You may think that every drop of rain that falls from the sky, oreach glass of water that you drink is brand new, but in fact it has
always been here and is a constant part of The Water Cycle!
U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey
Stefanie Neno, Jim Morgan, Gabriele Zanolli, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsHoward Perlman, Gerard Gonthier, U.S. Geological Survey
General Information Product 146http : //ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle-kids.html
The heat of the sun provides energy to make the water cycle work.
The sun evaporateswater from the oceansinto water vapor.
The water vaporcondenses into clouds.
Air currents move cloudsall around the Earth.
Water drops form inclouds, and the dropsthen fall to Earth as precipitation (rain and snow).
In cold climates,precipitation builds upas snow, ice, andglaciers.
Snow can melt andbecome runoff, whichflows into rivers, theoceans, and into theground.
Some ice evaporatesdirectly into the air,skipping the meltingphase (sublimation).
Volcanoes emit steam,which forms clouds.
This invisible vapor risesinto the atmosphere,where the air is colder.
Plants take upgroundwater andevapotranspire, orevaporate, it fromtheir leaves.
Some groundwater seepsinto rivers and lakes, andcan flow to the surfaceas springs.
Groundwater close to theland surface is taken upby plants.
Some groundwater goesvery deep into the groundand stays there for along time.
Groundwater flows intothe oceans, keeping thewater cycle going.
Water fromlakes and rivers can alsoseep into the ground.
Water moves undergroundbecause of gravity andpressure.
Rainfall on land flowsdownhill as runoff,providing water to lakes,rivers, and the oceans.
Some rain soaks into theground, as infiltration,and if deep enough,recharges groundwater.
RUNOFF
LAKES
SEEPAGE
INFILTRATION
SPRING
PLANTUPTAKERECHARGE
GROUNDWATER STORAGE
GROUNDWATER FLOW
THE OCEANS
RUNOFF
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
RIVERS
SNOWMELTRUNOFF
FOG AND DEW
PRECIPITATION
SUBLIMATION
ICE ANDSNOW
STREAMFLOW
TheWaterCycle
VOLCANICSTEAM
EVAPORATION
CONDENSATIONTHE ATMOSPHERE
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
