Water Cycle

Hydrosphere

This encompasses all the water on Earth, including oceans, rivers, lakes, glaciers, groundwater, and water vapor in the atmosphere.

precipitation

is any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail.

condensation

is the process by which water vapor in the air cools and changes into liquid water, forming clouds or dew.

runoff

is the movement of water, typically from precipitation, that flows over land surface and returns to bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes, and oceans.

law of conservation of mass

states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a closed system. In the water cycle, this principle explains how water is recycled and conserved.

transpiration

is the process by which water is absorbed by plants' roots, moves through plants, and is released as water vapor through pores in leaves.

sublimation

is the process through which water transitions from a solid state, such as snow or ice, directly into water vapor without passing through the liquid phase.

evaporation

is the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas or vapor, typically occurring at the surface of bodies of water due to heat energy.

groundwater

is the water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers. It plays a vital role in the water cycle and provides a significant source of drinking water.

aquifer

is a geological formation that can store and transmit groundwater, allowing water to flow through soil and rock layers.

water cycle/ hydrologic cycle

is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth, involving processes such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration.

water table

is the upper surface of the zone of saturation, where the soil and rock are completely saturated with water. It varies in depth depending on the location and climatic conditions.

The Sun and gravity

are the primary forces driving the water cycle, causing evaporation of water, and enabling precipitation and surface runoff.

porosity

is a measure of the void spaces in a material, typically soil or rock, which indicates how much water can be stored within it. Higher porosity allows for greater water retention and movement.

infiltration

the process where water from precipitation or snowmelt moves downward from the Earth's surface into the soil and subsurface layers

Permeability

the percentage of pore space in a volume of rock or sediment.

water vapor

the gaseous state of water.

crystallization

the process by which liquid water or water vapor changes to a solid form (ice or snow).