Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Evapotranspiration (ET) refers to the combined processes which move water from the Earth's surface (open water and ice surfaces, bare soil and vegetation) into the atmosphere. [ 2 ] : 2908 It covers both water evaporation (movement of water to the air directly from soil, canopies , and water bodies) and transpiration (evaporation that occurs ...
Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1% at sea level, and 0.4% over the entire atmosphere. Earth's early atmosphere consisted of accreted gases from the solar nebula , but the atmosphere changed significantly over time, affected by many factors such as volcanism , impact events , weathering and the evolution of ...
The underlying cause of the intensifying water cycle is the increased amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which lead to a warmer atmosphere through the greenhouse effect. [24] Fundamental laws of physics explain how the saturation vapor pressure in the atmosphere increases by 7% when temperature rises by 1 °C. [ 25 ]
Water vapor, water vapour or aqueous vapor is the gaseous phase of water. It is one state of water within the hydrosphere. Water vapor can be produced from the evaporation or boiling of liquid water or from the sublimation of ice. Water vapor is transparent, like most constituents of the atmosphere. [1]
In the water cycle, the universal solvent water evaporates from land and oceans to form clouds in the atmosphere, and then precipitates back to different parts of the planet. Precipitation can seep into the ground and become part of groundwater systems used by plants and other organisms, or can runoff the surface to form lakes and rivers.
Earth's atmosphere has no definite boundary, gradually becoming thinner and fading into outer space. [219] Three-quarters of the atmosphere's mass is contained within the first 11 km (6.8 mi) of the surface; this lowest layer is called the troposphere. [220] Energy from the Sun heats this layer, and the surface below, causing expansion of the air.
Transpiration of water in xylem Stoma in a tomato leaf shown via colorized scanning electron microscope The clouds in this image of the Amazon Rainforest are a result of evapotranspiration. Transpiration is the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers.
This shows the net movement of water down its potential energy gradient, from highest water potential in the soil to lowest water potential in the air. [1] The soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) is the pathway for water moving from soil through plants to the atmosphere. Continuum in the description highlights the continuous nature of water ...