The hydrological cycle describes the continuous movement of water between the earth, atmosphere, and various storage forms, driven by solar energy. It involves four main stages: storage, evaporation, precipitation, and run-off, where water ultimately returns to the oceans. The cycle is generally balanced, maintaining a constant total amount of water while the risk of flooding increases with prolonged rain or saturated ground.

1. The Hydrological Cycle
( The Water Cycle )
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2. The hydrological cycle is the system which
describes the distribution and movement of water
between the earth and its atmosphere. The model
involves the continual circulation of water between
the oceans, the atmosphere, vegetation and land.
The water cycle is driven
by energy from the sun.

3. The water cycle has four stages: storage, evaporation,
precipitation, and run-off.

4. Describing the Cycle:
Solar energy powers the cycle. Heat energy
from the sun causes evaporation from water
surfaces (rivers, lakes and oceans) and….

5. …transpiration is essentially
evaporation of water from plant
leaves.
( In other words, it’s
like plants sweating.)

6. The warm, moist air (containing water vapour)
rises and, as it cools, this process is called
condensation. When a large amount of water vapor
condenses, it results in the formation of clouds.

7. Wind energy; ‘advection’ may move clouds over
land surfaces where …
…precipitation occurs, when the water in the clouds
gets too heavy, the water falls back to the earth -- either
as rain or snow depending on altitude.

8. The rainwater flows, either
over the ground ( run off ) into rivers
and back to the ocean, or…
… infiltrates downwards through
the soil rocks where it is returned
to
the
oceans
through
groundwater flow.

9. The Water Cycle Balanced
Usually the water cycle is in balance, and the amount of
precipitation falling will slowly soak into the ground and
eventually reach the rivers. However, if rain falls for a
long period of time or if the ground is already soaked or
saturated with water then the chance of flooding is
increased.

10.  The hydrological cycle is a good example of a
closed system: the total amount of water is the
same, with virtually no water added to or lost from
the cycle.
 Water just moves from one storage type to
another.
 Water evaporating from the oceans is balanced
by water being returned through precipitation and
surface run off.

11. END.
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