Hydrologic Cycle (Water Cycle) Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and processes discussed in the lecture on the water (hydrologic) cycle.

Water Cycle (Hydrologic Cycle)

The continuous circulation of water between the land surface, oceans, and atmosphere.

Evaporation

Process in which liquid water gains enough kinetic energy to become water vapor.

Sublimation

Direct conversion of water from solid (snow or ice) to vapor without passing through the liquid phase.

Transpiration

Evaporation of water through the stomata of plant leaves.

Evapotranspiration

Combined water loss to the atmosphere from evaporation and transpiration.

Condensation

Transition of water vapor to liquid water when air becomes saturated.

Precipitation

Any form of water—liquid or solid—that falls from clouds and reaches Earth’s surface.

Runoff

Water that flows across the land surface into streams, rivers, or the sea.

Infiltration

Downward movement of water from the surface into the soil.

Groundwater

Subsurface water stored in soil and rock, often derived from infiltrated precipitation.

Groundwater Runoff

Portion of infiltrated water that re-emerges into streams and rivers.

Hydrograph

Graph plotting stream discharge versus time, used to measure runoff.

Tracer Techniques

Methods that use introduced or natural tracers to study groundwater movement.

Remote Sensing (in Hydrology)

Use of satellite or aerial data to monitor water-cycle components such as groundwater and ice.

Troposphere

Lowest layer of the atmosphere (up to ~10–13 km) containing almost all atmospheric water vapor.

Condensation Nuclei

Tiny particles in air on which water vapor condenses to form fog or clouds.

Permafrost

Permanently frozen ground formed when soil moisture freezes in tundra climates.

Glacier Ice

Large, persistent bodies of ice formed from compacted snow, storing freshwater.

Perito Moreno Glacier

A well-known glacier in Patagonia, Argentina, exemplifying present-day ice coverage.

Ice Mass Coverage Today

Approximately 12 % of Earth’s land surface remains covered by glaciers and ice caps.