The Water

Cycle

Describes the movement of water on, in,

and above the earth
Water is always changing and moving from
one place to another
This cycle is made up of a few main parts:
Precipitation
Infiltration
Runoff
Transpiration
Evaporation
Water Vapor
Condensation
Collection

The repeating change of

water on the Earth creates
a cycle
As water goes through its
cycle, it can be a solid (ice),
a liquid (water), or a gas
(water vapor)
Ice can change to become
water or water vapor
Water can change to
become ice or water vapor
Water vapor can change to
become ice or water.

 Happens when the temperature and the

atmospheric pressure are right
The small droplets of water in clouds form
larger droplets and precipitation occurs. The
raindrops fall to earth.
Occurs when so much water has condensed
that the air cannot hold it anymore
The clouds get heavy and water falls back to
the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or
snow
Click the speaker below to hear rain falling

Rain:

Sleet:

Snow:

Hail:

Important process where

rain water soaks into the
ground, through the soil
and underlying rock layers
The flow of water from the
ground surface into the
ground
Once infiltrated, the water
becomes soil moisture or
groundwater

Movement of water underground is called groundwater flow

Groundwater slowly moves through the spaces and cracks
between the soil particles on its journey to lower elevations

The movement of land water to the oceans, mainly in

the form of rivers, lakes, and streams
Consists of precipitation that neither evaporates,
transpires nor penetrates the surface to become
groundwater
Excess runoff can lead to flooding, which occurs when
there is too much precipitation

 Process that happens through plants

As plants absorb water from the soil, the water moves
from the roots through the stems to the leaves
Once the water reaches the leaves, some of it
evaporates from the leaves, adding to the amount of
water vapor in the air.

 The process where a liquid, in this case water,

changes from its liquid state to a gaseous state.
The sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the
ocean and turns it into vapor or steam.
The water vapor or steam then leaves the river,
lake, or ocean and goes into the air.

 Water in its gaseous state-instead of liquid or

solid (ice)
Totally invisible
Extremely important to the weather and
climate
Without out it, there would be no clouds or rain or
snow
All of the water vapor that evaporates from the
surface of the Earth eventually returns as
precipitation - rain or snow

Formation of liquid drops from water vapor

Occurs when a parcel of rising air expands and cools
Responsible for the formation of clouds
These clouds may produce precipitation, which is the
primary route for water to return to the Earth's surface
within the water cycle

 When water falls back to earth as precipitation, it

may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it
may end up on land
When it ends up on land, it will either soak into
the earth and become part of the ground water
that plants and animals use to drink.
It may run over the soil and collect in the
oceans, lakes or rivers where the cycle starts all
over again.

Adding or subtracting heat makes the cycle work.

If heat is added to ice, it melts. If heat is added to water, it
evaporates.
Evaporation turns liquid water into a gas called water vapor.
If heat is taken away from water vapor, it condenses.
Condensation turns water vapor into a liquid.
If heat is taken away from liquid water, it freezes to become
ice.

 Humans use water for drinking, respiration,

perspiration, and elimination of wastes are
all part of this cycle
Large amounts of water are needed for
most economic activities: agriculture and
mining, food processing, manufacturing
Lakes and rivers provide towns and cities
with a means of discharging wastes

 Generation of electricity from

thermal power plants
Waterways provide transportation
Recreational activities
Some people view the rivers and
large lakes of this country as a
part of their own identity
AND MUCH MORE!!!

Click the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1oCoKj7b2o

Click the link below to sing about the water cycle.

http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=53bdf2518c53ddf3bce6

The water cycle is called the hydrologic

cycle. In the hydrologic cycle, water from
oceans, lakes, swamps, rivers, plants, and
even you, can turn into water vapor.
Water vapor condenses into millions of
tiny droplets that form clouds.
Clouds lose their water as rain or snow,
which is called precipitation.
Precipitation is either absorbed into the
ground or runs off into rivers.
Water that was absorbed into the ground
is taken up by plants.
Plants lose water from their surfaces as
vapor back into the atmosphere.
Water that runs off into rivers flows into
ponds, lakes, or oceans where it
evaporates back into the atmosphere.
The cycle continues.

Lets label the Water Cycle together!

Condensation

Evaporation
Precipitation

Runoff
Infiltration

Groundwater flow

 The Water Cycle. Enchanted Learning. 19992008.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astr
onomy/planets/earth/watercycle.shtml
Water Cycle. Wikipedia. 2008.
http://en.wkipedia.org/wiki/water_cycle
The Water Cycle. DLTKs Sights. 1998-2007.
http://www.kidzone.ws/water/
You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/