Water Cycle Notes Pg 23 8.E.1 Explain the structure of the hydrosphere including: Water distribution on earth Local river basin and water availability

Warm-up How would you describe water to a visitor from another planet who has never seen it? (min. 30 words) Remember to mention where it comes from, where to find it, how to use it, where it goes, etc.

*Water Water is one of the most common substances on Earth. Water never leaves the Earth. It is constantly being cycled through the atmosphere, ocean, and land in a process known as the Water Cycle. The water cycle is driven by energy from the sun. The water cycle is crucial to the existence of life on our planet

*Draw and color in your notebook

Evaporation * The process where the sun heats up liquid water and changes it to a gas is called evaporation. Water that evaporates from Earth’s oceans, lakes, rivers, and moist soil rises up into the atmosphere.

*Transpiration The process of evaporation from plants is called transpiration. This usually takes place as water exits from plants leaves

*Condensation As water (in the form of gas or vapor) rises higher in the atmosphere and starts to cool and become a liquid again. This process is called condensation. This results in the formation of clouds.

*Precipitation Precipitation is when water in the clouds gets too heavy, causing it to fall back down to the earth. Precipitation can form as rain, hail, sleet, or snow

*Runoff As rain falls on the land, some of the water is absorbed into the ground forming pockets of water called groundwater. Most groundwater eventually returns to the ocean. Other precipitation runs directly into streams or rivers. Water that collects in rivers, streams, and oceans is called runoff.