Hydrological Cycle, definition, Process, Image, and Explanation

Hydrological Cycle, Understanding, Process, Image, and Explanation

The availability of water on land can be maintained due to rain. Rain can be created because of a natural mechanism that takes place in a cycle and continuously. In regulating the dispersion of water on land, the natural mechanism is known as the hydrological cycle or water cycle. In this article, we will discuss this hydrological cycle from the understanding, the process takes place, the illustration drawings, to the various kinds.

 

definition of Hydrological Cycle

The hydrologic cycle is one of the six biogeochemical cycles that take place on earth. The hydrologic cycle is a cycle or circulation of water from the earth to the atmosphere and back to the earth that goes on continuously. The hydrologic cycle plays an important role for the survival of the earth's organisms. Through this cycle, the availability of water in the land of the earth can be maintained, given the regular temperature of the environment, weather, rain, and equilibrium of the earth's ecosystem can be created because of this hydrological cycle process.

Hydrological Cycle

The Process of Hydrologic Cycles

In practice, in this hydrological cycle water passes through several stages as described above. The process stages of the hydrological cycle include evaporation, transpiration, evapotranspiration, sublimation, condensation, advection, precipitation, run off, and infiltration. The following is an explanation of each stage of the cycle.

1. Evaporation

 

The hydrologic cycle is preceded by the evaporation of water on the surface of the earth. Water that is stored in bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, oceans, fields, dams or reservoirs turn into water vapor due to the heat of the sun. Similar evaporation also occurs in water on the soil surface. Such evaporation is called evaporation.

Evaporation turns liquid water into gaseous water allowing it to rise above the Earth's atmosphere. The higher the sun's heat (eg during the dry season), the amount of water that becomes water vapor and up into the earth's atmosphere will also be greater.

Figure Hydrological Cycle

2. Transpiration

Evaporation of water on the surface of the earth not only occurs in water bodies and soil. Evaporation of water can also take place in living organisms, such as animals and plants. Such evaporation is known as transpiration.

Just like evaporation, transpiration also converts liquid water into living tissue into water vapor and brings it up into the atmosphere. However, the amount of water that becomes vapor through the transpiration process is generally much less than the amount of water vapor produced through the evaporation process.

3. Evapotranspiration

Evapotranspiration is the overall evaporation of water occurring throughout the surface of the earth, whether that occurs in water bodies and soil, as well as in living organisms. Evapotranspiration is a combination of evaporation and transpiration. In the hydrological cycle, this rate of evapotranspiration greatly affects the amount of water vapor that is transported above the atmospheric surface.

4. Sublimation

In addition to evaporation, either through evaporation, transpiration or evapotranspiration, the rise of water vapor from the earth's surface to the earth's atmosphere is also affected by the sublimation process.

Sublimation is the process of changing the ice at the poles or at the top of the mountain into water vapor without passing through the liquid phase first. Although small, sublimation also continues to contribute to the amount of water vapor that is transported into the Earth's atmosphere through a long hydrologic cycle. However, compared to the evaporation process, the sublimation process is said to be running very slowly.

5. Condensation

When water vapor generated through the evaporation process, transpiration, evapotranspiration, and sublimation proceeds up to a certain height point, the water vapor will transform into very small particles of ice through the condensation process. The change in the form of water vapor into the ice occurs due to the influence of very low air temperatures at that point.

The ice particles that form will approach each other and unite with each other to form clouds. The more ice particles that join, the clouds that are formed will also be thicker and black.

6. Advection

Clouds formed from the condensation process will then undergo advection. Advection is the process of moving clouds from one point to another in a horizontal due to wind currents or air pressure differences. Advection allows clouds to spread and move from the atmosphere of the ocean to the atmosphere of the land. Keep in mind that, the advection stage does not occur in the short hydrological cycle.

7. Precipitation

Clouds undergoing subsequent advection will experience a precipitation process. The process of preparing is the process of melting clouds due to the influence of high temperatures. It is in this process that rain occurs. Grains of water fall and wet the surface of the earth. If the air temperature around the cloud is too low to range <0 degrees Celsius, precipitation allows the occurrence of snowfall. Clouds that contain lots of water will descend into the lithosphere in the form of thin snowflakes as we can find in sub-tropical climates.

8. Run Off 

After precipitation occurs so that rain water falls to the surface of the earth, run off process also occurs. Run off or runoff is a process of moving water from high places to low places on the surface of the earth. The movement of water for example occurs through channels such as sewer, river, lake, estuary, sea, until the ocean. In this process, water that has passed through the hydrological cycle will return to the hydrosphere layer.

9. Infiltration 

Not all rainwater that is formed after the precipitation process will flow on the surface of the earth through the run-off process. A small part of it will move into the pores of the soil, seep, and accumulate into groundwater. The process of movement of water into the soil pore is called the infiltration process. The infiltration process will slowly bring the groundwater back to the sea. Well, after going through the run-off process and infiltration, the water that has undergone the hydrological cycle will re-assemble in the ocean. The water gradually returns to the next hydrological cycle by starting with the evaporation process. 

Various Kinds of Hydrologic Cycles 

Based on the short length of the process in which the hydrological cycle can be divided into 3 types. Various kinds of hydrological cycles are short hydrologic cycle, moderate hydrologic cycle, and long hydrologic cycle. 

Short Hydrology Cycle Short 

Based on the short length of the process in which the hydrological cycle can be divided into 3 kinds. Various kinds of hydrological cycles are short hydrologic cycle, medium hydrologic cycle, and long hydrological cycle.

a. Short Hydrology Cycle

 

Short Hydrology Cycle Picture

A short hydrologic cycle is a hydrological cycle that does not go through the advection process. The water vapor formed through this cycle will be lowered through rain in the area around the sea. Here is a brief explanation of this short hydrological cycle:

Sea water is evaporated and turned into water vapor due to solar heat.

Water vapor will condense and form clouds.

The clouds that form will rain on the surface of the sea.

b. Medium Hydrological Cycle

 

Medium Hydrological Cycle Picture

Medium hydrologic cycle is a common hydrological cycle in Indonesia. This hydrologic cycle produces rain on land because the advocacy process brings clouds that form onto the land. Here is a brief explanation of this moderate hydrological cycle:

Sea water is evaporated and turned into water vapor due to solar heat.

Water vapor is advocated because of the wind so it moves toward land.

In the atmosphere of the land, water vapor forms clouds and turns into rain.

Rainwater on the land surface will run off to the river and return to the sea

c. Long Hydrological Cycle

 

Long Hydrological Cycle Image

A long hydrologic cycle is a hydrological cycle that generally occurs in subtropical climates or mountainous regions. In this hydrologic cycle, clouds are not directly converted into water, but first fall as snow and form glaciers. Here is a brief explanation of this long hydrological cycle:

Sea water is evaporated and turned into water vapor due to solar heat.

The water vapor formed subsequently undergoes sublimation

Clouds containing ice crystals are then formed.

Clouds undergo advocacy process and move to the mainland

Clouds experience precipitation and descend as snow.

Snow accumulates into a glacier.

Glaciers melt due to the influence of air temperature and form a stream.

Water coming from glaciers flows in the river to get back to the sea.

Well, so exposure to the understanding of the hydrological cycle, processes and stages, and so on. Hopefully it can be useful and add to our insights all in the knowledge of ecosystem science. Regards.

source