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Water Cycle
The water cycle (known scientifically as the hydrologic
cycle) refers to the continuous motion of water between the oceans
and seas, land, and atmosphere. It may be divided into three main phases: evaporation,
precipitation, and runoff.
Water Cycle
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- Evaporation is the movement of water from the oceans to the atmosphere.
Along with strict evaporation, it includes transpiration from plants;
thus, it is sometimes called evapotranspiration.
- Atmospheric moisture may condense into clouds, and fall from them as
precipitation. This usually occurs as rain, but snow and other forms are
also seen. Precipitation seldom falls in the oceans, because under normal
circumstances, mountain ranges are needed to induce condensation and the
formation of clouds.
- Runoff is the variety of ways in which water on the land finds its way
back down to the oceans. The water flows through rivers, some of them
subterranean, and may be delayed in lakes and aquifers. Not all water
completes the runoff phase; some of it evaporates before it reaches the
oceans.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the
Wikipedia article
"Water Cycle"
and from
http://www.white-on.com
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