The Hydrological Cycle

(The Water Cycle)

 What is the Hydrological Cycle?

This is process by which water, in it’s three forms (liquid, solid, vapour),
circulate from the land to the atmosphere and back again. The hydrological cycle
occurs in various stages:
 Evaporation
 Transpiration
 Condensation
 Precipitation
 Surface Runoff
 Accumulation
 The Stages of the Hydrological Cycle
 Evaporation- This is the process by which water moves from the state of liquid to a
state of gas (water vapour).
 Transpiration- This is the process by which water from trees and plants are converted to
water vapour and released into the atmosphere via the pores on the underside of leaves.
 Condensation- This is where water vapour in the atmosphere cools and is converted
back to liquid state. This causes the formation of clouds.
 Precipitation- This is the process by which water is released from clouds and returned
to the earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet or hail.
 Surface Runoff- The water that remains on the earth’s surface after infiltration has
taken place, runs off into oceans, ponds and rivers or other water collection areas. This is
referred to as surface runoff.
 Accumulation- This is the process by which water collects in rivers, oceans, ponds, ect ,
after surface runoff has taken place. From here, the water cycle repeats itself, starting
with evaporation.
Diagrams of the Hydrological Cycle