The hydrologic cycle — also known as the water cycle — is the continuous exchange of water between Earth's surface and the atmosphere. As the planet's natural mechanism for transporting and recycling water, the hydrologic cycle is critical for maintaining conditions on Earth. There are five basic steps within the water cycle: condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and evapotranspiration. Gaseous water vapor in the atmosphere condenses to form clouds, which can produce precipitation. Rain, snow, and sleet return water from the atmosphere to Earth's surface.
* The water cycle consists of several stages. The first stage is called Evaporation. The role of evaporation is when the sun begins heat up bodies of water like oceans, rivers, pounds, lakes, and seas and converts it into steam or vapor. Slowly, the vapor or steam begins to rise up to the sky. The next stage is called condensation.
The earth has had the same amount of water for millions of years. This is made possible by the water (hydrological) cycle which circulates water, constantly moving and changing from one state to another (solid, liquid, or vapour/gas). The many interactions of the atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere are responsible for this transition of forms, although the core power of the first stage of movement is from the energy of the sun. The sun provides energy to first evaporate liquid to vapour, which starts the other processed involved in this cycle: precipitation, condensation, transpiration, runoff and percolation/infiltration. The Earth's system of cycling water is viewed as the continual displacement of water taken from the ocean, transported through the atmosphere, deposited over land, and ultimately fed back to the ocean.
The salinity and temperature of the water influence its density, and the differences in density are the major factor in understanding the formation of currents and the positions of water masses in the sea. In addition, temperature and salinity play major roles in influencing the distribution of plants and animals. The sediments of the sea floor may be divided into lithogenous, hydrogenous, biogenous, and cosmogenous sediments. Lithogenous sediments are the major sediments on the ocean floor. They are derived from the chemical and mechanical weathering of rocks.
Another way to generate hydropower is by creating a storage system where water is collected by dams that can direct water into the penstock to turn the generator when the demand for electricity is high. The water being held back by the dam becomes lakes that can be used for boating and fishing. The rivers beyond the dam can be used for whitewater rafting and kayaking spots. A perfect example of this is the Hoover dam, built in 1936 between Arizona and Nevada. Lake Mead provides 112 miles of recreation, including boating and fishing.
However, with a global rise in temperatures, the storage of water is shifting, especially for the water locked in permafrost, and other glaciers. (greenfieldgeography, 2014). Much of the water locked in ice is from icebergs, and shelves, which are already part of the ocean in terms of volume, and so their melting actually does nothing to the overall volume of water, although ice is less dense than water is, hence, as the ice melts it does not take up larger volumes of space. The main reason for this change in water storage is the shift in global temperatures, due to climate change. A huge issue is the rising of sea levels, due to the increase in global temperatures.
Throughout and after an ice age, eustatic change takes place. At the start of an ice age, the temperature falls and water is frozen and stored in glaciers inland, suspending the hydrological cycle. This results in water being taken out of the sea but not being put back in leading to an overall fall in sea level. Conversely, as an ice age ends, the temperature begins to rise and so the water stored in the glaciers will renter the hydrological cycle and the sea will be replenished, increasing the sea levels. Increases in temperature outside of an ice age will also affect the sea level
The water cycle also known as the hydrological cycle the continuous movement of water above and below the surface of the Earth and has neither a proper beginning nor end and is a constant and balanced occurrence, hence cycle. The cycle consists of many different processes however there are four key and essential processes that must occur for the cycle to take place. Four Steps in The Water Cycle * Evaporation occurs when water transforms from liquid to gas, typically when the sun's warming rays radiate out heat energy to the water surface particles then the more “energetic particles" may have sufficient energy to escape (change state) from the surface of the liquid as gas/vapour. And also transpiration from plants called evapo-transpiration adds to this. * Condensation occurs as the water vapour rises into the atmosphere, creating clouds etc.
Water is a unique substance that is essential to life. More than 99 percent of moisture is in constant storage in oceans, lakes, streams, glaciers, and Earth's subsurface. The remaining 1 percent or Earth's total moisture is involved in the hydrologic cycle. The hydrologic cycle, powered by energy from the Sun, is a continuous exchange of moisture between the oceans, the atmosphere, and the land. Heat initiates the process of evaporation where water is transformed into vapor.
[pic] [pic]The Water Cycle[pic] Every human, plant, and animal depends on water for survival. Let's explore the Earth's water cycle; what exactly is it? [pic] The water cycle is the way the Earth uses and recycles water. It's controlled by the sun, which produces energy in the form of heat. This heat energy causes the water in the world's oceans, lakes, and even puddles in your backyard to warm and evaporate.