Water Cycle Processes

Water Cycle

Evaporation

• Process by which liquid water is transformed into water vapor
• Occurs at the surface of oceans, lakes, rivers, and the ground
• Factors that influence evaporation:
  • Temperature: higher temperatures increase evaporation rates
  • Humidity: lower humidity allows for more evaporation
  • Wind: increases evaporation by facilitating water molecules' escape
  • Solar radiation: provides energy for evaporation

Condensation

• Process by which water vapor in the air is cooled and changed back into liquid water
• Occurs when air reaches its dew point (temperature at which air becomes saturated with water vapor)
• Forms:
  • Clouds: water droplets suspended in air
  • Fog: water droplets suspended near the ground
  • Dew: water droplets that form on surfaces
  • Frost: ice crystals that form on surfaces

Precipitation

• Process by which water droplets in clouds combine and fall to the ground
• Forms:
  • Rain: liquid droplets
  • Snow: ice crystals
  • Sleet: raindrops that freeze before reaching the ground
  • Hail: updrafts in thunderstorms carry water droplets up, where they freeze into small balls of ice
• Factors that influence precipitation:
  • Cloud type: different clouds produce different types of precipitation
  • Air currents: wind patterns affect precipitation distribution
  • Topography: mountains and hills force air to rise, cool, and condense, resulting in orographic precipitation

Water Cycle

Evaporation

• Liquid water transforms into water vapor through evaporation, occurring at the surface of oceans, lakes, rivers, and the ground.
• Temperature, humidity, wind, and solar radiation are key factors influencing evaporation rates.
• Higher temperatures increase evaporation rates, while lower humidity allows for more evaporation.
• Wind facilitates the escape of water molecules, increasing evaporation, and solar radiation provides the energy for evaporation.

Condensation

• Water vapor in the air cools and changes back into liquid water through condensation, occurring when air reaches its dew point.
• Clouds, fog, dew, and frost are formed through condensation.
• Clouds are composed of water droplets suspended in air, while fog is composed of water droplets suspended near the ground.
• Dew forms on surfaces, and frost forms when water droplets on surfaces freeze into ice crystals.

Precipitation

• Water droplets in clouds combine and fall to the ground through precipitation, forming rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
• Rain consists of liquid droplets, while snow consists of ice crystals.
• Sleet forms when raindrops freeze before reaching the ground, and hail forms when updrafts in thunderstorms carry water droplets up, where they freeze into small balls of ice.
• Cloud type, air currents, and topography influence precipitation distribution and type.
• Different clouds produce different types of precipitation, and air currents affect precipitation distribution.
• Topography, such as mountains and hills, forces air to rise, cool, and condense, resulting in orographic precipitation.