The Importance of Water Cycle

GETTING READY!​

Lesson: The Importance of the Water Cycle

The water part of the earth is called hydrosphere or “water sphere”. This covers three-fourths of its surface. Water covers a larger area of its surface than land. That is why the earth is called “the blue planet”. Water gives the earth its characteristics of blue color as seen from outer space. Water continuously moved in the earth’s surface in a process called water cycle​

Lesson: The Importance of the Water Cycle

One important substance that is recycled in nature is water. Water on earth is continuously moving from land to the sky and back again. This process is known as water cycle.

Although there is a continuous cycle of water, you might also wonder if there will come a time when we run out of water. Do you know that about 97% of the water on earth is in the seas or oceans? Thus, only 3% of this water is fresh or potable. It contains very little or no salt. The majority of it is locked up in the ice and in the ground. Therefore, only about 1% of the water on earth is available for use. It is found in rivers, lakes, ponds, and in the atmosphere in the form of water vapor.

Firstly, water from the rivers, seas, and ponds evaporates into water vapor. Warm air carries the water vapor upward. As the water vapor rises, it cools and condenses into tiny water droplets. The tiny water droplets combine to form clouds. The clouds get heavy when a lot of water condenses. When that happens, the water droplets fall back to the earth as rain. Finally, the rain flows back to the rivers, ponds, and seas. The whole cycle repeat itself.

The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, is the continuous movement of water between Earth’s water supply and the air. It is always changing and in motion. As water goes through its cycle, it can be seen in three forms, namely: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (water vapor). How do these changes happen?​

If heat is added to ice, it melts. If heat is added to water, it evaporates. Evaporation is a process of changing liquid to gas, which is called water vapor.

If heat is taken away from water vapor, it undergoes another process which is called condensation. It is a process when gas (water vapor) turns into liquid form in the clouds.

When water droplets become big and heavy in the clouds, they start to drop on the earth’s surface as precipitation. They may be in solid (snowflakes) or liquid (raindrops) form.

IMPORTANCE OF WATER CYCLE

IMPORTANCE OF WATER CYCLE

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncORPosDrjI

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