THE WATER CYCLE -- is used to create rain through a series of steps.
EVAPORATION -- is when water droplets turn into vapor. Evaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake or ocean and goes into the air.
CONDENSATION -- is when water vapor turns into tiny droplets creating clouds. Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. This is called condensation.
PRECIPITATION -- is when water droplets get too heavy and fall to the ground. Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore. The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow.
RUNOFF -- is when the extra water runs down to the nearest water source. When water falls back to earth as precipitation, it may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land. When it ends up on land, it will either soak into the earth and become part of the “ground water” that plants and animals use to drink or it may run over the soil and collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers where the cycle starts ALL OVER AGAIN.
EVAPORATION -- is when water droplets turn into vapor. Evaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake or ocean and goes into the air.
CONDENSATION -- is when water vapor turns into tiny droplets creating clouds. Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. This is called condensation.
PRECIPITATION -- is when water droplets get too heavy and fall to the ground. Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore. The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow.
RUNOFF -- is when the extra water runs down to the nearest water source. When water falls back to earth as precipitation, it may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land. When it ends up on land, it will either soak into the earth and become part of the “ground water” that plants and animals use to drink or it may run over the soil and collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers where the cycle starts ALL OVER AGAIN.