The Water Cycle
What is the Water Cycle?
The water cycle illustrates the movement of water on Earth. Water moves from reservoir to reservoir for example, rivers to the atmosphere. Water moves through physical processes like Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation and Runoff. There are three phases in which water can be in during these physical processes; liquid, solid, and gas.
How does the oil spill affect the water cycle?
When water precipitates down back to the earth, it runoffs to streams, rivers, freshwater storage and more. If the oil is in the runoff that goes to places like freshwater storage then humans would be greatly affected. 96% of earths water is saline and of that 4% of freshwater, more than 68% of it is located in ice and glaciers. 30% of the freshwater is in the ground in places like rivers, lakes, and freshwater storage. If the oil were to go into freshwater sources then humans' drinking water would be contaminated and non-drinkable.
Acid rain is another result of the oil spill affecting the water cycle. Acid rain is a mixture of wet and dry deposited material from the atmosphere that contains higher amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. When gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals, acid rain forms. The oil spilled would react with the water and oxygen in the atmosphere that can cause acid rain. Acid rain that comes back down to earth in precipitation can harm plants and animals.
How does the oil spill affect the water cycle?
When water precipitates down back to the earth, it runoffs to streams, rivers, freshwater storage and more. If the oil is in the runoff that goes to places like freshwater storage then humans would be greatly affected. 96% of earths water is saline and of that 4% of freshwater, more than 68% of it is located in ice and glaciers. 30% of the freshwater is in the ground in places like rivers, lakes, and freshwater storage. If the oil were to go into freshwater sources then humans' drinking water would be contaminated and non-drinkable.
Acid rain is another result of the oil spill affecting the water cycle. Acid rain is a mixture of wet and dry deposited material from the atmosphere that contains higher amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. When gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals, acid rain forms. The oil spilled would react with the water and oxygen in the atmosphere that can cause acid rain. Acid rain that comes back down to earth in precipitation can harm plants and animals.