Hydrologic Cycle also known as water cycle is the nature’s way of treating the water. The hydrologic cycle follows water as it evaporates from the earth’s surface, forms cloud and then falls back to earth in a form of precipitation called rain. Many have asked when a hydrologic cycle begins. To answer the question, hydrologic cycle has no beginning nor an ending since it is a cycle, so you can begin anywhere. The picture below shows a simple illustration of a Hydrologic Cycle.
There are five basic processes that make up the hydrologic cycle. Namely, Condensation, Precipitation, Infiltration, Run-off and Evapotranspiration. Waters of the seas or ponds evaporate and go up to condense and form clouds. Then, they come down to the land and in many forms and return to any kind of water system through the holes of the earth. And this process is organised in a cyclic order ceaselessly.
Condensation is the process of water changing from vapour to water or ice. Water vapour from the air rises mostly by convection. This means that the warm, humid air will rise, while the cooler air will flow downward. Precipitation is water being released from the clouds as rain, sleet, snow or hail, fall to the ground by gravitation. Infiltration is a portion of precipitation that reaches the earth’s surface and absorbs or seeps through the ground. Run-off is also a part of precipitation that reaches through the earth’s surface but does not infiltrate through the ground. Evapotranspiration is water evaporating from the ground and transpiration by plants. Evapotranspiration is also the way water vapour goes back again to the atmosphere.
As you can see, many processes are at work to give us the water we need in our daily lives. These processes are always at work. Just because Antarctica is frozen doesn’t mean that hydrologic cycle doesn’t occur (evaporation is done through a process called sublimation where ice can turn directly into water vapour). And just because Sahara Desert is so dry doesn’t also mean that hydrologic cycle doesn't occur in the area (the water from precipitation evaporates before it reaches the ground). Nature has its unique way of doing things for us, for everyone, so let us help nature and not just destroy it.
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