Water Cycle and Elements of

Water Cycle
Fluid Mechanics Final Homework
 WATER CYCLE
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).
 Schematic Diagram Of Water Cycle
transpiration
evaporation

transpiration sublimation
deposition

condensation

precipitation runoff

runoff

evaporation

ground water plant uptake infiltration

percolation
 Elements of Water Cycle
Evaporation occurs when
water molecules at the surface
of water bodies become
excited and rise into the air.
The sun is the ultimate source
of energy, and powers most of
the evaporation that occurs on
earth. Evaporation usually
takes place below the boiling
point of water, and contributes
to a large percentage of water
in the atmosphere.
Sublimation is when a
substance changes directly
into water vapour without
becoming water. It usually
occurs as a result of dry
winds and low humidity, and
can be observed on
mountain peaks where air
pressure is low. On earth, the
primary source of sublimation
comes from the ice sheets
covering the poles of the
earth.
Condensation
At high altitudes, clouds are
Precipitation
When enough droplets
formed when water vapour
merge, it falls out of the
from the Earth's atmosphere is
clouds and on to the
trapped in the atmosphere and
ground below. In
condenses into tiny droplets
particularly cold weather
of water and ice. These
or extremely low air
droplets then condense
pressure, the water
together to form clouds due to
droplets freeze and fall
the low temperatures found at
as snow or hail.
these places.
 Elements of Water Cycle
Transpiration is a process Runoff
Infiltrition
that involves loss of water If water from rainfall does not form
It can follow streams or rivers but
vapour through the stomata of aquifers, it often flows down the
sometimes sink deeper, forming
plants. The loss of this vapour sides of mountains and hills. In
aquifers. The level of absorption
cools the plant down when the colder regions, icecaps form when
varies based on the material the
weather is very hot, and water the amount of snowfall is faster than
water has seeped into - for
from the stem and roots moves the rate of evaporation or
instance, rocks retain
upwards or is 'pulled' into the sublimation. The biggest icecaps on
comparatively less water than soil.
leaves. earth are found at the poles.
Thank You
LOUREN M. BENAURO BSABE III
-A