The Water Cycle Flashcards
The Water Cycle
The water cycle is the repeated movement of water through Earth in different forms.
Evaporation
Evaporation is the changing of liquid water to water vapor.
Condensation
Condensation is when water vapor turns into liquid water and clouds form.
Precipitation
Precipitation is when water falls from clouds as rain, snow, sleet or hail.
Sublimation
Sublimation is ice changing into water vapor without melting first.
Runoff
Runoff is water moving downhill.
Water Vapor
Water vapor is water as an invisible gas.
Transpiration
Transpiration is the process when plants absorb water through their roots and give of water vapor through their leaves (sweat)
Fog
Fog is a cloud at ground level, forms when air near the ground cools, the more water droplets that condense, the thicker the fog.
Cumulus
Cumulus clouds are mid-altitude, small, white puffy balls, looks like cotton balls, fair weather.
Status
Stratus clouds are low-altitude, looks like a great blanket covering the sky, brings light rain/drizzle.
Cirrus
Cirrus cloud are thin, wispy and white, high altitude cloud, brings fair weather, looks like a feather.
Vertical clouds
Vertical clouds/thunderheads/cumulonimbus, grow vertical, stretch from 1,000 to 12,000 meters, can be very dark in color, brings thunderstorms.
Rain
Starts as ice crystals (snow), turns to rain if the temp is above 32 degrees F or 0 degrees C.
Hail
Strong winds blow raindrops to the top of a cloud, continues to happen and the ice gets bigger, when ice is too heavy it will fall from the cloud.
