Water Cycle

...a pattern of steps that move water throughout the Earth.
-this cycle helps to maintain life on Earth.
-DRIVEN BY THE SUN

​

​The water cycle is...

​Water goes up in the form of gas.

​​Evaporation

​Water starts to change into liquid form and creates clouds.

Condensation

Water falls from the sky in liquid (and sometimes solid) form.

​​Precipitation

​Water drains down sloped areas toward sea level.

Runoff

​Water within plant life is evaporated.
-"plant sweat"

​​Transpiration

​Water flows downward into pockets of air into soil.
-forms the "zone of saturation"

Infiltration

​When we add the loss of water from water bodies and the loss of water from plants, we call that evotranspiration.

​

​Over ocean....

Evaporation > Precipitation

​Over land...

Evaporation < Precipitation

​Infiltration and runoff evens it out.