Water Cycle Flashcards
What is the Water Cycle
It is the movement of water between the atmosphere, land, oceans, and even living things.
What three states is water found in?
Water (H2O) is found in three states on Earth: Liquid, Ice and Water Vapor
How does water reach the atmosphere?
Evaporation - 90% of water that reaches the atmosphere comes from evaporation. Mostly from the Oceans.
When does evaporation occur?
Evaporation occurs when liquid water changes into water vapor.
What happens to water in the atmosphere?
The water reaches the atmosphere as water vapor. There, the vapor mixes with other gases.
It must change from gas to solid or liquid so it can fall back to Earth.
How does water move on land and in the Oceans?
After water falls to Earth, it flows and circulates all over Earth.
On land, water flows downhill.
Most of precipitation falls into Ocean and currents move water around.
What is runoff?
Streams, rivers and other water flowing over land.
What is infiltration?
Water seeps into the ground, becoming groundwater.
What does the Water Cycle Transport?
Energy - transported through changes of state, and movement of water.
Matter - currents move vast amounts of water, solids in the water, and dissolved salts and gases.
