WATER CYCLE BASICS
What is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below Earth’s surface called?
The water cycle.
What process turns liquid water into water vapor?
Evaporation
What is water that falls from clouds to Earth?
Precipitation
What happens to water after it falls to Earth?
Collection.
What water cycle process happens in plants when they release water vapor into the air?
Transpiration
Where does the energy that powers the water cycle come from?
The sun.
What process turns water vapor into tiny droplets that form clouds?
Condensation
Name two types of precipitation.
Rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
What is it called when water flows over land into rivers, lakes, or oceans?
Runoff
TRUE OR FALSE: Rivers hold the most freshwater on Earth.
FALSE! Most freshwater on Earth is stored in glaciers and icebergs.
What are the three main states of water found in the water cycle?
Solid, liquid, and gas.
What usually happens to water when temperatures increase?
It evaporates.
What determines whether precipitation falls as rain or snow?
The temperature of the AIR.
What is the PROCESS where water soaks into the ground called?
Infiltration
Which two water cycle processes together form clouds?
Evaporation and condensation.
Where is approximately 97% of Earth's water?
The oceans.
What usually happens to water vapor when the temperatures decrease?
Condensation.
What type of precipitation forms when raindrops freeze while falling through cold air?
Sleet
What is water stored underground in soil and rock?
Groundwater.
What happens to water molecules when they heat up?
They move faster and spread out more.
True or False: there is a beginning and end to the water cycle.
FALSE! It is a constant, ongoing recycling of the water on Earth.
Why does condensation happen high in the atmosphere?
Because the air is cooler, causing water vapor to change back into liquid droplets.
What force causes water to eventually fall from clouds?
Gravity.
What is the underground storage for groundwater called?
Aquifer
What type of clouds are often associated with steady rain?
Nimbostratus