1. The Water Cycle

2. The Water Cycle
 Energy from the sun keeps Earth’s
water moving and changing.
 Water moves through living and non
living parts on earth but the amount of
water on Earth stays the same

3. The Water Cycle
 The water cycle is the movement of
water between Earth’s surface and
the atmosphere.
 The atmosphere is the mixture of
gasses and dust that surrounds
Earth.

4. The Water Cycle

5. The Water Cycle
 Water moves from the oceans and
land into the air and back again
 The water cycle has no beginning or
end, but you can describe it having
four main parts.

6. Part 1
 The sun’s energy warms liquid water on
Earth’s surface.
 Some of the liquid changes to a gas –
this is called Evaporation, the change
from a liquid to a gas.
 Water Vapor (water in the form of a gas)
now moves into the atmosphere

7. Part 1
 Plants pull water from ground
through roots into stems and leaves.
 Plants release water vapor through
tiny openings in leaves.
 This is called Transpiration.

8. Part 2
 As water vapor rises it cools.
 When it cools enough it turns back into
a liquid. This is called Condensation
(change from a gas to a liquid)
 The water droplets in the sky form
clouds, on the ground it forms dew.

9. Part 3
 Droplets in clouds combine to form
bigger drops.
 When drops become too heavy they
fall back to Earth as Precipitation
(water that falls from the
atmosphere)

10. Part 3
 Rain, snow, hail, and sleet are all
forms of precipitation.
 Rain is liquid water.
 Snow, hail, and sleet are forms of
solid, or frozen, water.

11. Part 4
 Water falls into the oceans and on
land.
 Some water soaks into the soil and
collects as underground water,
called groundwater.

12. Part 4
 Plant roots soak up groundwater.
 People tap into ground water by
digging wells.

13. Part 4
 Some water is pulled over the
surface of Earth by gravity.
 This water that flows over the land
surface is called runoff.
 It flows into bodies of water, such as
rivers, lakes, and oceans.

14. Full Circle
 Then the sun’s energy warms some
of it, and it evaporates again.
 The cycle continues.