Why is the water cycle considered balanced?
Just as one balances the household budget with income, savings and expenditures, the hydrological budget is a balance of gains and losses: precipitation minus evaporation minus changes in storage (snow, glaciers, lakes, groundwater) = discharge.
What happens if the water cycle is unbalanced?
Without flowing water, natural water sources would become contaminated with other species of plants, making it very hard to filter. Rainwater would also be a useless source because of the lack of precipitation. Many countries use hydroelectric power, which relies on flowing water.
Is the Earth’s water cycle balanced?
Earth’s water cycle is balanced in that each year the average amount of precipitation that occurs over earth is equal to the amount of water that evaporates.
How does water cycle helps in balancing the nature?
The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, cools and condenses into rain or snow in clouds, and falls again to the surface as precipitation. The water cycle is an important process that recycles water and nutrients.
Why is water balance important in the hydrological cycle?
Water balance also explains the effect of human activities on hydrological cycle. Changes in climate, vegetative cover etc. can be studied on the basis of water balance , hence water balance is an important tool for analyzing water problems in a geographical region.
How is the water cycle important to life on Earth?
Water is essential to life on Earth, and fresh water is a limited resource for a growing world population. Changes in the water cycle can impact everyone through the economy, energy production and use, health, recreation, transportation, agriculture, and drinking water.
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.
Which is the first step in the water cycle?
The first water cycle step starts with the atmosphere pulling water out of the big bodies of water. During this process, surface water turns into water vapor. This is done by the transfer of heat energy. Water absorbs this heat energy and turns into its gaseous state.