water droplets and when enough droplets merge, it falls out of the clouds as rain.

What is the difference between evaporation and condensation?

Evaporation is a process by which water changes into water vapour. Condensation is an opposite process by which water vapour is converted into tiny droplets of water.

Why is water cycle important?

Water cycle has a huge impact on determining the global climate. It is also an integral part of other biogeochemical cycles. It affects all life processes on Earth either directly or indirectly.

Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs. Click ‘Start Quiz’ to begin!

Select the correct answer and click on the “Finish” button Check your score and answers at the end of the quiz

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The Water Cycle

by Mr. Rojas

How much water covers Earth’s surface?

Almost 70% ( 7/10 )

Earth’s surface is made up of both land and water. Why is Earth often called the “water planet”?

Earth’s Water

Fresh Water

Frozen in Ice Caps

& Glaciers (a little over

2% of all of Earth’s water)

Underground

(less than 1% of all

of Earth’s water)

In Air, Soil, Rivers,

& Freshwater Lakes

(very small amount)

Fact: Drinking water is also called freshwater

About 97% of Earth’s water supply is salt water that is found in oceans and seas. Only 3% is fresh water that humans and other living things need to survive.

Glaciers & Ice Caps

One major problem is that much of Earth’s fresh water supply is not available for everyday use. About two-thirds (2/3) of this fresh- water is “locked away” as ice in glaciers and polar ice caps. That leaves less than one percent of Earth’s total water supply as fresh water that people can drink, cook and grow food.

What is the Water Cycle?

The water cycle is: The transferring of water from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back, in a never-ending cycle.

It is also known as the “hydrologic cycle”.

But one thing about water doesn’t change. There is only a certain amount of water on Earth—no more, no less—and that total doesn’t change.

Water Cycle Animated Online

http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/index.html

Evaporation

• Evaporation happens when liquid water is changed to water vapor (invisible gas) thanks to the power of the sun's heat , and rises up towards the sky.
• Water evaporates from the oceans (mainly), lakes, rivers, soil and plants.

Condensation

Condensation is the change of water vapor into liquid drops which come together to form clouds. This happens high up in the atmosphere, where the air is cooler.

How do Clouds Form?

• Clouds form when evaporated water (water vapor) rises to higher altitudes where the air is cooler. As this cooling occurs, the water vapor condenses (comes together) from a vapor to a liquid. When many tiny water droplets form near each other, a cloud is form.
• Conditions have to be just right for clouds to form. Nature needs tiny droplets of water, something for the droplets to cling to (particles like dust, salt, or smoke) and the right temperature (cooler).

Key Ingredients

for Clouds to Form:

Lots of water vapor

temperatures

something for the

droplets to cling

to (i.e: dust particles)

Precipitation

Online: How Precipitation Works

• Precipitation is any form of water that falls from clouds. Precipitation comes in four forms: rain, snow, sleet, or hail. What decides which form it will come down as is dependent on the temperature and even on wind conditions.
• When cloud drops come together, they start to get heavy, so gravity returns the water to the Earth’s surface as precipitation – usually rain.
• Precipitation that sinks into the ground is called groundwater .
• Precipitation that runs off Earth’s surface into rivers, lakes, and oceans is called runoff .

Precipitation falls in four forms:

rain, snow, sleet (frozen rain), or hail.

Song: The Water Cycle Runs Always

www.rrojas.com/home/rojassongs/thewatercyclesong

Online: The Water Cycle Interactive

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/508/deploy/interface.html

What Makes Oceans Salty?

• Most of the salts and other substances in the ocean come from the land.
• As rivers, streams, and runoff flow over the land, they slowly break down the rocks that make it up.
• Over time, flowing water carries substances (such as minerals) from the rocks to the oceans where these collect. This is what makes oceans salty.

Online: Water Flow to Oceans

http://activities.macmillanmh.com/science/ca/scienceinmotion/Common/SIM.html?Module=../Grade5/Chapter4-MountainWaterFlow/

How do Living Things Give Water �Back to their Environment?

Animals return water to the environment:

• as they give off water vapor when they exhale (respiration)
• as they sweat (perspiration)
• as they urinate (urination)

Plants return water to the environment:

• as they give off water, a waste-product of photosynthesis, through their stomata (transpiration)

How does water change through the water cycle as it goes from place to place?

• It changes from liquid, to gas (water vapor), and back to liquid (as in rain) again.
• But sometimes the water vapor may change to a solid instead of a liquid (as in snow, sleet, or hail), depending on the temperature.

(water vapor)

Online: Fresh Water Resources

http://activities.macmillanmh.com/science/ca/grade5/g5_ch4_ls3_ereview.html

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The Water Cycle!

Earth has been recycling water for over 4 billion years….

Pour yourself a glass of water and take a sip. Did you know that the water you’ve just swallowed is the same water that wooly mammoths, King Tutankhamun and the first humans drank? That’s because Earth has been recycling water for over 4 billion years !

The world’s water moves between lakes, rivers, oceans, the atmosphere and the land in an ongoing cycle called – you guessed it! – the water cycle . As it goes through this continuous system, it can be a liquid (water), a gas (vapour) or a solid (ice).

So, are all you budding young geographers ready to learn some splashing new facts? Then join NG KiDS as we take a look at the different stages of the wonderful water cycle…

Evaporation

Energy from the sun heats up the surface of the Earth, causing the temperature of the water in our rivers, lakes and oceans to rise. When this happens, some of the water “evaporates” into the air, turning into a gas called “ vapour “. Plants and trees also lose water to the atmosphere through their leaves. This process is known as “ transpiration “.

Condensation

As water vapour rises up high into the sky, it cools and turns back into a liquid, forming clouds. This process is called “ condensation “. Currents high up in the air move these clouds around the globe.

The water cycle is also known as the “ hydrologic cycle “.

Precipitation.

When too much water has condensed, the water droplets in the clouds become too big and heavy for the air to hold them. And so they fall back down to Earth as rain, snow, hail or sleet, a process known as “ precipitation “.

The fallen precipitation is then “collected” in bodies of water – such as rivers, lakes and oceans – from where it will eventually evaporate back into the air, beginning the cycle all over again. How it is collected, depends on where it lands…

• Some will fall directly into lakes, rivers or the sea, from where it will evaporate and begin the cycle all over again.
• If the water falls on vegetation, it may evaporate from leaves back into the air, or trickle down to the ground. Some of this water may then be taken up by the plant roots in the earth.
• In cold climates, the precipitation may build up on land as snow, ice or glaciers. If temperatures rise, the ice will melt to liquid water and then soak into the ground, or flow into rivers or the ocean.

Water that reaches land directly may flow across the ground and collect in the oceans, rivers or lakes. This water is called “ surface run-off “. Some of the precipitation will instead soak (or “infiltrate”) into the soil, from where it will slowly move through the ground until eventually reaching a river or the ocean.

And there you have it, gang – the ongoing  water cycle !

Water can change from a solid to a gas, without becoming a liquid first. Through this process of “ sublimation ” our planet”s ice can evaporate directly into the air without melting!

Be sure to check out our water conservation primary resource . Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike, show children 25 ways to help keep our oceans, rivers and streams clean…

Illustration: Getty Images UK

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CUSTOMIZE YOUR AVATAR

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Water Cycle

Weather & climate, societal applications, the water cycle.

Precipitation is a vital component of how water moves through Earth’s water cycle, connecting the ocean, land, and atmosphere . Knowing where it rains, how much it rains and the character of the falling rain, snow or hail allows scientists to better understand precipitation’s impact on streams, rivers, surface runoff and groundwater . Frequent and detailed measurements help scientists make models of and determine changes in Earth’s water cycle.

The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, cools and condenses into rain or snow in clouds, and falls again to the surface as precipitation. The water falling on land collects in rivers and lakes, soil, and porous layers of rock, and much of it flows back into the oceans, where it will once more evaporate. The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere is a significant aspect of the weather patterns on Earth.

Water Cycle Essentials:

• Earth Observatory: Water Cycle Overview Article, General Audience
• Earth's Water Cycle Video, General Audience
• NASA Earth Science: The Water Cycle  Article, General Audience

Water Cycle Resources

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