Hydrologic Cycle: Principal Natural Components PDF

**HYDROLOGIC CYCLE : Principal Natural Components** **PRECIPITATION** - snow or rain **INFILTRATION** - to the soil **SURFACE RUNOFF** **GROUNDWATER** - moves to the surface or the oceans **EVAPOTRANSPIRATION** - movement from water bodies, soil, and living things +----------------------------...

**HYDROLOGIC CYCLE : Principal Natural Components** **PRECIPITATION** - snow or rain **INFILTRATION** - to the soil **SURFACE RUNOFF** **GROUNDWATER** - moves to the surface or the oceans **EVAPOTRANSPIRATION** - movement from water bodies, soil, and living things +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Water makes up 71% of the Earth's surface | | | |  | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ **SURFACE WATER** - 1% of freshwater on Earth → It is present naturally or artificially in formations where water can accumulate called ***reservoirs*** **GROUNDWATER** - It refers to the sub-surface water contained in pore spaces in regolith and bedrock. → The volume of groundwater is 40 times larger than surface water. → Accessible groundwater is no more than 750m below the ground. → Natural formations where water accumulates underground is called ***aquifers*** **GROUNDWATER MINING** - If the rate of withdrawal of groundwater exceeds the natural recharge, the volume of groundwater will steadily decrease. → This may result to lowering of the water table, drying up of springs and streams, compaction of the aquifer, and land subsidence (ground sinking). → Groundwater is complicated to monitor because it is hidden from view   +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **MAIN CAUSES OF WATER CONTAMINATION:** | | | | → untreated sewage | | | | → agricultural pesticides and fertilizers | | | | → leakage of harmful chemicals (gas stations, refineries, and other | | industries) pollution | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ **RA 9275 The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004** - an act is proposed to protect the country's water bodies from pollution from land-based sources +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Freshwater is not distributed equally across the globe.** | | | | **Canada:** 0.5% of the world's population has 20% liquid freshwater | | | | **China:** 19% of the world's population has 7% liquid freshwater | | | | **Asia:** 60% of the world's population has 30% liquid freshwater | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ **FRESHWATER WITHDRAWALS** - It is the amount of water taken from the natural environment to be used for human activity. **Agriculture**: growing of crops and maintaining livestock **Industry**: creating manufactured goods **Domestic**: everyday activities (showers, laundry, drinking, etc.) **DESALINATION** - a process to extract freshwater from saltwater, removing the unwanted salt content. → This is viewed as the popular solution to droughts. Due to the widespread use, desalination is becoming cheaper. → On the other hand, the environmental impact of large-scale desalination must also be considered