Earth’s Water
Where is Earth’s water? 97% of Earth’s water is salt water in the Oceans Only 3% of Earth’s water is fresh water Most fresh water on Earth is frozen in ice caps or glaciers About 1% of Earth’s fresh water is considered free water, that means it is not frozen
Where is free water found? Surface water: rivers and lakes Ground water: water that is found underground
The Water Cycle Water on Earth is in a constant cycle of movement known as the water cycle The energy to power the water cycle comes from the sun
Water Cycle Processes Evaporation: changing from liquid to gas Condensation: changing from gas to liquid Precipitation: water falling from clouds Percolation/infiltration: water seeping under ground Runoff: water that flows from land to streams, rivers, or the oceans Accumulation: water that collects in one place
Condensation Precipitation Evaporation Runoff Percolation Accumulation Groundwater