Water Cycle(Also known as the hydrologic cycle)

• The continuous process by which water moves from Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back

Water Cycle

http://www.osovo.com/diagram/water_cycle.jpg

Water Vapor

• Water Vapor is the invisible, gaseous form of water.

Water Vapor

• Make sure you understand that fog and clouds are NOT water vapor, they are made of tiny droplets of condensed water. WATER VAPOR IS INVISIBLE

Photos by Rusty Sturken

Evaporation• The process by which

molecules at the surface of a liquid absorb enough energy to change to a gas

• EX: water water vapor

(liquid) (gas)

Evaporation

http://www.tapintoquality.com/facts/glossary/evaporation.jpg

Transpiration• The process by which

plants release water vapor through their leaves

Transpiration

http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module01/images/transpiration.jpg

Condensation• The process by which a

gas, such as water vapor, changes to a liquid, such as water

• This is how clouds are formed

Condensation

http://www.dreamstime.com/blue-water-drops-condensation-thumb1809120.jpg

Precipitation• Forms of water, such as

rain, snow, sleet or hail that fall from clouds and reach Earth’s surface

Precipitation

http://www.fondriest.com/fileshare/subpages/science_library/precipitation.jpg

Infiltration

• Is when precipitation soak into the shallow soil layer, then seeps into streams or groundwater

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=lRouLvkTSBkLPM&tbnid=khUEgUC7Vq2BgM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fiwmi.dhigroup.com%2Fhydrological_cycle%2Finfiltration.html&ei=BAV8Up31KfL9yAHPyYCQBQ&bvm=bv.56146854,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNGa2rUk0ewawnpu2u6y9y74ALnM2w&ust=1383945833895475

Groundwater• Water that fills the cracks

and pores in underground soil and rock layers

Groundwater

GROUNDWATER http://www.epa.gov/bioiweb1/images/hydrocyc.gif

Watershed• The land area that supplies

water to a river system

( think of “drainage basin”)

Watershed

http://www.recycleworks.org/images/watershed_800.jpg

Water Table• The top of the saturated

zone, or depth to the groundwater in an aquifer

Water Table

http://www.groundwater.org/gi/images/groundwaterdiagram.jpg

Aquifer• An underground layer of

rock or soil that holds water

Aquifer

http://mtnwater.com/images/missoula_aquifer-450.gif