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Water Cycle
Water on earth is finite; the water present today was present during the time of the dinosaurs, constantly going through the water cycle as depicted below. During these processes, new water is never created, it is only moving from one process to another. In this way, water is always naturally “recycled”.
(Image source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Of the water present on this planet, only a very small portion (less than 1%) is fresh water and available for our use. Our freshwater supply comes from precipitation (snow, rain, ice), surface water (rivers, lakes, wetlands), and groundwater. In addition, some parts of the world have used saltwater as a source of desalinated freshwater, and many cities have treated wastewater to use it as a source of recycled water for limited uses. This fresh water supply is always precious and limited, so water conservation helps us stretch this limited supply.
To learn about the processes in the water cycle, please visit the NOAA website. |
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