The Water Cycle (Hydrological)

Reservoirs Atmosphere Accumulation Groundwater - Water vapor is stored above the Earth in the form of clouds. Accumulation - Water is stored in a liquid form, such as oceans and lakes. Groundwater - Water is absorbed into the soil and stored.

Natural Processes Evaporation Transpiration Condensation - Water vapor from the accumulation reservoir, goes into the atmosphere. Transpiration - Water vapor that comes from the leaves of plants and goes into the atmosphere. Condensation - Water vapor turns into liquid water, forms clouds in the atmosphere.

Natural Processes continued… Precipitation - Water is released from clouds in the form of rain, snow, or hail. Infiltration - Rain water is absorbed into the ground and becomes part of the groundwater reservoir. Run-off - When excessive rain water can not be absorbed by the soil, it then flows into nearby streams and lakes.

Human-induced Processes Water removal - The removal of large quantities of freshwater from rivers, lakes and groundwater supplies, lack of liquid water. Adding Nutrients and Contaminants - Causes the ecological processes that usually purify the water to be disturbed. Vegetation removal - used to create new farmland, build new roads, build underground - causes rainwater to wash away and interferes with infiltration - increases the risk of flooding, soil erosion, and land sliding

Sources of Imbalance Evaporation and Precipitation Rates Melting Ice Caps - Increased global temperature accelerates the melting of glaciers,affecting the oceans salinity and density. Evaporation and Precipitation Rates - Rising global temperatures increases the rate of evaporation,which leads to increased rainfall. The Deep Blue Sea - Changes in the ocean afffects the water cycle the most because the majority of water comes from there.

Possible Steps to Restore Equilibrium Reduce deforestation Reduce the use of phosphorus in fertilizers Reduce air pollution