1.7 The Hydrologic (Water) Cycle
Do three things: a photo challenge, a hands-on lab, and a quick check.
Unit 1 · Topic 1.7
If Earth's water were 100 bottles, how many could you actually drink?
Do 1Name the process
Look at the photo. Pick the process or reservoir.
Do 2Pave it
0
Runoff
Soaks into the ground
Evaporation and transpiration
Simplified from EPA estimates. Real values depend on soil, slope, and the storm.
Do 3Quick check
Your topic score
Key terms
- Evaporation
- Liquid water turns into vapor, driven by the sun.
- Transpiration
- Plants release water vapor through their leaves.
- Condensation
- Water vapor cools and turns into liquid droplets in clouds.
- Precipitation
- Water falls as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
- Infiltration
- Water soaks into the ground.
- Runoff
- Water that flows over the land surface into streams and lakes.
- Impervious surface
- A surface such as pavement or a roof that water cannot soak through.
Photo credits
- Flooded city street. Photo: david_shankbone (CC BY 2.0)
- Forest stream. Photo: Nicholas_T (CC BY 2.0)
- Glacier ice. Photo: Dominic's pics (CC BY 2.0)
- Misty rainforest canopy. Photo: maveric2003 (CC BY 2.0)
- Rain falling from a cloud. Photo: MarcCooper_1950 (CC0)
- Sunlight on the sea. Photo: Dominic's pics (CC BY 2.0)
- Wetland marsh. Photo: BLM Oregon & Washington (CC BY 2.0)
Photos are public domain, CC0, or CC BY. Diagrams and data are original to Green Flask Science.
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