The Water Cycle

The water cycle is the the process in which water droplets move from bodies of water into the atmosphere and then back down again. It happens all the time and is a extremely slow, but vital, process.

First, water evaporates into the atmosphere from bodies of water. Plants contribute water to the evaporation process by transpiration. Humans and animals also contribute by respiration, while machines give off water vapours by a process called combustion.

The water is then collected in the atmosphere where it condenses and forms clouds. Later, when the water molecules are too heavy, it will precipitate in the form of snow, hail, or rain.

Some of the water droplets will fall back into the large bodies of water, and the water cycle process will begin all over again. When water falls on the land, a process called infiltration occurs. Eventually, the water droplets will make it to a large body of water and the process begins again.

Some of the water will get trapped in artesian basins where it is stored as ground water until it is either pumped to the surface by man, or it flows out to the sea at a very slow rate.

Surface water runs though a catchment, or watershed, before it makes its way to the ocean.

clouds	rain, hail or snow
trees	catchment

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