Transcript Water Cycle

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
Biogeochemical
Big word; simple idea
 Bio = life
 Geo = earth
 Chemical = substance
So biogeochemical = substances
involved with life on earth.
Water Cycle
Water Is Everywhere

75% of the earth’s surface is
covered with water.

All living things contain water.

There is water in the atmosphere.
Water on the Move

Water continually cycles from the
earth to the atmosphere and back
again.
Evaporation

Water evaporates (changes from a
liquid to a gas).
Condensation

Water condenses (changes from a
gas to a liquid).
Precipitation

Water returns to earth’s surface in
the form of rain, sleet, snow or hail.
The Very Simple Version
Condensation
Precipitation
Evaporation
It’s more complicated than that.
Transpiration

Plants return water to the
atmosphere.
Plant loses water
through leaves
Plant sucks in water
through roots
Perspiration

Animals return water to the
atmosphere when they sweat, pant,
breathe, etc.
Infiltration

Water goes into the ground. It
filters through soil, rocks, etc.
Diagram courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey
Runoff

Some water moves along the surface
of the ground collecting in low areas.
Diagram courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey
Ground Water



Water filters into soil and rock until
it comes to rocks it cannot pass
through.
Water may fill spaces in rocks and
soil.
An aquifer is a pool of underground
water.