The Water Cycle
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/mwater.html
Where is Earth’s Water?
Freshwater- 2.5% surface or other- 1.2% atmosphere- 3.0% soil moisture – 3.8%
Oceans – 96.5% groundwater – 30.1% living things – 0.26% rivers- 0.49%
Glaciers – 68..7% ice and snow – 69.0% swamps – 2.6%
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How Much Water Is There?
What is another term used for the water cycle?
Condensation
Evaporation
Evapotranspiration
Freshwater Storage
4. Label the diagram below:
Ice, Snow, and Glaciers
Infiltration
Oceans
Precipitation
Snowmelt Runoff
Streamflow
Sublimation
Surface Runoff
[I]Condensation
[H]Evaporation
[K]Evapotranspiration
[O]Freshwater storage
[E]Groundwater discharge
[F]Groundwater storage
[D]Infiltration
[B]Precipitation
[C]Snowmelt runoff to streams
[N]Spring
[M]Streamflow
[P]Sublimation
[L]Surface runoff
[J]Water storage in the atmosphere
[A]Water storage in ice and snow
(
G]
Water storage in oceans
[
]
Desublimation [ ] Plant uptake
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/mwater.html
Where is Earth’s Water?
- What does it mean that the Earth is a closed system, like a terrarium?
- This means were in one spot and create our own resources. For water it doesn’t leave earth’s atmosphere so it’s kind of like being in our own bubble.
- How does water the water amount from millions of years ago compare to today’s water amount?
- The amount of water millions years ago was more because now there are more buildings and structures that were built over water.
- Out of all the water on Earth, what percentage is usable by humans?
- 2.5%
- Of the water usable by humans, where is the largest percentage of that water found?
- Glaciers and ice caps
- Complete the following diagram:
Freshwater- 2.5% surface or other- 1.2% atmosphere- 3.0% soil moisture – 3.8%
Oceans – 96.5% groundwater – 30.1% living things – 0.26% rivers- 0.49%
Glaciers – 68..7% ice and snow – 69.0% swamps – 2.6%
- Of the freshwater, where is most of the water tied up?
-
- Of the remaining freshwater, where is the largest majority of that water found?
- Ice
- What percentage of freshwater is found as surface water?
- 1.2%
- Compare the amount of freshwater to the amount of saltwater in cubic kilometers:
How Much Water Is There?
- How much of the Earth’s surface is covered by water?
- 71%
- Besides the ocean, where else does water exist?
- Water vapor in rivers, lakes, glaciers, and ice caps.
- Where does most of the water people and other life on Earth come from?
- Compare the amount of groundwater to surface water:
- More than half of the water is surface water.
- What term is used for the storage place of groundwater?
- Aquifers
- How is groundwater recharged?
- The process of water building up underground.
- How does groundwater recharge rivers?
- Seepage.
- In 2010, how much surface water did the United States use?
- 275 gallons per day.
- In the same time period, how much groundwater did people use?
- 79.3 gallons per day.
What is another term used for the water cycle?
- Hydrologic cycle.
- Which two processes changes liquid water into vapor which then rises into the atmosphere?
- Evaporation.
- Transpiration.
- Which process produces the majority of the vapor in the atmosphere?
- Evaporation.
- What percentage of vapor does transpiration add to the atmosphere?
- 10%
- If all the water in the atmosphere rained down and covered the Earth, how deep would it be?
- About 1 inch.
Condensation
- Define condensation:
- The process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water.
- Why is condensation an important part of the water cycle?
- It’s responsible for the formation of clouds.
- Besides clouds, what else can happen due to condensation?
- Fog.
Evaporation
- Define evaporation:
- The process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas or vapor.
- Where does most of the evaporated water come from?
- Oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers.
- What is necessary in order for evaporation to occur?
- Water vapor.
- What percentage of the water evaporated from the ocean is transported over land and falls as precipitation?
- 10%
- How long does an evaporated water molecule stay in the air?
- 10 days.
Evapotranspiration
- According to this website, define evapotranspiration: (beneath the diagram)
- The sum of evaporation from the land surface plus transpiration from plants. Precipitation is the source of all water.
- Define transpiration:
- The release of water form plant leaves.
- How much water in the atmosphere is due to transpiration:
- 10%
- How does a plant transpire?
- Plants put down roots into the soil to draw water and nutrients up into the stems and leaves.
- How much can an oak tree transpire during one day?
- 3,000-4,000.
Freshwater Storage
- What bodies of water does surface water include:
- Rivers, ponds, creeks, lakes, and canals.
- What processes are included in “inflows” to surface water?
- Precipitation, runoff, and seepage.
- What processes are included in “outflows” of surface water?
- Evaporation.
- Describe why groundwater is an important part of the water cycle:
- Drinking water and irrigation.
- Where is the majority of groundwater found?
- Between rocks and sub surfaces.
- When are aquifers formed?
- Soil and rock particles that can be totally filled with water.
- Explain how water becomes part of the groundwater:
- Precipitation falls onto the land and infiltrates into the ground.
- What percentage of freshwater is groundwater?
- Where does most of the water in groundwater come from?
- Precipitation that infiltrates from land surface.
- Describe the difference between the saturated zone and the unsaturated zone:
- The saturated zone is below the water table while unsaturated is above.
- What is the water table?
- It describes where each layer is of water.
- To what level would you have to dig to find water?
4. Label the diagram below:
- Precipitation 4. Water table
- Recharge to water table 5. Unsaturated zone
- Saturated zone 6. Soil zone
Ice, Snow, and Glaciers
- What is meat by storage, in relation to the water cycle?
- water that is locked up in its present state for a relatively long period of time
- Where is the 90% of Earth’s ice mass found?
- Antartica.
- Where is the rest of it found?
- Greenland ice caps
- What majority of freshwater is held in ice caps and glaciers?
- 1.7%
Infiltration
- What is happening to water during infiltration?
- Surface water becomes groundwater.
- What happens to water that infiltrates the shallow soil layer?
- It moves horizontally and vertically through the soil.
- What happens to the water that infiltrates deeper?
- May be able to recharge aquifers.
- What is the greatest factor affecting infiltration?
- Precipitation.
- What happens to rain, once the soil is saturated?
- It is used for plant life functions.
Oceans
- What percentage of water is found in the ocean?
- 96.5%
- What percentage of evaporated water comes from the ocean?
- 90%
Precipitation
- What forms of water can precipitation take?
- rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, or hail
- How does most precipitation fall?
- Water droplets have to grow heavy enough.
- What has to happen before water can fall as precipitation?
- Water droplets collide to become bigger and heavy enough to fall out of the sky.
- How do water droplets grow?
- Collision.
- Draw how raindrops actually look up to 3 mm:
Snowmelt Runoff
- In what type of climates does snowmelt runoff play a significant role in streamflow?
- In colder climates.
- What percentage of freshwater in the western states comes from snowmelt runoff?
- 75%
- What are springs a result of?
- An aquifer being filled to the point of it overflowing.
Streamflow
- How does USGS define streamflow?
- The amount of water flowing in a river.
- What is a stream?
- A flowing body of water.
- Why do rivers exist?
- For drinking supplies, irrigating water, producing electricity, transport, and obtain food.
- Where does water generally seek to flow?
- Center of the earth.
- What percentage of freshwater is found in rivers?
- 0.002%
Sublimation
- What is sublimation?
- the conversion between the solid and the gaseous phases of matter, with no intermediate liquid stage
- What is sublimation, in relation to the water cycle?
- The use of carbon dioxide, or like dry ice.
- When does sublimation occur?
- When heat changes ice into vapor or water into vapor.
- Where on Earth does sublimation happen a lot?
- Mt. Everest to the Chinook winds.
- What is a Chinook Wind and where do they occur?
- Westerlies from the pacific and occur over the rocky mountains or high plains.
Surface Runoff
- What is surface runoff
- Precipitation that falls over land and runs off into rivers then empty into oceans.
- When does runoff occur?
- When rain hits impervious or saturated ground.
[I]Condensation
[H]Evaporation
[K]Evapotranspiration
[O]Freshwater storage
[E]Groundwater discharge
[F]Groundwater storage
[D]Infiltration
[B]Precipitation
[C]Snowmelt runoff to streams
[N]Spring
[M]Streamflow
[P]Sublimation
[L]Surface runoff
[J]Water storage in the atmosphere
[A]Water storage in ice and snow
(
G]
Water storage in oceans
[
]
Desublimation [ ] Plant uptake