The Water Cycle Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Water Cycle - Research Paper Example Nature has the ultimate solution of making the above mentioned necessity happen through the â€Å"water cycle†. The water cycle is a process in which water switches its state between the three different phases, namely solid, liquid and gas. And then further the water cycle includes circulation between the earth’s surface, water bodies and the atmosphere. The basic driving force of the water is the sun (Hughes 12-19). The water cycle is of immense importance as it helps to regulate the temperature of the earth surface and also helps in bringing rainfall to various parts of Earth.. When the water on Earth’s surface is evaporated it takes away the Earth’s heat as well, thus cooling the surroundings. And when the water condenses it release back the heat thus warming up the environment and this helps in regulating temperature throughout the globe. The water cycle helps to circulate minerals between different places on the Earth and also helps in conversion of rocks to soil. An important contribution of the water cycle is the formation of different topographical features throughout the earth which enhance beauty of the Earth’s surface and also provides other benefits. Without the presence of water cycle it would not be possible for the living organisms to survive (Olien 9-14). The water cycle is comprised of six different processes or steps. Each process has its own significance and importance. The progression of water cycle starts from the process of evaporation. The sun’s heat helps to convert the water present on the earth to water vapors. Water on earth is present in a number of different resources like rivers, oceans, seas, lakes etc. Water evaporates not only from the surface of the earth, but from trees and plants. This process of evaporation of water from trees and plants is called transpiration. Water at the North and South Pole is in the form of snow and ice. At very low temperatures and high pressure snow is directly converted into vapors without having a liquid state. This process is known as sublimation and is much slower than evaporation. The water vapors rise in the air and from clouds. Water gets evaporated by absorbing the heat from the sun and the water can also evaporate by absorbing the heat from the surroundings and thus lowers the temperature of the nearby environment. When water evaporates all impurities are left behind, and the vapors that rise in the air are far pure than the water present on Earth (Hughes 23-27). As the water vapor rises in the air, the temperature decreases as a result of which the vapors condenses to form clouds or remain suspended in the air as fog. The clouds are formed by the accumulation of tiny water droplets. The tiny droplets of water keep on accumulating to form larger and larger clouds. These clouds travel to different parts of the globe and absorb more and more water to increase its size. When the clouds have no longer the ability to hold together, then the tiny droplets of water combine to form larger droplets of water. Also, at higher altitudes the temperature is extremely low. Hence, the water droplets lose their heat energy and fall down on earth as rain. If the temperature of the area is cold then there is a possibility that instead of rain the water droplets fall as snow, hail or sleet. Precipitation can also occur in the form of drizzle. By the process of precipitation the water that has