"The water cycle is often referred to as a 'closed system' because the same water has been circulating since the earliest days of the planet. No water is added and none is taken away. Humans interact with the water cycle in many ways, some of which pollute the water and disrupt the cycle."
The Water Cycle
Water is always moving and changing. It changes its form (ice, snow, liquid, vapour) and location. Water is used by plants, animals and humans but it always goes back to nature.
Precipitation: Any or all of the forms of water, whether liquid (e.g. rain) or solid (e.g. hail) that falls from the clouds and reach the ground.
Run-off: The movement of surface water down slopes (e.g. mountains).
Evaporation: The process by which water is changed into water vapour. Water can evaporate from any moist surface, but about 84% of the water vapour in the atmosphere comes form the ocean.
Water is always moving and changing. It changes its form (ice, snow, liquid, vapour) and location. Water is used by plants, animals and humans but it always goes back to nature.
Precipitation: Any or all of the forms of water, whether liquid (e.g. rain) or solid (e.g. hail) that falls from the clouds and reach the ground.
Run-off: The movement of surface water down slopes (e.g. mountains).
Evaporation: The process by which water is changed into water vapour. Water can evaporate from any moist surface, but about 84% of the water vapour in the atmosphere comes form the ocean.
Condensation: The changing of water vapour into droplets of liquid water in the form of dew, fog or clouds.
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Humans interact with the water cycle in many ways:
What type of ways do you use water? Remember water use is not always positive! Write your suggestions below:
- Building structures, such as banks, to protect farmland and settlements from flooding
- Storing water in dams in areas where rainfall is unreliable
- Using canals and pipelines to transport water from one area to another
- Sinking wells and bores to extract ground water
- Using water and gravity to generate hydroelectricity
- Dumping pollution and waste into large bodies of water
- Clearing land for agriculture (farming), mining and urban development (housing)
What type of ways do you use water? Remember water use is not always positive! Write your suggestions below:
Complete these questions in your work book:
- Why is the water cycle referred to as a 'closed system'?
- What does it mean that water can change both its form and location?
- What are three ways human affect the water cycle (e.g. the storing water reduces run-off)?
- Create your own graphic diagram of the water cycle - make it creative!
- Complete the interactive activity on page 105 of Pearson
Extra resource and activities:
Water Cycle PowerPoint | |
File Size: | 1436 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
Water Cycle Diagram | |
File Size: | 232 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Water Cycle Close Activity | |
File Size: | 128 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Water Cycle Crossword | |
File Size: | 80 kb |
File Type: | doc |