Water Cycle and Clouds

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Water Cycle Vocabulary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWb4KlM2vts (listen to the song)

Water Cycle: the journey water takes as it circulates from land to the sky and back again

Evaporation: Change from liquid water to water vapor (gas)

Condensation: water vapor (gas) condenses to form small droplets of water

-occurs inside of clouds

-cold drink on a hot day

-mirror after a hot shower

Transpiration: water that is released from trees and plants in the form of a gas

Precipitation: any form of water that falls from the sky

-rain, sleet, snow, hail

-type of precipitation depends on temperature of clouds and temperature close to earth

Runoff: after/during precipitation, water flows downhill as runoff

-or when snow melts

-can form springs

-flow is controlled by gravity

Collection: when precipitation accumulates in a body of water, in the ground, or as a runoff to a body of water

Rain: Liquid precipitation in the form of water drops that falls from clouds

Sleet: solid precipitation in the form of ice pellets

Snow: precipitation that is composed of white ice crystals falling from clouds

Hail: precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice

Clouds

Cloud: A visible collection of tiny water droplets or, at colder temperatures, ice crystals floating in the air above the surface. Classified by their different shapes and altitudes. Can form at ground level, which is fog, at great heights in the atmosphere, and everywhere in between. They offer important clues to understanding and forecasting the weather.

Cumulus: middle level clouds (6,500-18,000 feet); means "heap" or "pile;" look puffy, like cotton; grow vertically from a flat base to rounded towers; results in fair weather

Cirrus: high level clouds; (above 18,000 feet); means "curl of hair;" look thin and wispy, like feathers; composed of ice crystals (high altitude = cold temperatures)

Stratus: low level clouds (up to 6,500 feet); means "to spread out" looks like layers or blankets that cover the sky; result in overcast weather and sometimes produce precipitation; fog is this type of cloud at ground level

Nimbus: a rain cloud; may be used as a prefix or suffix for rain clouds

Cumulonimbus: all cumulus clouds (grow vertically up to 50,000 feet tall); looks like an anvil; results in heavy precipitation, especially thunderstorms

Nimbostratus: blanket-like cloud that produces rain and snow

Fog: A cloud at ground level

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