Student Projects/The Water Cycle

Water cycle

WATER CYCLE is also called as HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE. The continuous process of water moving from oceans, rivers, lakes to the atmosphere and back to the earth is called as the Water Cycle. Some of the main stages of water cycle are 1. Evaporation 2. Condensation 3. Precipitation 4. Collection

Evaporation

The water cycle starts with Evaporation. It is a process when warmth from the Sun causes water from Oceans, lakes, stream,ice and soil to rise into the air and turn into water vapor(gas).

Condensation

As the water vaporizes into water vapor, then this water vapor(gas) changes into a water droplets this process is called as condensation. This water droplets come close together and form a clouds or fogs in the sky.

Precipitation

The clouds(condensed water vapor) then pour down as precipitation due to wind or temperature change. This occurs because water droplets combine to form a bigger water droplets and when it cannot hold any more water it precipitates. Water falls from the sky in the form of rain, snow or hail.

Collection

This is when the water falls from the clouds in the form of rain, snow or hail collects in the oceans, lakes, rivers etc. Most will soak into the ground and will collect as the underground water.

Importance of water cycle

Water is the only common substance that occurs naturally on earth in all the three forms that is Solid, Liquid and Gas. Earth is truly the Water planet, however 97% of the water is seawater which is too salty to drink or use for irrigation.The most commonly used water sources for daily use is from rivers and lakes which contains less than 0.01% of worlds water. One of the most important environmental goal is to provide clean water to all the people. Fortunately water is the renewable resource and hence through water cycle it ensures the availability of water for all living organisms and regulate wealthy pattern on our planet. If water did not naturally recycle, we would run out of clean water, which is essential to daily life.