Hydrological Cycle
The hydrological cycle involves the continuous movement of water on, above, and below Earth's surface.
It is a closed system with a fixed amount of water as water neither enters nor leaves Earth and its atmosphere.
Water is stored in various places like land, sea, and atmosphere, and moves between them through flows or transfers.
Land Store
Water stored on the surface in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
Water taken in by plants and stored in vegetation.
Groundwater store in the bedrock.
Sea Store
Over 95% of Earth's water is stored in the sea.
Water exists in liquid form and as ice.
Atmosphere Store
Water exists as water vapor or droplets in clouds.
The proportion of water held in different stores can change.
Examples include conversion of liquid water into water vapor, precipitation, and transfer of water through soil and rock into groundwater store.
Evaporation - Water is converted from a liquid to a gas. This takes place from the surface of the sea and other water surfaces and on land.
Transpiration - Plants take up liquid water from the soil and breathe it into the atmosphere as water vapor.
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 vapor cools and becomes a liquid. The liquid takes the form of water droplets that appear in the atmosphere as clouds.
Precipitation - The transfer of water in any form (rain, hail or snow) from the atmosphere to the land or sea surface.
Overland Flow - Most precipitation that hits the ground moves due to gravity and eventually enters a stream
Infiltration - The transfer of water downwards through the soil and rock into the aquifer (layer of permeable rocks) or groundwater store.
Groundwater Flow - This takes place between the ground surface and the top of the ground water store. As a result of gravity, water moves slowly through the soil until it reaches a stream or river.
Through Flow - This happens in the rocks of the aquifer and is the underground transfer of water to rivers, lakes and the sea.
The hydrological cycle involves the continuous movement of water on, above, and below Earth's surface.
It is a closed system with a fixed amount of water as water neither enters nor leaves Earth and its atmosphere.
Water is stored in various places like land, sea, and atmosphere, and moves between them through flows or transfers.
Land Store
Water stored on the surface in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
Water taken in by plants and stored in vegetation.
Groundwater store in the bedrock.
Sea Store
Over 95% of Earth's water is stored in the sea.
Water exists in liquid form and as ice.
Atmosphere Store
Water exists as water vapor or droplets in clouds.
The proportion of water held in different stores can change.
Examples include conversion of liquid water into water vapor, precipitation, and transfer of water through soil and rock into groundwater store.
Evaporation - Water is converted from a liquid to a gas. This takes place from the surface of the sea and other water surfaces and on land.
Transpiration - Plants take up liquid water from the soil and breathe it into the atmosphere as water vapor.
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 vapor cools and becomes a liquid. The liquid takes the form of water droplets that appear in the atmosphere as clouds.
Precipitation - The transfer of water in any form (rain, hail or snow) from the atmosphere to the land or sea surface.
Overland Flow - Most precipitation that hits the ground moves due to gravity and eventually enters a stream
Infiltration - The transfer of water downwards through the soil and rock into the aquifer (layer of permeable rocks) or groundwater store.
Groundwater Flow - This takes place between the ground surface and the top of the ground water store. As a result of gravity, water moves slowly through the soil until it reaches a stream or river.
Through Flow - This happens in the rocks of the aquifer and is the underground transfer of water to rivers, lakes and the sea.
