Hydrological Cycle

Hydrological Cycle

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below Earth's surface in a closed system with fixed water amounts.

Water Stores

Different reservoirs where water is stored, including land (rivers, lakes, vegetation), sea (liquid and ice), and atmosphere (vapor, clouds).

Water Transfers

Various mechanisms like evaporation (liquid to gas), transpiration (plants releasing water vapor), and condensation (vapor to liquid in clouds).

Precipitation

The movement of water in different forms (rain, hail, snow) from the atmosphere to the land or sea surface.

Overland Flow

Gravity-driven movement of precipitation on the ground towards streams or rivers.

Infiltration

Downward movement of water through soil and rock into aquifers or groundwater stores.

Groundwater Flow

Slow movement of water from the ground surface to groundwater stores, eventually reaching streams or rivers.

Through Flow

Underground transfer of water from rocks in aquifers to rivers, lakes, and the sea.

Evaporation

Water is converted from a liquid to a gas. This takes place from the surface of the sea and other water surfaces on the land.

Transpiration

Plants take up liquid water from the soil and breathe it into the atmosphere as water vapour.

Evapotranspiration

The loss of moisture from the ground by direct evaporation from water bodies and the soil, plus transpiration from plants.

Condensation

The change in the atmosphere when water vapour cools and becomes a liquid. The liquid takes the form of water droplets that appear in the atmosphere as clouds.