The Water CycleThe Water Cycle

Liz WhitmanLiz Whitman

Jessica ZavodnikJessica Zavodnik

The Water CycleThe Water Cycle

• The water cycles is a process that is The water cycles is a process that is constantly recycling the Earth’s constantly recycling the Earth’s supply of watersupply of water

• It is important because humans, It is important because humans, animals and plants all need water to animals and plants all need water to survivesurvive

• There are three major steps to the There are three major steps to the water cyclewater cycle

Step One - EvaporationStep One - Evaporation

• The water cycle is controlled by the Sun, The water cycle is controlled by the Sun, which produces energy in the form of heatwhich produces energy in the form of heat

• The heat energy causes the water in The heat energy causes the water in oceans, lakes, puddles, etc. to evaporateoceans, lakes, puddles, etc. to evaporate

• The water now changes from a liquid to a The water now changes from a liquid to a gas, and is now called water vaporgas, and is now called water vapor

• This process is called evaporationThis process is called evaporation

Step Two - CondensationStep Two - Condensation

• When the water evaporates it rises When the water evaporates it rises into the cooler air, collects and forms into the cooler air, collects and forms cloudsclouds

• Here the water vapor molecules cool Here the water vapor molecules cool down and change back into liquid down and change back into liquid waterwater

• This process is condensationThis process is condensation

Step Three - PrecipitationStep Three - Precipitation• As more water vapor cools into the As more water vapor cools into the

clouds, the water droplets that form clouds, the water droplets that form the clouds become larger and largerthe clouds become larger and larger

• Finally, they get so big that the wind Finally, they get so big that the wind in the atmosphere cannot hold them in the atmosphere cannot hold them up, and the droplets fall from the skyup, and the droplets fall from the sky

• This is called precipitationThis is called precipitation– It can come down as rain, snow, sleet or It can come down as rain, snow, sleet or

hailhail

What happens after What happens after precipitation?precipitation?

• After it precipitates, the water runs After it precipitates, the water runs off into lakes, rivers, streams or other off into lakes, rivers, streams or other bodies of waterbodies of water

• Then the cycle starts all over again Then the cycle starts all over again and constantly repeats itself and constantly repeats itself