water cycle essay questions

Biology Article

Water Cycle

Understand the water cycle definition

Discover the water cycle steps

Explore the implications of the water cycle on the environment

What is the Water Cycle? Water Cycle Diagram Stages of Water Cycle Implications of Water Cycle Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Water Cycle?

Water Cycle Diagram

During this process, water changes its state from one phase to another, but the total number of water particles remains the same. In other words, if it were possible to collect and boil 100 gms of water, it will still retain a mass of 100 gms as steam. Likewise, if 100 gms of steam is collected and condensed, the resultant water would still weight 100 gms.

Water changes its state through a variety of processes from evaporation, melting and freezing, to sublimation, condensation, and deposition. All these changes require the application of energy.

Stages of Water Cycle

There are many processes involved in the movement of water apart from the major steps given in the above water cycle diagram. Listed below are different stages of the water cycle.

1. Evaporation

The sun is the ultimate source of energy, and it powers most of the evaporation that occurs on earth. Evaporation generally happens when water molecules at the surface of water bodies become excited and rise into the air. These molecules with the highest kinetic energy accumulate into water vapour clouds. Evaporation usually takes place below the boiling point of water. Another process called evapotranspiration occurs when evaporation occurs through the leaves of plants. This process contributes to a large percentage of water in the atmosphere.

2. Sublimation

Sublimation occurs when snow or ice changes directly into water vapour without becoming water. It usually occurs as a result of dry winds and low humidity. Sublimation can be observed on mountain peaks, where the air pressure is quite low. The low air pressure helps to sublimate the snow into water vapour as less energy is utilised in the process. Another example of sublimation is the phase where fog bellows from dry ice. On earth, the primary source of sublimation is from the ice sheets covering the poles of the earth.

3. Condensation

The water vapour that accumulated in the atmosphere eventually cools down due to the low temperatures found at high altitudes. These vapours become tiny droplets of water and ice, eventually coming together to form clouds.

4. Precipitation

Above 0 degrees centigrade, the vapours will condense into water droplets. However, it cannot condense without dust or other impurities. Hence, water vapours attach itself on to the particle’s surface. When enough droplets merge, it falls out of the clouds and on to the ground below. This process is called precipitation (or rainfall). In particularly cold weather or extremely low air pressure, the water droplets freeze and fall as snow or hail.

5. Infiltration

Rainwater gets absorbed into the ground through the process of infiltration. The level of absorption varies based on the material the water has seeped into. For instance, rocks will retain comparatively less water than soil. Groundwater can either follows streams or rivers. But sometimes, it might just sink deeper, forming aquifers.

If the water from rainfall does not form aquifers, it follows gravity, often flowing down the sides of mountains and hills; eventually forming rivers. This process is called runoff. In colder regions, icecaps form when the amount of snowfall is faster than the rate of evaporation or sublimation. The biggest icecaps on earth are found at the poles.

All the steps mentioned above occur cyclically with neither a fixed beginning nor an end.

Implications of Water Cycle

The water cycle has a tremendous impact on the climate. For instance, the greenhouse effect will cause a rise in temperature. Without the evaporative cooling effect of the water cycle, the temperature on earth would rise drastically.
The water cycle is also an integral part of other biogeochemical cycles.
Water cycle affects all life processes on earth.
The water cycle is also known the clean the air. For instance, during the process of precipitation, water vapours have to attach themselves on to particles of dust. In polluted cities, the raindrops, apart from picking up dust, also pick up water-soluble gas and pollutants as they fall from the clouds. Raindrops are also known to pick up biological agents such as bacteria and industrial soot particles and smoke.

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Biogeochemical cycles
Oxygen Cycle
Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the major 4 steps in the water cycle.

The major 4 steps are evaporation of water, then condensation, precipitation and collection. The sun evaporates water sources and contributes to the formation of water vapor. These water vapour accumulate in the atmosphere as clouds. The vapours condense into water droplets and when enough droplets merge, it falls out of the clouds as rain.

What is the difference between evaporation and condensation?

Evaporation is a process by which water changes into water vapour. Condensation is an opposite process by which water vapour is converted into tiny droplets of water.

Why is water cycle important?

Water cycle has a huge impact on determining the global climate. It is also an integral part of other biogeochemical cycles. It affects all life processes on Earth either directly or indirectly.

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The Process of the Water Cycle Research Paper

Introduction, water cycle process, works cited.

Nature comprises many processes that recycle various elements to avoid human wastage. Nature does not waste any of its elements and recycles them all including water, air and organic fertility. Recycling of natural elements occurs in order to maintain ecological balance for survival of all living species.

However, human beings have meddled with nature so much that problems such as depletion of ozone layer and global warming are inflicting the human race adversely (Kalman and Sjonger 11). An example of a process in which nature recycles one of its constituent elements is the water cycle. By definition, the water cycle is a continuous movement of water between the earth surface and the atmosphere (Kalman and Sjonger 11).

The water moves from water bodies such as oceans and rivers into the atmosphere and vice versa. It involves several states of matter including solid, gas and liquid in which water changes its form in an unending cycle of precipitation (Kalman and Sjonger 2). The cycle involves several steps that include evaporation, precipitation, run-off and percolation. Each of these steps plays a role in continuing the water cycle.

They include evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, sub-surface flow and run-off (Olien 8). In all these steps, water is converted into different states of matter including liquid, gas and solid. Heat exchange is one of the processes that are involved in all the steps. In each of these steps, heat is either lost or gained.

Evaporation

This is the process by which water changes from liquid form to gaseous form (Olien 9). It is the primary process that drives the movement of water from water bodies into the atmosphere in form of water vapor. The main water bodies include oceans, sea, lakes, rivers, dams, streams and ponds.

They provide approximately 90% of the vapor in the atmosphere. The other 10% comes from plants through the process of transpiration (Olien 9). Evaporation takes place when heat from solar energy heats up water in water bodies and causes it to change from liquid to gas. On the other hand, evapotranspiration is the process of water release from the surface of plants and soil due to evaporation (Olien 10).

Transpiration contributes a very low percentage of water vapor in the water cycle. Evaporation is the main process that drives the water cycle. Afterwards, the water vapor rises to the atmosphere and the next step of condensation begins. Research has established that after water molecules rises into the atmosphere, they spend approximately 10 days before being released as precipitation.

Condensation

This is the process by which water vapor changes from vapor into liquid, and is the reverse process of evaporation (Olien 11). Condensation plays a significant part in the water cycle because it results in the formation of clouds. After clouds are formed, they possess the ability to produce precipitation.

Precipitation is the main route through which water returns to the earth surface after the process of evaporation (Olien 11). In times when clouds are not visible, water is still present but in the form of vapor and small water droplets.

Clouds are formed from the combination of these water droplets with atmospheric elements such as dust, smoke and salt. They form tiny cloud droplets that enlarge into clouds as more droplets combine with atmospheric elements. Cloud droplets have different sizes that range from 10 microns to 5 millimeter (Olien 12).

This process takes place in the higher parts of the atmosphere because the weather conditions found there encourage condensation. This is because temperatures are cooler than the lower parts of the atmosphere. As water droplets coalesce, clouds and precipitation may form at the same time. Precipitation refers to clouds in either liquid or solid form falling to the surface of the earth from the clouds (Olien 13).

Precipitation

Precipitation refers to the process by which water is discharged from the atmosphere in a liquid or solid form into the surface of the earth, be it land or water surface (Kalman and Sjonger 16). Precipitation is released from the atmosphere in many forms that include snow, hail, freezing rain, sleet or rain.

It is the main channel that returns water into the surface of the earth. In most cases, precipitation is released as rain. Some precipitation is released from the atmosphere in form of snow, which accumulates in certain places on the ground to form glaciers and icecaps. When temperatures rise during spring, they melt and the water flows back into water bodies.

These structures store water for long periods. Clouds comprise water vapor, which accumulates over a long period to form precipitation (Kalman and Sjonger 16). Precipitation happens when these droplets gain a fall velocity that is greater than the cloud updraft speed. This takes a long time because a single raindrop is made by a combination of millions of tiny cloud droplets.

Surface run-off

This is the runoff of precipitation on the surface of the earth (Kalman and Sjonger 18). When rain hits an impervious surface on the ground, it flows over the surface. This water then flows back into water bodies and evaporates to continue the cycle. It flows into lakes, rivers and streams, from which t floes into the oceans.

Approximately, a complete water cycle takes 9 days. During runoff, water may infiltrate the ground, evaporate or flow back into water bodies. Only about 30% of precipitation that falls from the atmosphere flows back into the oceans. The other 70% evaporates, infiltrates the ground or is transpired (Olien 20). Human beings can also divert surface runoff to desired places for use in agriculture.

Infiltration

This refers to the process of water movement from the earth surface into the ground. A small portion of infiltrated water is held by the shallow soil layer from which it flows horizontally and vertically through the soil layer into the atmosphere (Olien 21). Some water seeps through the ground surface and flows into streams while the rest infiltrates further into the ground and replenishes the ground-water aquifers.

If these aquifers are porous, then people can drill water holes into the aquifers to draw water for domestic and agricultural uses (Kalman and Sjonger 23). Water that infiltrates into the ground stays there for some time before seeping into streams or moving vertically to the surface from where it evaporates.

Ground water storage and discharge

Some water infiltrates into the deep regions of the earth surface and is stored there for long periods. Despite being trapped in the depths of the earth, the water moves slowly since it is part of the water cycle. Ground water is stored in structures known as aquifers. To participate effectively in the water cycle, ground water seeps through the ground and enters the main water bodies by horizontal movement.

The structure of quifers and confining soil and rock layers are the main factors that determine the speed of groundwater movement. In addition, the movement of the water depends on the permeability and porosity of the soil constituents that hold the water. Because of gravity, groundwater moves further downwards into the ground surface and may never move back to the water cycle. It remains trapped in the ground for thousands of years.

Nature comprises many processes that recycle various elements for reuse. Nature has no wastage and recycles all elements including water, air and organic fertility. An example of a process in which nature recycles one of its constituent element is the water cycle. By definition, water cycle is a continuous movement of water between the earth surface and the atmosphere.

The water moves from water bodies found on the surface of the earth to the atmosphere and vice versa. Steps involved in the water cycle include evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, sub-surface flow and run-off. In all these steps, water is converted into different states of matter including liquid, gas and solid. Water evaporates from the surface of the earth, moves into the atmosphere as vapor and condenses to form clouds.

These clouds fall back to the earth surface as precipitation in form of rain, sleet or snow. Some water seeps through the ground surface and flows into streams while the rest infiltrates further into the ground and replenishes the ground-water aquifers. It stays there for some time before seeping into streams or moving vertically to the surface from where it evaporates.

The water cycle is important in maintaining the right amount of water in nature. In addition, it facilitates the storage of underground water that is used when there is no precipitation or during droughts. Some water infiltrates into the deep regions of the earth surface and is stored there for long periods. Despite being trapped in the depths of the earth, the water moves slowly since it is part of the water cycle.

Kalman, Bobbie and Sjonger, Rebecca. The Water Cycle . New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2006. Print.

Olien, Rebecca. The Water Cycle . New York: Capstone, 2005. Print.

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The Water Cycle, Essay Example

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Water is an important element for the survival of living things. The hydrologic cycle refers to the precipitation and evaporation of water from the atmosphere and back to the earth. Water on earth is mostly found in the ocean, which covers over 70% of the earth’s surface and is the source for the major reservoir. In fact, the oceans contain about 97% of the earth’s available water. The hydrologic cycle is driven through solar energy, which causes the water to evaporate into the atmosphere and return to the earth’s surface in the form of precipitation via gravity. Water that falls onto the land can be absorbed through living organisms, such as plants. Water molecules taken up by plants are returned to the atmosphere in form of evaporation from leaves. Other water molecules are absorbed into the water and undergo photosynthesis through combining with carbon dioxide resulting in high energy molecules referred to as glucose. These glucose molecules are then further broken down during cellular respiration of living organisms into water and carbon dioxide and released back into the atmosphere.

The patterns of both precipitation and evaporation result in the distribution of plants on the earth’s surface. For instance, this change in hydrologic cycle can be observed in different types of habitats, such as the desert or rain forest. In deserts, there is a decrease observed in living communities due to the decrease in biological productivity from the lack of water. On the other hand in rain forests, there is an abundance of water resulting in an increased biological productivity. In these habitats, therefore, different types of plant species and abundance occur. Changes in the hydrologic cycle could results in changes of plant communities in these areas, which thereby effect the distribution of plants on earth.

Living organisms in an ecosystem require both energy and nutrients in order to maintain life activities essential to living organisms, such as growth, development and reproductions. Plants are key to the cycle of energy and nutrients within an ecosystem. The plants capture sunlight and convert the sunlight into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. The energy captured through the plants is transferred through the food chain starting with the herbivores. The herbivores eat plants and obtain energy. Carnivore animals eat the herbivores to obtain energy. Scavengers obtain energy from left over animal remains. Finally, decomposers obtain energy through decaying material. Sunlight provides the energy that powers life. Nutrients and C N P H20 enter the ecosystem via the non-living components of the planet, such as the atmosphere, earth, or ocean. Solar energy continually bombards the earth and provides a limitless source of energy. This flow of energy is limitless since the energy provided from the sun is limitless. However, the nutrients essential for living organisms is limited. For instance, the earth only contains a certain amount of available Carbon, Phosphorus, or Nitrogen. The process of photosynthesis provides 1/7 th of the available carbon. Therefore, if cellular respiration were to discontinue and carbon dioxide was not released into the atmosphere, energy for life would also discontinue, as the availability of Carbon would decrease or end for the uptake of plants. Therefore, the flow of energy and the cycling of nutrients play major roles in the populations within an ecosystem.

The differences in ecosystems depend of two different types of factors. These are abiotic and biotic factors. The abiotic factors refer to components such as non-living things such as water and light. The biotic factors are the living community of organisms. Different habitats are comprised of different abiotic and biotic factors. In a swamp, the most important abiotic factor is water. The water in a swamp has a huge biotic community for micro biotic organisms, such as animal and plant-like protists, fish, plants, insects, amphibians, and reptiles. Birds and mammals also utilize the swamps as well. All of the biotic community comprises the biotic factors.

Matter and energy flow through an ecosystem when organisms feed on one another, making up the food chain. Food producers are the first chain, such as plants and algae that capture sunlight and convert chemical energy to food via photosynthesis. After the food producers, are the consumers. Consumers consume food producers; therefore, they eat the plant material. Next are the second order consumers, third order consumers and decomposers.

Pyramids were developed to illustrate the energy flow through an ecosystem with the producers on the bottom, consumers, 2 nd order consumers, and third order consumers at the top. This pyramid showed that 16% of the energy is passed on to the consumers, 11% to the secondary consumers, and only 5% to the third order consumers.

The Carbon cycle moves through ecosystems starting with air, since it contains carbon dioxide. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and break it down to glucose and oxygen. Carbon dioxide also diffuses into water for aquatic plants. Some of the Carbon atoms are used to build body tissue and other molecules are returned back to the atmosphere. Carbon is also released back to the environment through the burning of wood or fossil fuels. Decomposers also return Carbon to the atmosphere as well. All of these components affect the carbon cycle.

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Home / Essay Samples / Environment / Water Cycle / Understanding The Water Cycle: A Fundamental Process

Understanding The Water Cycle: A Fundamental Process

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