Question
A large rain storm hits your town and it rains all day. How does this event relate to the water cycle, and what happens to the water after the rain storm? First, state which stage of the water cycle is demonstrated by the storm. Next, use the remaining stages of the water cycle to explain what happens to the water as the water cycle is completed. Remember that the stages of the water cycle include evaporation, precipitation, condensation, and runoff.(2 points)
The large rain storm demonstrates the precipitation stage of the water cycle. Precipitation occurs when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid droplets or ice crystals and falls to the Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
After the rain storm, several stages of the water cycle occur.
1. Evaporation: The heat from the sun causes the liquid water on the Earth's surface (from the rain) to evaporate and transform into water vapor. This water vapor rises into the atmosphere.
2. Condensation: As the water vapor rises into higher and colder regions of the atmosphere, it begins to cool and condenses into liquid droplets. These droplets combine to form clouds.
3. Precipitation: When the condensed water droplets in the clouds become too heavy to remain suspended, they fall back to the Earth's surface as precipitation. This can be in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. In this case, it was rain during the storm.
4. Runoff: After the precipitation, the water runs off the Earth's surface, following the path of least resistance, such as rivers, streams, and drainage ditches. It eventually reaches larger bodies of water, such as lakes, oceans, or groundwater.
From there, the water can evaporate again, restarting the water cycle, or it can be taken up by plants and animals, undergo infiltration into the ground to recharge groundwater sources, or be used for human consumption through various processes like treatment and filtration. Ultimately, the water will continue through the various stages of the water cycle, being evaporated, condensed, and precipitated in a continuous cycle.
The stage of the water cycle demonstrated by the rain storm is precipitation. This is when water droplets in the atmosphere combine to form larger droplets and eventually fall to the Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
After the rain storm, the remaining stages of the water cycle come into play to complete the cycle:
1. Evaporation: The heat from the sun causes the water on the Earth's surface to evaporate, turning it into water vapor. This water vapor rises into the atmosphere as it becomes less dense.
2. Condensation: As the water vapor rises into the atmosphere, it cools down and condenses into tiny water droplets or ice crystals. These droplets and crystals form clouds.
3. Runoff: After the rain falls to the Earth's surface, it can follow different paths. Some of it will infiltrate the ground and become groundwater. Some will flow over the surface as runoff, which includes streams, rivers, and eventually makes its way to larger bodies of water like oceans or lakes.
As the water cycle is completed, the process starts all over again with the heat from the sun causing evaporation, leading to condensation and the formation of clouds, and eventually resulting in precipitation, like rain, starting the cycle anew.
The stage of the water cycle demonstrated by the rainstorm is precipitation. Precipitation is the process in which condensed water vapor in the atmosphere falls back to the Earth's surface in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
After the rainstorm, the water that fell as precipitation goes through the remaining stages of the water cycle. These stages include evaporation, condensation, and runoff.
Evaporation occurs when the heat from the sun causes the water on the Earth's surface to turn into water vapor and rise into the atmosphere. This process involves the conversion of liquid water to its gaseous state.
Next, condensation takes place as the water vapor rises higher into the atmosphere. The water vapor cools down and transforms back into liquid water droplets, forming clouds. Condensation is the opposite of evaporation and involves the conversion of water vapor into liquid water.
Finally, runoff occurs when the condensed water droplets become too heavy and fall back to Earth. This can happen in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. The water collects on the Earth's surface and flows downhill, forming streams, rivers, and eventually making its way back to the oceans, lakes, or underground aquifers. This completes the water cycle as the water is once again available for evaporation and the cycle begins again.
In summary, the rainstorm represents the precipitation stage of the water cycle. After the rainstorm, the water goes through evaporation, condensation, and runoff, completing the water cycle and allowing the water to be recycled and used again.