HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE

CONTENTSINTRODUCTION WATER CYCLEEVAPORATIONINTERCEPTION CONDENSATIONPRECIPITATION RUN OFF CONCLUSIONREFERENCE

INTRODUCTIONThe water cycle, also known as the hydrologic

cycle or the world’s water cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. Although the balance of water on Earth remains fairly constant over time, individual water molecules can come and go, in and out of the atmosphere. The water moves from one reservoir to another, such as from river to ocean, or from the ocean to the atmosphere, by the physical processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and subsurface flow. In so doing, the water goes through different phases: liquid, solid (ice), and gas (vapor).

The stages of the cycle are:

1) Evaporation2) Transpiration3) Interception 4)Condensation5) Precipitation6) Run-off

EVAPORATIONDuring part of the

water cycle, the sun heats up liquid water and changes it to a gas by the process of evaporation. Water that evaporates from Earth’s oceans, lakes, rivers, and moist soil rises up into the atmosphere.

Transpiration is the process by which plants lose water from their leaves.  The water rises in to the air. (In other words, it’s like plants sweating.)

TRANSPIRATION

InterceptionInterception refers

to precipitation that does not reach the soil, but is instead intercepted by the leaves and branches of plants and the forest floor. It occurs in the canopy, and in the forest floor or litter layer (i.e. forest floor interception ). Because ofevaporation, interception of liquid water generally leads to loss of that precipitation for the drainage basin, except for cases such as fog interception.

CONDENSATION

Water vapour in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. This is called condensation.

When the water in the clouds gets too heavy, the water falls back to the earth. This is called precipitation.

Precipitation

Precipitation types

1.Orographic

2.Convection

3.Stratiform

When 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.

RUNOFF

CONCLUSIONEarth's water is always in movement, and the

natural water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

The stages of the cycle are:EvaporationTranspiration Interception CondensationPrecipitationGroundwaterRun-off

REFERENCEGroundwater Hydrology (2006),Second

Edition by David Keith Todd.A Text Book Of Hydrology by P. Jaya

Rami Reddy.Hydrology by H. M. Raghunathhttp://www.thameswater.co.uk/cycles/http://www.isws.illinois.edu/docs/watercycle/http://www.wikipedia.comhttp://www.google.com