What is Water Cycle?
• It is the flow/movement
• and storage of water
• in and between the atmosphere, the
lithosphere, the hydrosphere & the
biosphere
• It also involves the changes in the state of
water - in gaseous, solid & liquid state
Water Cycle
ATMOSPHERE
LAND
OCEAN
Water evaporates from land & ocean
Evapo-transpiration
LAND
OCEAN
Water condenses to form cloud
Condensation
Evapo-transpiration
LAND
OCEAN
Water droplets fall as rain/snow/hail
Condensation
Evapo-transpiration
Precipitation
on land
Precipitation on ocean
LAND
OCEAN
Rain water infiltrates into the soil
Condensation
Evapo-transpiration
Precipitation
on land
Precipitation on ocean
Infiltration
LAND
OCEAN
Water accumulates as surface runoff
Condensation
Evapo-transpiration
Precipitation
on land
Precipitation on ocean
Surface runoff
LAND
OCEAN
Various processes/flows in the water cycle
A
C
D
B
F
E
LAND
OCEAN
Basin Hydrological Cycle (Land Phase)
Atmosphere
C
D
F
E
LAND
H
I
OCEAN
Basin Hydrological Cycle (Land Phase)
1. Flow - evaporation,precipitation,
stemflow, infiltration, throughflow, surface
runoff, _________ ….
2. Storage - interception, soil water,
ground water, channel, _________…..
Human Impacts on water cycle
1. Deforestation - removal of trees
2. Agriculture - intensive cultivation
3. Urbanization - widespread development
of built-up areas
River Basin & Fluvial Processes
• A river forms when
rain falls on the land
which forms rills
• rills flow downslope,
more rainfall, in the
form of runoff, joins
them, and the rills
grow larger, the rills
are large enough to be
called streams
River Basin
• A main stream and its
tributaries river forms
a network of streams,
called a drainage
network/system
• This network occupies
and drains a definite
area of land. This area
is called a drainage
basin
River Basin
• The boundary of the
basin forms the
watershed of the basin.
It follows the crests of
the ridges & hills.
Tributary
River
Mouth
Watershed
Main Stream
A drainage basin
River Basin
• River basins, like all
other systems, have
inputs, processes &
outputs.
• It is an open system
Related websites:
http://www.gewex.com
http://www.iwr.msu.edu/edmodule/water/cycle.htm
http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/