The Water Cycle

The Water Cycle

•The continual movement of
water throughout our planet.
•A cycle is something that
repeats.
The Water Cycle
• The water cycle is powered
by the Sun.
• When liquid water is heated
it turns into a gas called
water vapor.
• When water vapor cools it
turns back into liquid water.
• Animation
Evaporation SDS Video
• Heat energy from the sun
causes water in puddles,
streams, rivers, seas,
lakes or plants to change
from a liquid to water
vapor.
• This is called evaporation.
• Water (Liquid) heat water vapor (gas)
 Condensation
• Air carries water vapor high
into the sky, where it will
cool. As heat leaves, water
vapor turns back into liquid
water droplets.
• This is condensation.
• Water Vapor heat liquid water
Cloud Formation
• As water vapor cools and becomes liquid, dust is trapped
with it in the atmosphere.
• Clouds form when many tiny water droplets and dust
particles collect together high in the atmosphere.
• Clouds form during the condensation phase of the water
cycle.
• Water Droplets or Ice Crystals Dust Particles Clouds
 Where else can you find examples
of condensation?
• Hint - Where does the
water come from on the
outside of this glass?

• Why does this occur?

Precipitation
• When clouds become heavy
with many condensed water
droplets and dust particles, the
drops fall to Earth as
precipitation.
• Depending on the air
temperature, it may fall as rain,
snow, sleet or hail.
Transpiration
• Transpiration is the process
where plants lose water from
their leaves.
• It is similar to evaporation.
• Heat energy from the sun causes
plants to “sweat” much like
people.
• Transpiration causes water vapor
to go into the air.
Accumulation
• After water falls to Earth, it runs
across the land.
• Accumulation is the process in
which water from surface runoff
collects or pools back in large
bodies of water.
• Oceans hold most of the water.
• Rivers, streams, lakes and
groundwater also hold water.
 Condensation
Water Cycle
Clouds form

Transpiration
Vapor rises from plants

Precipitation Evaporation
The rain falls The vapor rises
Where is our water?
• Scientists believe the water on Earth today
is the same water that has been here since
Earth formed.
• Oceans and seas cover about
71% of Earth’s surface.
• Earth is sometimes called the water planet.
• Oceans and seas are very deep and hold
about 97% of all the water on Earth.
• All of the water in the oceans and seas is
salt water that people cannot drink.
Earth’s fresh water
• If 97% of Earth’s water is salt
water in the oceans, then only 3%
is non-salt water, or fresh water.
• Fresh water is what people,
animals and plants need to
survive.
• Of this small amount of freshwater, most is frozen in
glaciers and polar ice caps.
• 2% of Earth’s water is frozen fresh water.
 The rest of the freshwater

• Only 1% of Earth’s water is liquid

freshwater.
• It is found in groundwater, lakes, ponds,
rivers, the atmosphere and in people, plants
and animals
• Fresh drinking water is a limited resource.
Water – Just the Facts SDS Video
• 97% of all Earth’s water is in the oceans and seas
• 3% of all Earth’s water is fresh water
• 2% of all Earth’s water is fresh, frozen water in
glaciers and ice caps
• 1% of all Earth’s water is fresh, liquid water in
groundwater, lakes, rivers, streams, the
atmosphere, people, plants, and animals
• Watery World
Do we have enough water?