The global water cycle

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The global water cycle
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The global water cycle
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Video Weather Wet
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Components of global water cycle

• Ocean water
• Land soil moisture, rivers, snow cover, ice sheet
  and glaciers
• Sea ice
• Atmosphere water vapor, clouds, precipitation
• Water in biosphere (including human beings)

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Component I Ocean Covers 70 of the Earths
surface
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Observed Changes in Global Sea Level
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Observed Changes in Sea Level Largest
in the western part of ocean basin
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Observed Changes in Ocean Heat Content
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Component II Landgt1000 major rivers flow on the
seven continents
Amazon river (1)
Yangtze river (4)
Mississippi river (6)
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• Corot Ville D'avray (1865-70)

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• Jin Nong (??) Moon river (1687-1764)

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• Tianxin Zhang (???)

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Component II LandSnow cover
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Observed Changes in Snow Cover Significant
melting
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Component II LandIce sheet
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Retreat of Greenland Ice Sheet a huge
contributor to sea level rise today
Greenland is responsible for about 10 of the
observed global sea level rise and accelerating.
Greenland holds 7 m of sea level equivalent.
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Component II LandGlaciers
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Retreat of Mountain Glaciers a major contributor
to sea level rise
Glacier retreat is a world-wide phenomena.

• Will affect water supply for millions
• Kenya/Tanzania
• Northern India
• Andes Mountains

IPCC (2001)
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Melting in Glacier National Park
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Component III Sea ice Significant melting
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Component IV AtmosphereWater vapor flows in the
atmosphere
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Observed Changes in Water Vapor Significant
increase
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Component IV AtmospherePrecipitation drives
many atmospheric circulations which in turn
transport water around the world
Hadley Circulation
Monsoons
Walker Circulation
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Observed Changes in Precipitation
Significant change in many places
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A significant fraction of the human body is water
(75)
Every 16 days nearly 100 of the water in a human
body is exchanged.
The remaining fat, protein, carbonhydrate, other
solids
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So the water we drink may come from
Therefore we need to protect the environment
because any pollution we put into the environment
may someday come back into our bodies
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SummaryComponents of global water cycle

• Ocean water
• Land soil moisture, rivers, snow cover, ice sheet
  and glaciers
• Sea ice
• Atmosphere water vapor, clouds, precipitation
• Water in biosphere (including human beings)