What are the stages of the water cycle?
There are several factors that assist the water cycle, the sun, air currents to name a few. The stages involved in a complete water cycle are: Stage I: Evaporation and Transpiration The sun’s energy heats up the lakes, rivers, oceans, swamps and other water bodies which subsequently increase the temperature of the water present in them.
How is water exchanged in the water cycle?
The water cycle shows how water is exchanged through the Earth’s land, ocean, and atmosphere. Because of this cycle, water always exists in all three of those places, as well in many forms. This cycle consists of three major steps, along with a few additional steps.
Why are the oceans important to the water cycle?
The oceans are, by far, the largest reservoir of water on earth — over 96% of all of Earth’s water exists in the oceans. Not only do the oceans provide evaporated water to the water cycle, they also allow water to move all around the globe as ocean currents.
Where does the water go when it returns to the ocean?
This invisible vapor rises into the atmosphere, where the air is colder, and condenses into clouds. Air currents move these clouds all around the earth. Water drops form in clouds, and the drops then return to the ocean or land as precipitation – let’s say this time, it’s snow.
Which is the first step in the hydrologic cycle?
In the atmosphere, water has a fast residence time. It spends less than a day in the atmosphere on average before precipitating to land. This is the first step which provides enough water to power hydrologic cycle. Residence time for water on the surface as groundwater is much longer compared to atmosphere or streams.
Is the earth’s water cycle a continuous process?
The gist is that earth’s water has been moving on, above and below its surface in an on-going cycle called the water cycle. What is Water Cycle? The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, is the continuous movement of water from the earth’s surface to the atmosphere and then back to the ground. It is a continuous process.
How is the water cycle powered by the Sun?
The water, or hydrologic, cycle describes the pilgrimage of water as water molecules make their way from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back again, in some cases to below the surface. This gigantic system, powered by energy from the Sun, is a continuous exchange of moisture between the oceans, the atmosphere, and the land.