Hydrologic Cycle or Water Cycle

Hydrologic Cycle or Water Cycle

Hydrology is the science which deals with the various aspects of water such as its occurrence, distribution, movement and properties on the planet earth. Availability of water on the earth is not uniform. Some places are very rich and some places are poor in water resources.

Hydrologic cycle is a global sun- driven process where water is transported from oceans to atmosphere, from atmosphere to land and from land back to oceans. The water cycle can be considered as a closed system for the earth, as the quantity of water involved in the cycle is invariable, though its distribution varies over space and time.

Evaporation takes place from the surface water and transpiration from the plants. Water vapour gets condensed at higher altitudes by condensation nuclei and form clouds. The clouds melt and sometimes burst resulting in precipitation of different forms. A part of water from precipitation flows over the land is called runoff and the other part infiltrates into the soil which builds up the groundwater.

Hydrologic cycle is a circulation of water. It is a continuous process and takes place naturally. The three important phases of the hydrologic cycle are: 1) Evapotranspiration, 2) Precipitation and 3) Runoff.