Water cycle

A Summary of the Hydrologic Cycle

bringing all the pieces together

Animation by: Bramer

The hydrologic cycle begins with the evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean. As moist air is
lifted, it cools and water vapor condenses to form clouds. Moisture is transported around the globe until
it returns to the surface as precipitation. Once the water reaches the ground, one of two processes may
occur; 1) some of the water may evaporate back into the atmosphere or 2) the water may penetrate the
surface and become groundwater. Groundwater either seeps its way to into the oceans, rivers, and
streams, or is released back into the atmosphere through transpiration. The balance of water that
remains on the earth's surface is runoff, which empties into lakes, rivers and streams and is carried back
to the oceans, where the cycle begins again.

Lake effect snowfall is good example of the hydrologic cycle at work. Below is a vertical cross-section
summarizing the processes of the hydrologic cycle that contribute to the production of lake effect snow.
The cycle begins as cold winds (horizontal blue arrows) blow across a large lake, a phenomena that
occurs frequently in the late fall and winter months around the Great Lakes.

Evaporation of warm surface water increases the amount of moisture in the colder, drier air
flowing immediately above the lake surface. With continued evaporation, water vapor in the cold air
condenses to form ice-crystal clouds, which are transported toward shore.

By the time these clouds reach the shoreline, they are filled with snowflakes too large to remain
suspended in the air and consequently, they fall along the shoreline as precipitation. The intensity of
lake effect snowfall can be enhanced by additional lifting due to the topographical features (hills) along
the shoreline. Once the snow begins to melt, the water is either absorbed by the ground and becomes
groundwater, or goes returns back to the lake as runoff.
Lake effect snow events can produce tremendous amounts of snow. One such event was the Cleveland,
Ohio Veteran's Day Snowstorm from November of 1996, where local storm snowfall totals exceeded 50
inches over two to three days

Water cycle

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Diagram of the Water Cycle

The water cycle

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Earth's water cycle

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As the Earth's surface water evaporates, wind moves water in the air from the sea to the land,
increasing the amount of freshwater on land.

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Water vapor is converted to clouds that bring fresh water to land in the form of rain snow and sleet
File:The Water Cycle - Following the Water.ogvPlay media

Precipitation falls on the ground, but what happens to that water depends greatly on the geography of
the land at any particular place.

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. The mass of water on Earth remains
fairly constant over time but the partitioning of the water into the major reservoirs of ice, fresh water,
saline water and atmospheric water is variable depending on a wide range of climatic variables. The
water moves from one reservoir to another, such as from river to ocean, or from the ocean to the
atmosphere, by the physical processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, surface
runoff, and subsurface flow. In doing so, the water goes through different forms: liquid, solid (ice) and
vapor.

The water cycle involves the exchange of energy, which leads to temperature changes. When water
evaporates, it takes up energy from its surroundings and cools the environment. When it condenses, it
releases energy and warms the environment. These heat exchanges influence climate.

The evaporative phase of the cycle purifies water which then replenishes the land with freshwater. The
flow of liquid water and ice transports minerals across the globe. It is also involved in reshaping the
geological features of the Earth, through processes including erosion and sedimentation. The water
cycle is also essential for the maintenance of most life and ecosystems on the planet.I

Description

The sun, which drives the water cycle, heats water in oceans and seas. Water evaporates as water vapor
into the air. Some ice and snow sublimates directly into water vapor. Evapotranspiration is water
transpired from plants and evaporated from the soil. The water molecule H

2O has smaller molecular mass than the major components of the atmosphere, nitrogen and oxygen, N

2 and O

2, hence is less dense. Due to the significant difference in density, buoyancy drives humid air higher. As
altitude increases, air pressure decreases and the temperature drops (see Gas laws). The lower
temperature causes water vapor to condense into tiny liquid water droplets which are heavier than the
air, and fall unless supported by an updraft. A huge concentration of these droplets over a large space
up in the atmosphere become visible as cloud. Some condensation is near ground level, and called fog.
Atmospheric circulation moves water vapor around the globe; cloud particles collide, grow, and fall out
of the upper atmospheric layers as precipitation. Some precipitation falls as snow or hail, sleet, and can
accumulate as ice caps and glaciers, which can store frozen water for thousands of years. Most water
falls back into the oceans or onto land as rain, where the water flows over the ground as surface runoff.
A portion of runoff enters rivers in valleys in the landscape, with streamflow moving water towards the
oceans. Runoff and water emerging from the ground (groundwater) may be stored as freshwater in
lakes. Not all runoff flows into rivers; much of it soaks into the ground as infiltration. Some water
infiltrates deep into the ground and replenishes aquifers, which can store freshwater for long periods of
time. Some infiltration stays close to the land surface and can seep back into surface-water bodies (and
the ocean) as groundwater discharge. Some groundwater finds openings in the land surface and comes
out as freshwater springs. In river valleys and floodplains, there is often continuous water exchange
between surface water and ground water in the hyporheic zone. Over time, the water returns to the
ocean, to continue the water cycle.

Processes

Many different processes lead to movements and phase changes in water

Precipitation

Condensed water vapor that falls to the Earth's surface. Most precipitation occurs as rain, but also
includes snow, hail, fog drip, graupel, and sleet.[1] Approximately 505,000 km3 (121,000 cu mi) of water
falls as precipitation each year, 398,000 km3 (95,000 cu mi) of it over the oceans.[2][better source
needed] The rain on land contains 107,000 km3 (26,000 cu mi) of water per year and a snowing only
1,000 km3 (240 cu mi).[3] 78% of global precipitation occurs over the ocean.[4]

Canopy interception

The precipitation that is intercepted by plant foliage eventually evaporates back to the atmosphere
rather than falling to the ground.

Snowmelt

The runoff produced by melting snow.

Runoff

The variety of ways by which water moves across the land. This includes both surface runoff and channel
runoff. As it flows, the water may seep into the ground, evaporate into the air, become stored in lakes or
reservoirs, or be extracted for agricultural or other human uses.

Infiltration
The flow of water from the ground surface into the ground. Once infiltrated, the water becomes soil
moisture or groundwater.[5] A recent global study using water stable isotopes, however, shows that not
all soil moisture is equally available for groundwater recharge or for plant transpiration.[6]

Subsurface flow

The flow of water underground, in the vadose zone and aquifers. Subsurface water may return to the
surface (e.g. as a spring or by being pumped) or eventually seep into the oceans. Water returns to the
land surface at lower elevation than where it infiltrated, under the force of gravity or gravity induced
pressures. Groundwater tends to move slowly and is replenished slowly, so it can remain in aquifers for
thousands of years.

Evaporation

The transformation of water from liquid to gas phases as it moves from the ground or bodies of water
into the overlying atmosphere.[7] The source of energy for evaporation is primarily solar radiation.
Evaporation often implicitly includes transpiration from plants, though together they are specifically
referred to as evapotranspiration. Total annual evapotranspiration amounts to approximately 505,000
km3 (121,000 cu mi) of water, 434,000 km3 (104,000 cu mi) of which evaporates from the oceans.[2]
86% of global evaporation occurs over the ocean.[4]

Sublimation

The state change directly from solid water (snow or ice) to water vapor by passing the liquid state.[8]

Deposition

This refers to changing of water vapor directly to ice.

Advection

The movement of water through the atmosphere.[9] Without advection, water that evaporated over the
oceans could not precipitate over land.

Condensation

The transformation of water vapor to liquid water droplets in the air, creating clouds and fog.[10]

Transpiration

The release of water vapor from plants and soil into the air.

Percolation

Water flows vertically through the soil and rocks under the influence of gravity.

Plate tectonics
Water enters the mantle via subduction of oceanic crust. Water returns to the surface via volcanism.