1. Water Cycle
Water, water, everywhere, so let's all have a drink or so we all learned as kids, right?, but it's
definitely not as easy as that these days. In honor of World Water Day which may or may not
have been today.
Ok ladies and gentleman,
Water cycle also known as the hydrologic cycle, the water cycle describes the process by
which the various forms of water move about the planet in a fairly constant balance. But just
because it's fairly balanced doesn't mean we have all the water we need, whenever we want it.
But first, what is the cycle, really?What is the water cycle?
Like all circular items, the water cycle has no true beginning and no end, though the water
changes state from liquid to solid -- as ice and snow, for example -- and as vapor. The cycle
is the process by which the water, in whatever form, goes from place to place, ocean to cloud
to rainwater to river and back again through a cycle of rising air currents, precipitation, runoff
and a few other processes.
Solar energy evaporates exposed water from seas, lakes, rivers, and wet soil; the majority of
this evaporation takes place over the seas. Water is also released into the atmosphere by the
plants through photosynthesis. During this process, known as evapotranspiration, water
vapour rises into the atmosphere. Clouds form when air becomes saturated with water
vapour. The two major types of cloud formation are stratified or layered grey clouds called
stratus and billowing white or dark grey cloud called cumulus clouds. Precipitation as rain, or
hail ensures that water returns to Earth’s surface in a fresh form. Some of this rain, however,
falls into the seas and is not accessible to humans. When rain falls, it either washes down hill
slopes or seeps underground; when snow and hail melts, this water may also sink into the
ground. Rain fall also replenishes river water supplies, as does underground water. Snow fall
may consolidate into glaciers and ice sheets which, when they melt, release their water into
the ground, into stream or into the seas.
Alfian
XII EXACT ACCELERATION