Have you ever wondered how your favourite lake's water keeps coming back or where rain comes from? This is all through a process called the water cycle!
Step 1: Evaporation
The warm sun is shining brilliantly in the sky as our journey gets started. The seas, rivers, and even puddles in your garden are all touched by the sun's beams. A portion of the water transforms into an invisible mist and rises into the sky when this occurs. We call this process evaporation.
Step 2: Condensation
The water mist then cools and breaks down into tiny, microscopic water droplets as it rises high into the sky. These droplets gather together to then make clouds. We call this phase of the cycle as condensation. Have you seen different shapes in the clouds when looking up at the sky? You now know that they are made up of droplets of condensed water!
Step 3: Precipitation
Water droplets continue to build up in the clouds until they are full and heavy. The water droplets return to the earth as rain, snow, or hail, when they are no longer able to hold onto them. Precipitation is a word used to describe this falling water. It is similar to how nature keeps our lakes full, hydrates plants, and makes sure humans have access to water.
Step 4: Collection
When water returns to the earth, it collects in rivers, lakes, seas, and even subterranean spaces. This water is used by people, plants, and animals for growth, recreation, and consumption. We call this stage "collection."
After these four steps, oceans, rivers, and lakes' water will warm up once again under the sun, evaporating into mist that rises back to the sky. And the cycle keeps on, forever!
Keep in mind the amazing journey that water travels around the Earth the next time you see drops on your window or a fluffy cloud in the sky. It makes sure that we always have the water we need to everything in life!
Hope you learned some new things today, and make sure to always stay curious! Until next time!
Resources:
Learn more about the water cycle through these websites!
“The Water Cycle Completed.” The Water Cycle | U.S. Geological Survey, www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-cycle. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.
“What Is the Water Cycle?” NASA, NASA, climatekids.nasa.gov/water-cycle/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.
World of Water, www.dkit.ie/wow/cycle.php. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.
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