The Water Cycle
About 70% of the Earth is made of water but do you know what happens to most of this water. It goes through a process known to us as "The Water Cycle". The scientific name for the water cycle is the hydrologic cycle.
How Does The Water Cycle Work?
The Water Cycle consists of five parts.
- Evaporation- The process of water changing into vapor due to the heat of the sun.
- Condensation- The vapor cools down and is changed into tiny droplets of water again. This is due to the temperatures up in the sky.
- Precipitation- The water returns to the Earth's surface as rain, hail, snow or sleet (like ice pellets made with a mixture of snow and water).
- Run Off- When some of the water stays on the Earth's surface, the rest of the water finds it's way to water bodies like lakes, rivers etc.
- Percolation- The water that stays on the surface of the Earth then flows into underground reservoirs which is known aquifers.
Does Human Activity Affect the Water Cycle?
Water Pollution
Water pollution affects the Water Cycle as contaminated water from larger water bodies such as; lakes, rivers etc. affects plants and
organisms. The only reason why some these waters are contaminated is because pollutants are released in to water directly or indirectly. If these waters are involved the procedure, the contaminated water will affect different organisms in different water bodies. The water might go into the soil and enter the aquifers (underground reservoirs). These waters is what plants use to grow and will certainly not grow properly with contaminated waters.
Acid Rain
Acid rain is another form of precipitation though quite
harmful to plants and other organisms. Acid rain is caused when sulfar dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from the Earth's surface and ends up in the atmosphere. When these chemicals mix with the evaporated water from larger water bodies the water turns acidic then falls back down to Earth as a form of precipitation. Starting from the 1920s, the government have been doing everything they can to stop these chemicals entering the atmosphere and they are
getting good results with their project. Acid rain can also be caused naturally as nitrogen oxides can be caused by lightning strikes and sulfur dioxide can be caused by volcanic eruptions.
Did You Know
*Did you know that acid rain can peel of paint on a wall.
*Did you know that acid rain can rust steel structures such as briges and can cause erosion to stone statues.
Water pollution affects the Water Cycle as contaminated water from larger water bodies such as; lakes, rivers etc. affects plants and
organisms. The only reason why some these waters are contaminated is because pollutants are released in to water directly or indirectly. If these waters are involved the procedure, the contaminated water will affect different organisms in different water bodies. The water might go into the soil and enter the aquifers (underground reservoirs). These waters is what plants use to grow and will certainly not grow properly with contaminated waters.
Acid Rain
Acid rain is another form of precipitation though quite
harmful to plants and other organisms. Acid rain is caused when sulfar dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from the Earth's surface and ends up in the atmosphere. When these chemicals mix with the evaporated water from larger water bodies the water turns acidic then falls back down to Earth as a form of precipitation. Starting from the 1920s, the government have been doing everything they can to stop these chemicals entering the atmosphere and they are
getting good results with their project. Acid rain can also be caused naturally as nitrogen oxides can be caused by lightning strikes and sulfur dioxide can be caused by volcanic eruptions.
Did You Know
*Did you know that acid rain can peel of paint on a wall.
*Did you know that acid rain can rust steel structures such as briges and can cause erosion to stone statues.