Water and Carbon Cycle

What is the water cycle?

The water cycle is the continuous and dynamic process by which water moves through various phases and locations on Earth's surface and atmosphere, including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.

What are the stages of the water cycle?

The stages of the water cycle comprise four main processes: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.

What is evaporation?

The process whereby water molecules at the surface of a liquid gain sufficient energy to transition into the gaseous state, thereby entering the atmosphere.

What is condensation?

The process in which water vapour in the air cools and transitions back into the liquid state, resulting in cloud formation.

What is precipitation?

Any form of water, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, that falls from clouds and reaches the ground.

Location of Amazon

Rainforest covering around 5.5 million km² across 9 countries in South America.

How much carbon dioxide is stored in the Amazon?

1/5th of all carbon in the planet’s biomass.

What contributes to the high rainfall in the Amazon?

The evaporation over The Atlantic Ocean which is blown towards the rainforest.

What is the average annual rainfall across the whole Amazon Basin?

Approximately 2300mm³, can exceed 6000mm³ in the Northwest.

What percentage of rainfall remains in a closed loop in the Amazon?

about 60%.

How many tons of carbon is stored in the Amazon?

Estimated between 80 and 120 billion