What processes take place in the natural water cycle?
Water always exists in all three places, and in many forms—as lakes and rivers, glaciers and ice sheets, oceans and seas, underground aquifers, and vapor in the air and clouds. The water cycle consists of three major processes: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
What is a natural water cycle?
The natural water cycle is the continuous movement of water around the world through the processes of evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, run-off, infiltration and percolation.
What factors influence water availability?
Factors affecting water availability
- Climate. Low levels of rainfall and high temperatures lead to water deficits .
- Geology. Rainfall flows down to the rocks beneath the ground.
- Pollution.
- Over-abstraction.
- Limited infrastructures.
- Poverty.
- Politics.
- Impacts on water insecurity.
How is water collected in the water cycle?
The water from lakes, oceans, rivers and other water bodies begins to evaporate; vapor from the water bodies condenses into clouds, later causing precipitation. As it rains, hails, sleets or snows, the water is collected back on Earth to start the cycle again.
How are people changing the natural water cycle?
The stages of the cycle are: transpiration — water returns to the air as it evaporates from plants, mainly through their leaves. People have changed the natural water cycle; building pipes take water for drinking and remove sewage and stormwater.
How is evaporation part of the natural water cycle?
The natural water cycle uses physical processes to move water from the surface of the earth to the atmosphere and back again. Evaporation is when the sun shines on water and heats it, turning it into gas called water vapour which rises into the air.
Is the natural water cycle called the hydrological cycle?
Earth has exactly the same amount of water as it had thousands of years ago. This cycle is also called the hydrological cycle. We modify and manage part of the natural water cycle to provide humans with water. This is called the urban water cycle. Have you ever wondered how water evaporates?