a)The water cycle includes many recurring processes that never stop. These processes are; (1)
evaporation- a type of vaporization of water that occurs only on the surface of a liquid.
transpiration- the loss of water vapor from parts of plants -similar to sweating- especially in leaves but also in stems, flowers and roots.
condensation- the change of the physical state of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase- this is the inverse of vaporization.
precipitation- Any or all of the forms of water particles, whether liquid or solid, that fall from the atmosphere- rain, hail, snow, sleet.
infiltration- liquid going into porous substance.
surface runoff- Overland flow of excess water that cannot be absorbed by the ground.
absorption- The act or process of being absorbed and made to disappear.
b)Lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands all come together to a watershed. Watersheds are where all of the water on a piece of land or under it goes and ends up in the same place. Streams come off of rivers, and run into lakes. It's a continuous cycle, hence the name "water cycle".
c)There are 3 types of rivers. There's whitewaters, blackwaters, and clearwaters. They have these names because of the different clarities due to mineral content. Rivers flow towards other rivers, oceans, lakes, and seas. In some cases, rivers flow right into the ground or dry up before reaching another body of water.
Streams can also be called branches, brooks, becks, burns, creeks, and gills. These little currents are very important for fish and wildlife migration. They're also a big factor in biodiversity.
Sometimes when there is too much precipitation these bodies of water cannot absorb or hold the water and this results in a flood. Rivers and streams can help on occasion because the water can run off and go somewhere else to even out the water levels. (2)
1) "Evaporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporation
2) "Stream - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream>.
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