Hydrological Cycle and its Components PDF

Hydrological Cycle and its Components Contents Hydrological cycle Components of the cycle Process Hydrological Cycle also known as global water cycle or the H2O cycle. one of the most important processes in the natural world describes the storage and movement of...

Hydrological Cycle and its Components Contents Hydrological cycle Components of the cycle Process Hydrological Cycle also known as global water cycle or the H2O cycle. one of the most important processes in the natural world describes the storage and movement of water between the: o biosphere o atmosphere o lithosphere o hydrosphere Hydrological Cycle total amount of water remains constant, its distribution among the various processes changes. throughout water changes between three different states: o water evaporating into water vapor o vapor condensing to become water o water freezing into ice o ice melting into water Components of Hydrological Cycle the hydrological cycle is composed of the following components: o Evaporation o Transpiration o Sublimation o Condensation o Precipitation o Run-off o Infiltration and percolation o Ground-water flow Evaporation Surface water get energized by the solar radiations sufficiently energized break free from the forces binding them together and they evaporate as water vapor. largest amount of water comes from oceanic evaporation Transpiration process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers. Evaporation along with transpiration is known as evaporation Sublimation Movement of water directly from a solid to a gaseous state without ever entering the liquid state. This allows water in snow or glaciers to enter the atmosphere directly. Condensation water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water. When water vapor rises, it cools slightly and condenses the water condenses on dust particles in the air and becomes liquid Precipitation Water falls from the sky in numerous different forms of precipitation including rain, snow, and hail. precipitation comes from clouds, which move around the world by air currents Run-off Runoff is that portion of precipitation which makes its way toward stream, channels, lakes or oceans as surface or sub-surface flow. runoff will occur only when the rate of precipitation exceeds the rate at which water may infiltrate into the soil Infiltration process in which water is absorbed by soil of any area by the downward movement of water during a rainfall. the porosity and pore-size distribution affect the infiltration rate. the infiltrated water slowly becomes a part of groundwater Groundwater Discharge Groundwater is water that is held in cracks and pore spaces below ground. This water can be tapped by water supply wells or continue moving below the ground until it eventually returns to the surface The process by which groundwater exits the ground is known as groundwater discharge. Hydrological Cycle Process of hydrological cycle starts with oceans. Water in oceans, gets evaporated due to heat energy provided by solar radiation and forms water vapor. This water vapor moves upwards to higher altitudes forming clouds. Most of the clouds condense and precipitate in any form like rain, hail, snow, sleet. A part of clouds is driven to land by winds. Precipitation, while falling to the ground, some part of it evaporates back to atmosphere. Hydrological Cycle Portion of water that reaches the ground, enters the earth’s surface infiltrating various strata of soil and enhancing the moisture content as well as water table. Vegetation sends a portion of water from earth’s surface back to atmosphere through the process of transpiration. Once water percolates and infiltrates the earth’s surface, runoff is formed over the land, flowing through the contours of land heading towards river and lakes and finally joins into oceans after many years. Some amount of water is retained as depression storage. Hydrological Cycle Further again the process of this hydrological cycle continues by blowing of cool air over ocean, carrying water molecules, forming into water vapor then clouds getting condensed and precipitates as rainfall. Similarly, then water gets percolated into soil, increasing water table then formation of runoff waters heading towards water bodies. Thus the cyclic process continues. 1 pc 2 L plastic soft drink bottle with its cap 1 pc 2 L plastic soft drink bottle with its top cut off 1 pc 2 L plastic soft drinks bottle with its bottom cut off 2 L dirty water from natural source such as river, pond, or lake 3 L clean water 1 ½ cup fine sand 1 ½ cup coarse sand 1 cup pebbles 1 disposable coffee filter Rubber band Stopwatch Spoon 1 pc Marker 1 pc Paper Masking tape (1 inch size) THANKYOU ☺  The North Face of Mount Everest Himalayas, Northern India Mountains What are mountains? A landform that reaches a high elevation. For a hill or mound to be classified as a mountain, its summit, or highest point, must be more than a few hundred meters above the land around it. Mt. Fuji in Japan  Mountain Systems Most mountains do not stand alone, they are part of a group of mountains. A group of mountains with the same general shape and structure is called a mountain range. Groups of mountain ranges form into what are called mountain systems.  Some scientists break up mountain systems into two major groups, called belts. These belts, shown below are called the Eurasian-Melanesian belt and the Circum- Pacific belt. How are mountains formed? When tectonic plates collide, land features that start as folds and faults can eventually become large mountain ranges. Mountains exist because tectonic plates are continually moving around and colliding with one another. Sierra Nevada in California How do mountains change? Over millions of years, mountains change and take on different forms. Mountains change as the crust is either built up or worn away by various processes. How do mountains change? Some mountains have steep slopes. The peaks are sharp and jagged and the valleys are narrow. These mountains are often called “young” because they are formed from new crust.  As time passes, a mountain’s peak is worn down by weather conditions which make the peak more rounded and the slopes become less steep. These mountains are sometimes called “mature” mountains. San Bernardino Mountains of California Some mountains continue to be worn away for a very long time. These “old” mountains are almost flat and have no jagged peaks. They have rolling hills and the valleys between these mountains are wide. For example the Appalachian Mountains  How are mountains classified? Mountains are classified based on how they formed. There are three main types: – Volcanic – Folded – Fault-block Appalachian Mountains in the U.S. Volcanic Mountains Formed from lava or debris, such as ash or rocks, thrown out of a volcano. They are built up from eruptions that occur over thousands or even millions of years. Mount Fuji in Japan is a volcanic mountain. Folded Mountains Mountains formed by the folding of rock layers. Most are formed at convergent boundaries where continents have collided. They form when rock layers are squeezed together and pushed upward.. Folded Mountains The highest mountain ranges in the world are made up of folded mountains. Example: Himalayas in Asia  Upwarped folding: Black Hills,South Dakota "Hog backs" looking north along edge of Colorado Front Ranges west of Boulder, CO. Anticline: fold of rock that bends upward in an arch Syncline : a fold of rock that bends downward in the middle to form a “U” Anticline or syncline? syncline The famous Rainbow syncline near Basin ________ Barstow, CA Folded Mountains Appalachian Mountains Fault-Block Mountains Formed when tension causes large blocks of the Earth’s crust to drop down relative to other blocks. Mountains that have sharp, jagged peaks. Example: Sierra Nevada Mountains in California Fault-Block Mountains Formed when tension causes large blocks of the Earth’s crust to drop down relative to other blocks.  Fault-Block Mountains Mountains that have sharp, jagged peaks. The Grand Tetons in Wyoming & the Sierra Nevada in California are fault-block mountains.  Fault-Block mountains: Teton Range, Sierra Nevada Mountains that have sharp, jagged peaks. Grand Tetons, Wyoming are examples of fault block mountains. What are Plains? Large, flat areas that are just above sea level. They slope gently over great distances. They can form from uneven land being worn down by weather conditions or from material being deposited in a large body of water. There are two types of plains: – Coastal (located in coastal areas) – Inland (located inland) The Great Plains in Montana What are Plateaus? Have much higher elevations than plains, yet they are also large, flat areas. The same forces that build mountains form plateaus. Island in the Sky Plateau, Canyonlands National Park Utah What are Plateaus? Many have canyons, which are steep-sided valleys formed by a river. The same forces that build mountains form plateaus. Colorado Plateau