Weather and the Water Cycle: Nature’s Amazing System!

 Hi Super Scientists!

Today we will talk about weather and the water cycle, and how they work together to shape what we see and feel outside every day!

Here’s what we need to know:

Vocabulary:

Atmosphere: The mixture of gases that surround a planet.

Water cycle: The process in which water continuously moves from Earth’s surface into the atmosphere and back again.

Evaporation: The process by which a liquid changes into a gas.

Condensation: The process by which a gas changes into a liquid.

Precipitation: Water that falls from the air to Earth’s surface.

Weather: What is happening in the atmosphere at a certain place and time.

1. Climate/weather difference 

Weather refers to the conditions of the atmosphere at a given time (ex: sunny, hot, rainy, cold, etc.). 

Climate refers to atmospheric conditions over a longer period (ex: average temperature in February in 

the last 30 years).

2. Interaction between the sun and oceans:
The sun is the main source of energy of the Earth. Solar energy is absorbed by Earth’s surface. 

This energy is then released throughout the day to heat the atmosphere. Most of Earth is covered by water. 

Water heats up and cools down more slowly than land does. Because of this, oceans are like “storage tanks”

for heat energy. They hold in heat and slowly release it, helping keep Earth’s temperatures stable.

3. What is the water cycle?
The water cycle is the process in which water moves between air and land. Without it,
there would be no life on Earth!
As the name indicates, it is a cycle and that means that each of the processes that occur in it are repeated every so
often.
There are 4 main phases of the water cycle:
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Recollection

3.1. Evaporation:
The first phase of the water cycle is evaporation. This is when the
sun's rays heat the surface of the water in the sea or in rivers and lakes. As
a result, the water heats up and evaporates, i.e. it turns into water vapor. The vapor rises 
little by little until it reaches the atmosphere. THE SALTED WATER FROM THE SEA TURNS INTO 
FRESH WATER).

3.2. Condensation:
As it rises, the vapor cools down. When the vapor becomes cooler, the condensation of water 
takes place: it goes from a gas state to a liquid state. Small drops of water 
gather until clouds begin to form.

3.3. Precipitation:
Thanks to the action of the wind, clouds disperse and move towards the
continents. The clouds continue to cool until precipitation occurs. Depending
on the climatic factors, precipitation can occur in the form of:
Rain
Sleet
Snow
Hail

3.4. Collection/accumulation:
Precipitation returns water to the earth (in liquid or solid state) and so the water cycle can begin again. 
Once water reaches the continents, it forms rivers and lakes on the surface and infiltrates the ground.