The Water Cycle
• As time passes, how does water move from
one place to another?
• The water cycle is the continuous
movement of water on, above, and below
Earth’s surface.
The Sun gives the energy that moves the
water. Liquid can change into gas, or a solid
can change into liquid.
To change from one state of water to another
you need a gain or loss of thermal energy.
• The water cycle is continuous.
Evaporation
• When the Sun shines on an ocean, water near
the surface absorbs energy and becomes
warmer.
• When a molecule of water absorbs energy, it
begins to vibrate faster. When it has a enough
energy, it breaks away from the other water
molecules and rises into the atmosphere as
water vapor (gas).
Evaporation is the process by which a liquid
changes into a gas.
Transpiration and Respiration
• Oceans are the largest reservoirs of the hydrosphere so they
are major sources of water vapor.
Water also evaporates from rivers, lakes, puddles, and even soil.
All together 90% of the water that entres the atmosphere.
The remaining 10% is produced by plants.
Transpiration is the process by which plants release water vapor
through their leaves.
Transpiration and Respiration
• Some water vapor also comes from organisms through cellular
respiration.
• Cells use oxygen to function and during these processes they
produce carbon dioxide as a waste product.
• When animals exhale, this carbon dioxide and water vapor is
released into the atmosphere.
Respiration is the process due to which water vapor and carbon
dioxide are released into the atmosphere
Condensation
• As water vapor rises in the troposphere, it cools down.
• Eventually it gets cool enough to turn back into the liquid state.
The process by which a gas changes to a liquid is called
condensation.
• Tiny droplets of liquid water join together to form larger drops.
Millions of water droplets form a cloud.
Precipitation
• Eventually, drops of water become so large and
heavy that they fall to Earth’s surface.
• Moisture that falls from clouds to Earth’s
surface is called precipitation; such as rain and
snow.
• More than 75% of precipitation falls into the
ocean.
• Some evaporates back into the atmosphere,
some flows into rivers or lakes and the rest
seeps into the soil and rocks.
• In the water
cycle, water is
continually
moving between
the hydrosphere,
atmosphere,
biosphere, and
geosphere.
- Changes of states of Water
1-Evaporation: The change from liquid to gas. (Liquid water to water vapor)
2- Condensation: The change from gas to liquid. (water vapor to liquid water)
3- Freezing: The change from liquid to solid. (water to ice)
4- Melting: The change from solid to liquid. (ice to water)
5- Deposition: The change from gas to solid. (water vapor to snow)
6- Sublimation: The change from solid to gas. (ice to water vapor)
What is the difference
between weather and
climate?
What affects the
weather?
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a certain time and
place.
Weather is described using several factors such as:
- Air temperature
- Air pressure
- Wind
- Humidity
Climate
Climate is the weather pattern for a region over a long period of
time.
Climates usually differ because of the interactions between the
atmosphere and the other systems of Earth.
Climates are usually affected by the distance from the Equator,
the nearness to water, and the difference in elevations.
How are the different
forms of rocks
formed?
What is the rock
cycle?
Atmosphere Geosphere
Hydrosphere Biosphere
Igneous • Lava that cooled and hardened
Sedimentary • Naturally joined sediments
Metamorphic • High temperature and Pressure
Just as the water cycle, the rock cycle is natural, and continuous.
It is the series of processes that transport and continually change
rocks into different forms.
It takes place in the geosphere, but it is affected by the interactions
of the other systems.
Cooling and Crystallization
When magma flows out into the surface
it is called lava.
Mineral crystals form as magma cool
below the surface and lava cools on
the surface.
Crystallization changes the molten
material into igneous rocks.
Weathering and Erosion
Rocks on the surface of Earth are exposed to the atmosphere, the
biosphere, and the hydrosphere.
Glaciers, wind, and rain, along with some activities of other
organisms break down rocks into sediments; This is Weathering.
Some of these sediments are then carried to new locations by
water, wind or glaciers; This is Erosion.
Deposition
Deposition is when layers of sediments are formed.
Compaction and
Cementation
This process produces sedimentary rocks.
Due to deposition, more and more layers of sediments are being
deposited, which causes a larger weight pushing down on the
underlying layers; This is Compaction.
Minerals crystalize between the layers of sediments compacted
over each other which causes the sediments to be cemented
together; This is Cementation.
High Temperatures
and Pressure
Beneath the surface of Earth, all rocks can change to become new
metamorphic rocks due to the high temperature and pressure.
Then the uplift can bring these newly formed rocks back to the
surface of Earth, and the cycle continues.
NOTE:
Uplift
Uplift is the process that moves large bodies of Earth materials
to higher elevations.
This process allows rocks formed below the surface to move up to
the surface after millions of years.