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INTRODUCTION
TO WATER TREATMENT & ABSTRACTION |
THE WATER
CYCLE
The water cycle begins when water in the
ocean evaporates into the atmosphere.
This evaporation turns into condensation
which begins to create clouds.
As the condensation climbs higher into the
atmosphere its temperature starts to cool, This causes the condensation to form
droplets which return to earth as rain, snow or hail, This is called precipitation.
As the rain, snow or hail falls to earth some is absorbed almost immediately
by trees, grass & plants, some falls into lakes & rivers & some
is absorbed into the earth.
Eventually most of the water will return to
the ocean via rivers & streams & the cycle begins again.
Picture courtesy of Howard Perlman,
THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
