Water in the Hydrosphere

Field Trip

Where’s the Water? Activity One: Work in Teams of 2-3 Field observations Where’s the Water? How do you know? Questions: For each observation describe: How much water is present? How long has it been there? Where did it come from? Where will it go next? What form is it? How do we know?

The Hydrologic Cycle

The Hydrologic Cycle

The HydrologicCycle

The Hydrologic Cycle

Runoff Water from precipitation, flows across the land, rivers, ocean, etc.

Evaporation When liquid water changes into water vapor, a gas. Molecules absorb energy, speed up, spread apart, become less dense and become a gas. Transpiration The process by which plants release water vapor into the air through their leaves.

Condensation When water vapor cools and changes back into a liquid. Water vapor (gas) cools, releases energy, molecules slow down, become more dense and become a liquid. This is how clouds form

Precipitation When rain, snow, sleet, or hail falls from the clouds to Earth’s surface. Freezing Liquid cools to 0˚C or 32˚F, molecules lose energy and freeze to a solid Melting A solid’s molecules heat up, move faster, spread apart, become less dense and become a liquid.

Types of Precipitation Hail Colder than 32˚F Warmer than 32˚F Air Hail occurs when tiny ice particles collect water while moving up and down through a cloud.

Types of Precipitation Rain Warmer than 32˚F Water Vapor = Condensation Rain occurs when the temperature of the clouds and air are above 32˚F.

Types of Precipitation Sleet occurs when rain from a warm cloud falls through freezing air. Sleet Water Vapor = Condensation Freezing Air

Types of Precipitation Snow occurs when a moist wind, colder than 32˚F, contacts a cloud. Snow Condensation Colder than 32˚F Moist Wind

Types of Precipitation Hail Rain Colder than 32˚F Warmer than 32˚F Warmer than 32˚F Water Vapor = Condensation Air Snow Sleet Water Vapor = Condensation Condensation Colder than 32˚F Moist Wind Freezing Air

Humidity The amount of water vapor/ moisture in the air. Dew Point The temperature to which air must cool to be completely saturated. The point at which the invisible (water vapor in the air) becomes visible (clouds).

Visible Dew Point Invisible Humidity

How do other spheres impact the hydrosphere? How does the hydrosphere impact other spheres?