THE WATER CYCLE/

HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
Water Cycle
• Water never leaves the Earth. It is constantly
being cycled through the atmosphere, ocean,
and land. This process, known as the water
cycle, is driven by energy from the sun. The
water cycle is crucial to the existence of life on
our planet.
• The continuous movement of water from the
earth to the atmosphere and back to the earth.
Water Cycle
 Evaporation
• Heat energy from the sun causes water in
puddles, streams, rivers, seas or lakes to change
from a liquid to a water vapor.
• This is called evaporation.

• The vapor rises into the air and collects in

clouds.
Water Cycle
 Transpiration

• Transpiration is the process by which plants

lose water out of their leaves.
• Transpiration gives evaporation a bit of a
hand in getting the water vapor back up into
the air.
Water Cycle
Condensation.
As water (in the form of gas) rises higher in the
atmosphere, it starts to cool and become a liquid again.
This process is called condensation. When a large
amount of water vapor condenses, it results in the
formation of clouds.
Water Cycle
 Precipitation
When the water in the clouds gets too heavy, the water
falls back to the earth. This is called precipitation.
Water Cycle
 Runoff
When rain falls on the land, some of the water is absorbed into
the ground forming pockets of water called groundwater. Most
groundwater eventually returns to the ocean. Other
precipitation runs directly into streams or rivers. Water that
collects in rivers, streams, and oceans is called runoff.
The movement through plants
Condensation
The Clouds form

Transpiration

Precipitation
The rain falls
Evaporation
The vapor rises
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT ALTER THE
WATER CYCLE
• agriculture
• alteration of the chemical composition of the
atmosphere
• construction of dams
• deforestation and forestation
• removal of groundwater from wells
• water abstraction from rivers
• urbanization