How the Hydrologic Cycle Works

How come we never run out of water? After four and a half million years you'd think the
water would be all used up! It's not, though, because of one special process: the
hydrologic cycle, more commonly called the !ater "ycle#
$his Hydrologic "ycle recycles the earth's valuable water supply# In other words, the
water keeps getting reused over and over# %ust think, the ne&t glass of water you drink
could have been part of a dinosaur's bath in the 'eso(oic )ra one hundred million years
ago# !ater in that glass of water could have been a li*uid, a solid, and a gas countless
times over thanks to the water cycle#
$he sun is the energy that powers this remarkable process# It's energy in the form of
light, and heat causes water to )+A,-.A$) from oceans, rivers, lakes and even
puddles# )vaporate means it turns the water from a li*uid to a gas, or vapor# !arm
air currents rising from the earth's surface lift this water vapor up into the atmosphere#
!hen the air currents reach the cooler layers of the atmosphere, the water vapor
condenses around and clings on to fine particles in the air# $his step is called
"-/0)/1A$I-/# !hen enough vapor attaches itself to tiny pieces of dust, pollen or
pollutants, it forms a cloud# "louds do not last forever# -ld clouds constantly re2
evaporate and new ones form, creating ever2changing patterns in the sky#
As the air gets more and more moist, the droplets that form the clouds grow larger and
larger# )ventually they will get so big that the swirling atmospheric winds can no longer
hold them up# $he droplets then fall from the sky as ,.)"I,I$A$I-/# ,recipitation can
be in the form of rain, snow, sleet or hail depending on other atmospheric conditions
such as temperature#
-nce the precipitation reaches the ground, several things can happen to it# 3irst, it might
be re2evaporated# 3or instance, we've all seen the mist rising off hot roads after a summer
shower# If it isn't re2evaporated, much of the water will become .4/ 2-33 that goes
into streams and rivers as it flows back to the ocean#
1ome of the precipitation will be absorbed into the ground# $his is called
I/3I5$.A$I-/# -nce in the ground, the water can 6oin the earth's 7.-4/0 !A$).
supply# $his is one of the world's largest storehouses of water# $he water could also be
absorbed from the ground by the roots of plants#
Another form of evaporation that contributes to the water cycle is $.A/1,I.A$I-/#
Here, water given off through the pores of plants and animals 6oins the atmosphere as a
vapor# "heck, for instance, your own breath on a cold day# !hat you are seeing is water
vapor being given off by your body#
!ith transpiration and evaporation, the cycle begins again: )+A,-.A$I-/,
"-/0)/1A$I-/, ,.)"I,I$A$I-/, .4/2-33, I/3I5$.A$I-/, and
$.A/1,I.A$I-/# )ach time a molecule of water goes through the cycle it is cleaned,
or purified, so it can be used by plants and animals again tomorrow, ne&t year, and
hopefully forever#