Question

activity 1: the water cycle
the journey of the water droplets from the surface of the ocean is just one example of the way in which water moves through the water cycle. in this activity, you will write your own description of the water cycle. you must begin your description with one of two events. you must begin with either sublimation or evapotranspiration. sublimation is the process in which ice or snow is turned into water vapor. evapotranspiration is the process in which water in the soil or in plant leaves is released into the atmosphere.

1. your description must contain at least ten sentences. use the water cycle diagram to help you.

Explanation:

Sublimation occurs when ice or snow directly becomes water vapor. Evapotranspiration releases water from soil or plant leaves to the atmosphere. After that, water vapor rises and cools in the atmosphere, condensing into clouds. When the clouds become heavy enough, precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail occurs. This water then falls to the ground and can infiltrate into the soil, becoming groundwater. Some of the water may run - off into rivers, lakes, and eventually back to the ocean. The groundwater can also flow into surface water bodies. Plants may take up some of the water from the soil through their roots and release it back into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration again. And some of the snow or ice on mountains may sublimate continuously. This cycle keeps repeating as water moves through different states and locations in the Earth - atmosphere system.

Answer:

Sublimation: Ice on a mountain top under the warm sun directly turns into water vapor. This water vapor rises high into the atmosphere. As it rises, it cools down. The cooled water vapor starts to condense around tiny particles in the air, forming clouds. These clouds drift with the wind. After a while, the water droplets in the clouds combine and grow larger. When they become too heavy, they fall as precipitation. In this case, it might be snow falling back onto the mountain. Some of the snow melts and seeps into the ground, becoming groundwater. The groundwater slowly moves through the soil and rock layers. Eventually, it reaches a stream. The water in the stream flows downhill and joins a river. This river carries the water towards the ocean. Along the way, plants by the riverbank take up some of the water through their roots. They release some of this water back into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. Meanwhile, some of the remaining snow on the mountain may also sublimate again, continuing the cycle.

Evapotranspiration: Water in the soil of a forest is taken up by the roots of tall trees. This water travels up through the trunk and into the leaves. In the leaves, the water is released into the atmosphere through tiny openings called stomata in a process known as transpiration. Additionally, water on the surface of the soil also evaporates under the heat of the sun, contributing to evapotranspiration. The water vapor from evapotranspiration rises into the air. It cools as it ascends and starts to form clouds. These clouds move with the wind patterns. As the clouds accumulate more water vapor, precipitation occurs. It could be rain falling on the forest. The rainwater runs off the leaves and the ground, flowing into small streams. These streams combine to form larger rivers. The river water makes its way towards a lake. Some of the water in the lake evaporates, while some seeps into the ground to become groundwater. The groundwater can resurface in springs and contribute to the water flow in the river again. And the cycle of water movement through the water - cycle continues.