![]() ![]() This latent heat release is crucial to the Earth's heat balance, as it connects the planet's energy and water cycles.Įvaporation from the ocean and land surfaces, water vapor transport by the atmosphere, precipitation onto the ocean and land surfaces, net atmospheric water transport from land areas to the ocean, and the return flow of fresh water from the land back into the ocean are the major physical components of the global water cycle. In the tropics, condensing water vapor releases latent heat, which drives much of the atmospheric circulation. Water vapor carried by the atmosphere condenses as clouds and rains. This cools the ocean's surface, and the vast quantity of heat absorbed by the ocean helps to somewhat mitigate the greenhouse effect caused by rising carbon dioxide and other gases. Water evaporates from the ocean's surface, especially in warm, cloudless subtropical seas. Evaporation from the sea surface affects the amount of atmospheric water vapor and thus rainfall, as well as the flow of heat in the climate system. The ocean retains 97 percent of the world's received 78 percent of global precipitation, and is responsible for 86 percent of worldwide evaporation. The ocean is an important part of the water cycle. To put it in perspective, oceans contain by far the most water:ġ- Oceans account for 97 percent of the total water.Ģ- Glaciers and Polar Ice Sheets account for 2% of the total.ģ- 5% - Groundwater and 0.5% - Lakes, Rivers, Wetlands, and Vapor The gas form of vapor, water, is found in the atmosphere. Glaciers and polar ice sheets are solid forms of water. In our seas, lakes, rivers, and groundwater, the majority of the water is liquid. The almost 326 million cubic miles of water on Earth are made up of three types of water: solid, liquid, and gas. Solid ice and snow can easily decompose into gas (sublimation). Groundwater enters plants (plant uptake) and leaves plants to evaporate into the atmosphere (transpiration). Runoff is the movement of liquid water across land, into the earth (infiltration and percolation), and through the ground (groundwater). Water in various states travels through the atmosphere (transportation). Liquid water evaporates into water vapor, condenses into clouds, and precipitates as rain and snow on the ground. It's a complicated system with many separate processes. ![]() The water cycle depicts the continual flow of water on Earth and in the atmosphere. Climate change and variability have the greatest impact on human life quality because of changes in weather patterns. The energy exchanges between the atmosphere, ocean, and land that govern the Earth's temperature and produce much of natural climate variability are intricately associated with water cycling. The hydrological cycle - a never-ending worldwide process of water movement from clouds to land, to the ocean, and back to clouds - includes precipitation, evaporation, freezing, melting, and condensation. Water is essential for life on Earth and aids in the integration of the planet's lands, oceans, and atmosphere into a single system. The amount of water on Earth is very unusual. ![]()
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