Hydrologic Cycle

The water cycle pressure is also an important influence on
the dew point of an area.

It describes how water is exchanged (cycled)
through Earth's land, ocean, and atmosphere. 3. Precipitation
Water always exists in all three phases, and in
many forms— Precipitation - any liquid or solid water that falls
as lakes and rivers, glaciers and ice sheets, to Earth as a result of condensation in the
oceans and seas, underground aquifers, atmosphere. Precipitation includes rain, snow,
and vapor in the air and clouds. and hail.
Three major processes: Other Processes

1. evaporation,
2. condensation, and • Runoff, describes a variety of ways liquid
3. precipitation. water moves across land (e.g. Snowmelt)
• Transpiration is the process of
1. Evaporation water vapor being released from plants
and soil. Plants release
Evaporation is the process of a liquid's surface water vapor through microscopic pores
changing to a gas. In the water cycle, liquid water called stomata. The opening
evaporates and becomes water vapor. of stomata is strongly influenced by
Water vapor is also an important greenhouse light, and so is often associated with the
gas. Greenhouse gases such as water vapor and sun and the process of evaporation.
carbon dioxide insulate Earth and keep the • Evapotranspiration is the combined
planet warm enough to maintain life as we know components
it. The water cycle's evaporation process is of evaporation and transpiration and is
driven by the sun. As the sun interacts with liquid sometimes used to evaluate the
water on the surface of the ocean, the movement of water in the atmosphere.
water becomes an invisible gas
(water vapor). Evaporation is also influenced
by wind, temperature, and the density of the States of Water
body of water.
three states:
2. Condensation a. solid,
b. liquid, and
Condensation is the process of a gas changing to c. vapor.
a liquid. In the water cycle, water vapor in the
atmosphere condenses and becomes liquid. Ice is solid water. Most of Earth's fresh water is
Condensation can happen high in the ice, locked in massive glaciers, ice sheets, and ice
atmosphere or at ground level. Clouds form as caps.
water vapor condenses or becomes more As ice melts, it turns to liquid. The ocean, lakes,
concentrated (dense). Water vapor condenses rivers, and underground aquifers all hold liquid
around tiny particles called cloud condensation water.
nuclei (CCN). CCN can be specks of dust, salt, Water vapor is an invisible gas. Water vapor is
or pollutants. Clouds at ground level are not evenly distributed across the atmosphere.
called fog or mist.
Like evaporation, condensation is also Above the ocean: water vapor 4%
influenced by the sun. As water vapor cools, it Above isolated deserts: less than 1%
reaches its saturation limit, or dew point. Air
The Water Cycle and Climate
Residence time is the amount of time a water
Climate is all the weather conditions of an area, molecule spends in one reservoir. For instance,
evaluated over time. the residence time of "fossil water,"
ancient groundwater reservoirs, can be
Two weather conditions thousands of years.
Residence time for water in the Antarctic ice
• Humidity is simply the amount of water sheet is about 17,000 years. That means that a
vapor in the air. As water vapor is not molecule of water will stay as ice for about that
evenly distributed by the water cycle, amount of time.
some regions experience higher The residence time for water in the ocean is
humidity than others. This contributes to much shorter—about 3,200 years.
radically different climates. Islands or The residence time of water in the atmosphere
coastal regions, where water vapor is the shortest of all—about nine days.
makes up more of the atmosphere, are Calculating residence time can be an important
usually much more humid than inland tool for developers and engineers. Engineers
regions, where water vapor is scarcer. may consult a reservoir's residence time when
• A region's temperature also relies on evaluating how quickly a pollutant will spread
the water cycle. Through the water through the reservoir, for instance. Residence
cycle, heat is exchange time may also influence how communities use an
and temperatures fluctuate. As water aquifer.
evaporates, for example, it absorbs
energy and cools the local environment.
As water condenses, it releases energy
and warms the local environment. FAST FACT
Breaking the Cycle
The water cycle can change. Glacial retreat is the
process in which glaciers melt faster than their
The Water Cycle and the Landscape ice can be replaced by precipitation. Glacial
retreat limits the amount of fresh water
The water cycle also influences the physical available on Earth. We are experiencing the
geography of Earth. fastest rate of glacial retreat in recorded history.
• Glacial melt
• erosion caused
Reservoirs and Residence Time
Reservoirs are simply where water exists at any

point in the water cycle.
Examples:
• An underground aquifer can store liquid
water
• The ocean is a reservoir.
• Ice sheets are reservoirs.
• The atmosphere itself is a reservoir of
water vapor.

Hydrologic Cycle

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Hydrologic Cycle

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The water cycle pressure is also an important influence on

the dew point of an area.

Three major processes: Other Processes

Reservoirs and Residence Time

Reservoirs are simply where water exists at any

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