Water Cycle Vocabulary

Front

ground water

Back

water held underground in soil or rock.

Front

condensation

Back

the process by which water changes from a gas to a liquid state.

Front

sun

Back

thermal energy that drives the water cycle.

Front

precipitation

Back

water that falls from clouds in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Front

surface water

Back

water found above ground, on land.

Front

evaporation

Back

the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas.

Front

transpiration

Back

the process by which water vapor is released from plants into the atmosphere.

Front

water cycle

Back

the path water takes, and the changes it goes through, as it cycles through the environment.

Front

runoff

Back

excess water, not absorbed by the soil, that flows downhill.

Front

aquifer

Back

a layer of rock or soil that can hold and transmit water.