1. Water Cycle

2. The total amount of water on Earth is constant and probably has been for millions of years
More then 97% of Earth’s water is saltwater
Of the 3% that is fresh water, ¾ of this is frozen

3. Precipitation
4 main types – rain, snow, sleet and hail

4. Relative Humidity
Air in the lower portion of the atmosphere always contains a little bit of water vapor
This is called humidity
The ratio of water vapor in a volume of air relative to how much water vapor that air is capable of holding is called relative humidity (expressed as a percent)
Warm air can hold more moisture then cold

5. Wind
In the lower atmosphere, air generally moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure
Caused by unequal heating of the Earth’s surface

6. Orographic Lifting