The Water Cycle (25-26) (Coburn)

What is evaporation?

The process where liquid water heats up, turns into water vapor, and rises into the air

What is condensation?

The process where water vapor cools and turns into liquid droplets to form clouds

What is precipitation?

When water is released from clouds in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail

What is collection?

The process where water gathers in rivers, lakes, oceans, or the ground

What is the water cycle?

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth

What drives the water cycle?

Thermal energy from the sun

What is transpiration?

Water released from plants into the air as water vapor

How does water return to the atmosphere from oceans?

Through evaporation

Why is the water cycle important?

It distributes water and supports life on Earth

What are clouds made of?

Tiny droplets of water / ice crystals and dust that come together during condensation

What is runoff?

Water that "runs off" the land surface and goes downhill, due to gravity

What is infiltration?

When the water that falls as precipitation, gets absorbed into the ground and becomes groundwater

Box 1

Evaporation

Box 2

Transpiration

Box 3

Condensation

Box 4

Precipitation

Box 5

Infiltration

Box 6

Collection