Earth Science: Advanced Water Cycle

The water cycle involves the movement of water through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. While wind can move leaves, it is not a mechanism of the water cycle transporting matter.

The phase changes of water, such as condensation and freezing, release or absorb latent heat. This energy transfer is a primary driver of atmospheric instability and severe weather events.

Deep ocean currents are driven by thermohaline circulation, which is caused by differences in water density. Denser water, which is colder or saltier, sinks and drives the global conveyor belt.

Infiltration is the specific term for the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil. Transpiration is water release from plants, and sublimation is solid to gas.

Runoff is the portion of precipitation that does not infiltrate the soil and instead flows over the land surface into bodies of water. The other terms are not standard hydrological definitions.

Condensation occurs when water vapor in the air comes into contact with a cooler surface. The cool glass cools the surrounding air, reducing its ability to hold water vapor, causing it to condense into liquid droplets.

Water is constantly moving through the hydrosphere via the water cycle, flowing through rivers, groundwater, and oceans across the globe. This cycle is continuous.

Precipitation is the term for any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface. This includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail.

Cohesion is the property of water molecules sticking to each other due to hydrogen bonding. This allows droplets to form and grow until they are heavy enough to fall as precipitation.

Dew forms when water vapor in the air cools down and changes into liquid water on a surface. This phase change from gas to liquid is called condensation.

Stomata are small pores on the underside of leaves that allow for gas exchange. During transpiration, water vapor escapes from the plant through these openings.

Scientific estimates generally place the contribution of transpiration to atmospheric moisture at approximately 10 percent, with the vast majority coming from evaporation from oceans.

Transpiration is the process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere.

Clouds form when water vapor condenses into tiny liquid droplets or ice crystals around microscopic dust particles in the atmosphere.

Evaporation is the process by which liquid water is converted into water vapor by the addition of heat energy, such as that from the Sun.

Sublimation is the process where a solid, like ice or snow, turns directly into a gas without passing through the liquid phase. This often occurs in dry, cold conditions.